Evening star., 1913-12-09
URGE NEW HIGH SCHOOL
ATLARCE MASS MEETING
Citizens Declare 0vercrowding
at Eastern Should Be
Remedied.
DR.. w. S. Small in Discussing Insti
tution's Future Indorses Agri-
cultural Course.

That the Eastern High School has one
tenth of the high school pupils of the
District. that it has only one-tifteenth of
the classroom capacity and that the cost
or the school is but one-twentieth of the
total cost Of high school property. was
brought out last night at the mass meet
ing of citizens of East Washington in tho
auditorium of the school building. at Sth
street and Pennsylvania avenue south
east for the purpose of bringing about
the passage or the recommendation in the
estimates of the Commissioners that
sl5OOOO be spent for a suitable new school
site.
Ihe meeting, largely attended by both
men ana women. was presided over by
the retlring superintendent OF schools, Dr.
Wiiiam NJ. Davidson. who stated his
hrm belief that the Eastern High School
was one of the best of its kind not onIy
IN the city, but in the country as well.
Dr. Davidson. in his Introductory re-
marks. spoke of his desire to see Some
uay III existence his ldeal-a combination
or cosmopolitan high school, where a. stu
ueht might combine elective courses of !.
,nanual or business nature with the repu
iar academic wOrk--and hoped that the
new Eastern High School, when built.
-o'ie ~ VI tHdI character.
Entitled to the Best.
washington is entitled to the best
that the District and the national gov
erhments can afford to give it, said DR..
davidson, "as its records Of enrolment
snow that it is a distinct believer in Sec
ondary schools. Although l am leaving
sne District OF Columbia. 1t will always
in vron -
hat" up - 'e
Henry +. Blair, president of the board
OF education, in discussing the plans of
the board for the proposed new school,
s.aleo that genuine need therefore was
now generally felt. and, in all proba bility
l'UO or 800 pupil school would at once
De Hlied to its doors. He recommended
the location of such school to serve
best the population for which it was
.htehoeo. together with such changes in
the curriculum as would Obviate the
necessity of long trips to other parts Of
the city to obtain desired courses Mr..
Bialr, In conclusion, earnestly requested
the cooperation of all citizens of East
Washington with the board of education
the District Commissioners, the super-
intendent Of schools and the principal
OF the Eastern High School in hastening
the day of choosing and procuring a
proper location for the new school
Cites Facts and Figures.
Some Facts and Figures was the
theme of DR.. w. S. Small. the principal of
the school. He stated that the enrolment
of the Eastern High was. in 1905, 296,
and. in 1913. 467, taking this as an indica-
ton Of how soon the capacity of even
the new school would be exhausted. AS
regards the utilization of the old build
ing, he said that the day was not far of
when the seventh and eighth grades Of
the grammar schools would be segregated,
and that there would be a building at
hand for the purpose
A surprising recommendation made by
DR.. Small was the Incorporation Of n
course in agriculture in at least one Of
the high schools of Washington, and the
hope was expressed that 1t might be the
Eastern High School. There are within
30 100 miles of the city, said DR.
Small. thousands of young men in need
of the opportunity of procuring a sec