Evening star., 1913-11-19
ALARMED FOR SAFETY
OF SCHOOL CHILDREN
Building Housing Them at Pet
worth Is Declared to Be
a Fire Trap.

Visions of a holocaust We're portraye ed
and proposals of a school strike made by
speakers on the school facilities at Pet
worth at the November meeting of the
Petworth Citizens Association last night.
The rented frame building which is used
as an annex to the brick building and in
which seventy children are housed, was
declared a fire trap by c. J. James who
opened the discussion and declared that
to keep children in such building meant
a sacrifice.
why should We jeopardize our chill
dren's lives for the sake of a little educa-
tion"" he asked. When the fact that the
District has compulsory education law
was brought to his attention and it was
suggested that persons keeping their
children from school might be forced to
answer for it, he declared that if he had
any children in building such as
houses the third and fifth grades at Pet
worth he would take them away and
fight the compulsory education law
until ii was black in the face"
There was no law, he said, which could
force parent to jeopardize the lives of
his children.
Described as Horrible"
he continued land ought not to be allow
ed to exist in the capital of the nation,
and | do not see how the parents of
children in this vicinity can send their
children to this dwelling without a pro-
test.
When he was told that efficient fire
drills We're held he said that fire drills
We're worth nothing if the fire should get
into the exits. He then offered a reso-
luton proposing to the commissioners
that the building be closed for school
purposes until it was made safe and san
itary.
l. {. Ellis declared that it was not the
fault of the Commissioners that Petworth
did not have better school facilities. 1t
was the fault of Congress. He said he
did not believe that Petworth had a
chance of getting another school build
ing until one was constructed at Park
View. He called attention to the growth
of Petworth. and declared that it would
be very long time before additional
school facilities would be provided for
PetwOrth, and based his statement on
the history of the fight of the Park View
citizens for additional school facilities.
The hope that Mr. James resolution
would not pass was expressed by j. c.
Suter. chairman of the school committee
of the association. He believed it was too
drastic, and declared he thought that the
association could catch more flies with
mOlasseS than with vinegar.
Finally a substitute for Mr. James
resolution was adopted. 1t instructed the
school committee to look into the matter
of having an outside stairway built which
would furnish an easy and safe exit, for
the children in case of fire. The Senti-
ment at the meeting seemed to be in favor
of the citizens paying for the construction
If government funds were not available.
Reception for Commissioners.
The associa ton also instructed it's pres;-
dent 10 name a committee of five, to be
headed by Z. w. Oyster, to look into the
matter of arranging a reception to the
District Commissioners. The suggestion
was made that the reception be held in
the dwelling which is now being used for
school purposes.
The president also was authorized to
appoint two delegates to confer with
other associations about the widening
and improvement of Georgia avenue.
The committee on streets, sidewalks
and lights was instructed to make an
gas at Petworth. Housewives OF Pet
worth were said to have all kinds of
trouble with their pots and pans be-
coming caked with SCOT from cooking
with the gas served in that section.
All members of the association who are
eighteen months in arrears in their dues
were ordered to be stricken from the
rolls after due notice had been given