Evening star., 1913-02-19
Appropriation for Central Au-
thorized by the Senate.
MAJORITY OF Is RECORDED
District Bill Amendment Provides
for Money to Begin Work.
DISCUSSION IS PROTRACTED
Senator Hoke Smith Leads Opposition
and Senator Curtis Defends
Committees Action

After fight which lasted several hours,
of Georgia, the amendment recommended
| by the Senate committee on approrria-
| tions TO the District appropriation bill
for an appropriation of S1OO,OO0 toward
| the construction of twelve hundred
| thousand-dollar Central High School
| building, was agreed to by the Senate.
| Senator Smith exhausted every parlia-
mentary resource to prevent the adop-
! ton of the amendment. on the ground
that high schools should not accommo-
date so many pupils as would the one
proposed.
The vote the adoption of the high
school amendment was AZ to 26 Those
| voting in favor of the appropriations for
the new schools were Senators Brande-
gee. Brown, Burton. Catron. Chamber
lain, Clapp, Clark of Wyoming Crane
Crawford. Cullom, Curtis. Dillingham;.
du Pont, Gallinger. Gamble. Jackson
Jones. La Toilette. Lippitt. Lodge. Nc
Lain, Martin. Nelson. O'Gorman. Oliver,
Page, Percy, Perkins. Poindexter, Pom
creme. Richardson. Root Smith of Ari-
zona. Smith of Maryland, Smoot. Stephen
son. Stone, Thornton Townsend, War
rem. Whetmore and Works.
Those voting in the negative were:
Senators Ashurst, Borah. Bristow
Bryan Culberson, Cummins. Fletcher.
Gardner. Gronna, Johnston, Kanavaugh,
Kenyon Kern, Lea, MARITIME, Myers.
Newlands, overman. Pittman. Shep-
pard. Simmons. Smith of Georgia, Smith
of South Carolina, Tillman and Webb.
The fight against the high school ap-
preparation occupied all the early aft
ernoop while the District appropria-
lion, md ;lnr r tl,o
Senate The other amendments left
pending last night are still undetermined.
Huge Array of Documents.
The tops of two senatorial desks and
OF a small table were necessary to hold
all the papers with which Senators Curtis
and Smoot. in charge of the Districts
supply measure. were armed for todays
battle over the most important amend
ments proposed to the measure by the
Senate committee on preparations and
by individual senators.
Senator HOke Smith of Georgia, leader
of the opposition had a small bundle of
papers on his desk. 1t was very evident
that q battle royal was expected over the
public utilities commission amendment
offered by Senator Pomerene; the uphold
ing of the half-and-half principle as pro-
posed by the committee appropria-
tiOns; the amendments for the new Cen
trail and NJ Street High School buildings,
and for acquiring new parks along the
klingle Ford and Piney Branch valleks.
Before the consideration of the measure
was begun. Chairman Johnson of the
House District committee entered the
chamber and resumed the seat he has
occupied for the last two days alongside
that of Senator Hoke Smith of,Georgia.
Representative Redfeld of, New York. a
member of the House District committee.
was in the chamber for short time and
held brief consultation with Mr.. John
son and with several senators.
High School Buildings First.
First of the amendments. still un-
acted on. to be taken up today was
that proposing for the construction of
new one million two hundred thou
sand-dollar Central High School. Sen
ator Hoke Smith at once began his on
position.
This high school is to be built large
enough to accommodate $500 pupils"
he said. Il think a school of that
size Is unwise. both from an educational
and from an economical standpoint"
The senator expressed his preference
for smaller schools, as preserving in
dividuality of pupils.
Il think it would be better to have sew
eral such schools. with maximum limit
of 400 pupils In EACH" he said .'If we
we could build one to accommodate 400
and relieve the pressure in the high
schools at present. The school proposed
by this bill would not be ready for three
years: in case a smaller one is built, it
would relieve the pressure next year.
Senator Smith maintained that there
are now only 1900 white high school pu-
pills in the District and 1t is bad policy,
accommodate $500 pupils and yet have
it to replace only one of the three pres
ent high schools.
In place of the committees amendment
for observation-disclosures ap-
preparation toward a new twelve hun
red-thousand- dollar high school on a site
near the Garfield Hospital already pur-
chased. Senator Smith offered an amend
ment to appropriate $300.OG0 for a new
site and for a new high school building
the site to be fixed by the chairmen of
the District committees Of the Senate and
House and the District Commissioners.
Query by Senator Smoot.
Senator Smoot asked if the already
purchased site for a new high school
was to be abandoned, under Mr. Smiths
amendment
Il am leaving the use of that site
open." replied Mr.. Smith "I think it
might be well to have the new small
high school farther out, even as far
out as the national cemetery"
Representative BurIeson of Texas
who was in charge of the bill in the
House. came into the Senate chamber
during this discussion and was busy
in conferences for some time.
Senator Curtis read from last years
appropriation law. showing a proviso that
the new Central High School was to ac-
commodate $500.
That was adopted after careful con-
sideration and after hearing the friends
of the small schools and of large
school,. commented Mr.. Curtis.
Senator Hoke Smith protested that the
provision was not binding and simply
calls for plans for such school.
1T is binding to the extent that it was
the expression of committee that
studied the question of small and large
schools" replied Mr.. Curtis.
In eighteen cities. he added, there are
high schools accommodating from / 600
to $500 pupils each.
Doubts Wisdom of Change.
Senator Newlands declared the limit on
the number of pupils in school should
be 800, and that there should be ample
provisions for Fairgrounds. But, Mr..
Newlands added. Congress has bought
site and had plans prepared for two
nd-five-hundred-pupil high school.
and he doubted the wisdom of changing
the plans now.
II recently saw the plans for the school
and it will be an ornament to the city,"
Mr.. NewlandS said. He thought objec-
tiOns by Mr. Smith could be met by