Atlanta Georgian., 1913-10-12
WOMEN LEAD IN
MOVE To SOLVE
SCHOOL EVILS
Federation of Women's Clubs
Called to Meet and Outline
Working Scheme.

With the meeting of the Federation
of Atlanta Women's Clubs at the At
lanta Woman's Club Building on Ba-
ker street Monday morning, a well
defined movement to improve At
lanta's public school conditions will
be initiated
Mayor Woodward and the City
Council, the Board of Education and
other prominent men have been in
vited to attend. A letter from Walter
K. Daley, president of the Board of
Education, will be read, outlining the
present overcrowded state of many
schools and the bad condition OF
many Of the buildings President
Daley's most pertinent suggestion will
be to advocate $4,000, 900 bond issue
for new grammar school and high
school buildings. Statements on the
situation will be made by several
prominent citizens, besides the COM
ments Of the women.
The agitation and discussion of bad
conditions of Atlanta's public schools
during the last week already has con-
vinced city officials that the matter
OF first consideration next year must
be relief for the schools.
More School Money Needed.
More money for improvements than
has been available for several years
is anticipated when it comes time to
make up the new budget in January.
But city officials realize that they
can't build new high school buildings
and increase the number of gram
mar schools from the normal revenue.
Only two other means are available
for securing funds-a bond issue. or
a special school tax.
It is such an important but delicate
situation to handle that city officials
are in a dilemma. 1t takes two thirds
of the registered voters to pass bond
ISSUE an almost impossible PROPOSE
tion. Politicians say that there is too
much opposition to taxes to advocate
a raise in the levy.
Most of the city officials will await
the action of the women in this frame
of mind.
They all admit that the Girls High
School building is a disgrace to the
city. It's adjunct, the English Com
mercial Girls High School, is in an
old. oVerCroWded, rented building. The
school department is unable to ac-
commodate the young women VINO
want to fit themselves to earn their
own living.
lnsanitation Moves Women.
The Boys High School is equally
as bad. There is no athletic field for
the young men at the age at which
they need physical training most.
The Bows Psychological High School,
filled with students, is badly equipped
because of the poor quarters.
But these were not the things that
have stirred the women of Atlanta to
action. II was when they learned
that their little tots in the first grades
of their education were 30 crowded
together that many of them had no
place on which to write but their
knees. when they realized that some
were crowded out into the Easements.
when they found that there was not
proper lighting, heating and ventila-
ting that they decided to take part.
Mrs Charles ]. Haden, president of
the Federation of Women's Clubs.
said that the women were so aroused
that they were calling their club
chairmen from all parts of the city
and urging some sort OF action. The
club leaders decided to call the meet
ing Monday A rousing session is
expected.
Charter Gives Women Power.
Because of the recent initiative,
referendum and recall amendment to
the city charter, city officials are
placing great confidence in the abil-
ity of the women to solve the com
plex problem. BY securing a petition
of 10 per cent of the registered voters
the women can call a special election
on special school tax.
City officials declare that this new
clause makes them almost as effect
i've workers in city politics as though
they had the right of suffrage. A pc
ttion that the women circulated
would be certain to get the requisite
number of votes. BY a similar proc
ess they could call bond issue cleo
ton.