The Washington herald., 1914-03-09
senate OPPOSED
TO SCHOOL Plan
Proposal to Utilize Site Of Jail
and Hospital Frowned
Down.
MORAL EFFECT BARRIER
Senators Hear Samuel w. Cuuidenis :
Exposition of East Washington Citi-
zens' Association Proposition.

That the subcommittee Of the Senate
in charge OF the District appropriation
bin for 1915 is opposed TO the plan Of the
East Washington Citizens Association
to have the projected new Eastern sdigh
School built on reservation No. Is, on
which the District Jail and Washington
Asylum Hospital now stands. seems plain
from the reception recently accorded a
statement CT the plan by Samuel w.
Curriden. member OF the association, at
committee hearing.
The economic waste that would result
from demolition of some of the present
buildings there and the moral effect the
erection Of a high school on site OF
such associations might have on pupils
were the principal reasons for the COM
mittee's opposition.
The Citizens Association. the largest of
Its kind in the District, started a fight
about twenty-five years ago to eliminate
from this seventy-acre lot, owned by the
national government. the workhouse,
almshouse, jail, and Washington Asylum
Hospital The same subcommittee re-
Gently inspected the jail and hospital,
the only two institutions left there. and
their verdict was that the hospital is q
disgrace to the National Capital" The
Jail. they found. was in good condition
and well conducted.
"Dix<race, VIII stand.
1t now seems certain that the people
of the District will have to put up with
the disgrace" certainly for another
year. and perhaps for many. 1t Is equal
ly probable that the present subcommit-
tee will never report an appropriation
for the erection of the high school on
that site A suggestion by Mr.. Curriden
dietary Square was Immediately discour-
aged by the committee.
Mr.. Curriden sketched the history Of
the associations long fight for the re-
moval of the jail and other buildings
from reservation No. IL, then said:
This reservation will supply the site
for the long-needed Eastern High School
and its correlated educational institutions.
The two brick structures, designed for
parts of the ambitious workhouse struc-
ture. can be adapted for laboratory build
ings at small cost; and when the Jail is no
longer put to its present antiQuated and
needlessly expensive uses. 1t can be con-
verted into a gymnasium to be used in
connection with the high school.
After proposing this site as an ideal
one also for the proposed stadium, with
seating capacity of between 1000 and
5000. Mr.. Curriden continued:
The present uses Of the Jail are lin
ited- 1t is stated that it is now used
as place of detention of prisoners
held for trial and as a place for de-
tehtion Of prisoners after trial, pend
ing their transfer to Atlanta or other
places of prolonged confinement. For
many years the erection of a house of
detention close to the courthouse
building has been strongly urged for
the beneht of prisoners pending trial
as we'll as for convenience of courts.
The great distance from the courthouse
to the present jail causes needless de-
lays and expense"
Questioned by Senators.
Thenceforth Mr.. CuExiden was fire.
quently interrupted bysIthe Senator's,
each in turn throwing. cold water" on
the entire plan.
Senator GalIinger-"Do you think IL
desirable to carry the Eastern High
School across this plateau and locate ii
On the Eastern Branch? 1t is at the ex-
treme end of the populated district
here"
Mr.. Curriden-"This is a matter of
growth, of development. The contention
in East Washington was for years to
secure for an Eastern High School the
site recently taken for the District
stables. The only site now available
for the needed Eastern High School
is on reservation No. I3 When the East
ern branch is canalized and this reserva-
ticn designated as the site Of the new
Eastern High School all the street car
lines in the city will quickly extend their
tracks to it When the Western High
School was located some years ago
by Commissions: Ross at the then ex-1
treme end OF Georgetown. I thought IL
was remote and that the location was
unwise, but now the city has grown
up to it, and think it was one of the
wisest investments that could have been
made"
Senator Gallinger-"The difference is
that the city is growing to the northwest
because there is land there. and on the
eastern side you run into the river. That