The Washington times., 1914-03-18
By ]. R. HILDEBRAND.

and records of the schools and off
CidLS.
By ]. R. HILDEBRAND.
The question of incompetent jan
itors in Washington public schools
will be reopened in a few days by
the submission to Engineer Commits
stoner Harding of report from
Snowden Ashford. the Municipal
Architect, relating to the marked
discrepancies In the amount of fuel
consumed in similar schools during
the same period. and in the same
schools during different seasons.
School officials and lay members OF
the community unite with District
officials in deploring the low salaries
paid janitors here.
Already in 1914 more than sixty
changes have been made in the force
of janitors. Sixty-nine janitors were
discharged in 1913 for incompetency,
and there were many additional
designations.
Menace to the health of school
children by the breaking in of new
men not familiar with requirements
for hygienic conditions in schools,
improper care for the school prop
erty, large waste in fuel because Of
inexperienced firemen, and general
inefhciency are alleged results Of
this condition.
Favor Increased Pay.
Superintendent of Schools f. L.
Thurston Is a strong advocate of
increased pay for janitors Harry
Hine secretary of the Board of
Education. and Hugh +. McQuee-
ney, superintendent of janftors,
the men most closely IL touch
with the problem. both deplore
present conditions. which they at
tribute to the low wages attached
to the positions.
In twelve-room building here
the janitor, who must be a steam
engineer, and who should be an
electrician, gets 500 a month. In
the eight-room buildings he gets
only $50. In the big high schools.
with their expensive plants and
equipment a janitor receives only
&15 a month. while colored assist
ants get $40 and $50 monthly.
While these wages are below
those paid in most office buildings,
- ~oS cApLdtuSu ludl IIe problem
OF getting a school jauitor has
added difficulties. The first con-
alteration in selecting men for the
schools must be their morals, be-
cause OF their constant association
with children.
I'VE must employ men as jani-
tors who we know will not stay
in the service" said Mr.. Nc,
Queeney. I've and il is better 10
have them il only for q short time.
than to employ inferior men SO that
we can keep them. Either method
Is a handicap to efficiency. But
Ue ind the first the more salts
factory.
No Relief in Sight.
TT man can meet the require
nnents for a school tanitor he does
not have to be in Washington long
TO command a better salary.
We make these men measure I'D
10 our requirements as nearly as we
can. But we cannot exact as much =
or them as We should like for we
are loath TO discharge a man for
lesser faults If he Is at all eligible.
Men who can fill the require
ments as janitor OF d school should
be as wei raid. at least. as motor
men or street car conductors; but
they are not"
Neither is there any relief in sight
for this condition under the present
appropriation bill. Only in few
special cases do this years esti-
mates provide for increased salaries.
Snowden Ashford complained Of
the inefficient janilor service nearly
five years ago. He already has pre-
pared one report, covering the years
from 1907 TO 1911. showing the wide
variance Of fuel used under the same
conditions. The report on which he
now is working shows that this con-
dition has not been appreciably rem
edied, though the fuel item in the
District expenditures was 81, 800 less
IN 1913 than il was four years ago.
Mr. Ashford considers this saving
a vindication Of his previous posi-
ton, for which he was warmly at
tackled by school officials at the
time.
Il am not preparing these figures
IN a spirit Of criticism" he explained.
Il do not wish TO be put in a posi-
ton OF being antaRonistic To the
school board. The low salaries paid
tanifors are not their fal [.
Something Wrong Somewhere"
But l have installed heating sys-
TENS in twenty new buildings in the
last five years, and improved those
sll many OI'4 oli'>- anu - II pIdbI
In one building costs twice as much
as q similar plant in another build
in Of the same S.Ze. something Is
wrong either with the plant or with
the man who runs it
Mr. Ashfords statements were
confirmed before the subcommittee
Of the District Committee. which.
in 1912, went into the purchasing
methods of the District and made
an exhaustive study Of the business
end of the school system here.
In the findings of that committee.
submitted by William c RedfielG,
then chairman Of the House Dis
trict Committee, il was stated that
The oversight -. the fuel consump-
tion In the public schools has been
inexact and negligent Til. testi-
mony OF Mr. McQueeney, superin-
tendent Of janitors, affords strik-
ing example of now work should
not be done"
No Definite Standards.
This report charges Mr.. McQueeney
with knowing in general way
that there were these unequal con-
ditions" and with doing nothing
but talking I'm a Casual way with
the superintendent" and letting IL
o. al that
The report also alleges that
"s0me els room buildings burn
twice as much coal as others. Their
"A -.