The Washington times., 1914-11-27
By 7. R. HILDEBRAND.

Stirred oy the manifold needs Of
schools in the northeast. the Federation
OF Home-School Associations OF the
Seventh Division, has outlined a definite
program of work for the coming winter.
Proper seating of children, more thor
ough and sanitary cleaning OF school
rooms. kalsomining walls, establishing
playground center, increasing building
playground facilities, and urging teach
crs' pensions. are the planks of the plat
form on which parents will stand this
season.
Schools included in the seventh Divi-
sion, which the federation represents,
are the Brent. Carbery, Dent, Edmonds.
Hilton. Maury, Peabody, Towers. and
Wallach. The federation is a represen-
tative body. made up of presidents Of
the parents body OF each school, the
principal Of each school. and a dele
gate elected to represent the parents
body of each school.
Mrs. William 3. Hardy. president o!
the federation. outlined that body 5
plans for the winter. az follows:
Perhaps the worst handicap TO
teaching. and the worst menace TO
quate seating arrangement i'll orr
schools at this time.
Chairs Not Adjustable.
In many of the schools chairs
are not adjustable. In many Of
those where the seats are OF the
adjustable type they are out of
repair and no longer can be raised
or lowered. 4 tall pupil must be
crowded into a seat where his eyes
are too far from his desk. and
where there is not room for him
to Sit in an upright position. Pupils
under the average size in their
grade must allow their feet to
dangle in ar, or. as was done in
one school last year. bricks must
bc used to afford children foot
rest
Then. TOO. many OF the. seats now
used are old, the wood is splin-
tered, and it is impossible TO keep
childrens clothes in repair. In
leather covers for chairs so that
their children might not damage
their clothss daily.
Mrs. Hardy's hope is to obtain NOV,
able furniture. She believes th::
would be more comfortable for pupils
would facilitate teaching. and would
be especially advantageous in the
many grade school buildings which
have no assembly halls. In these
buildings the halls are frequently toe
small TO bring all pupils together
and there is no means of assemblagt
where pupils may have exercises o.
patriotic occasions, listen TO speak,
ers. or where parents may assemble
for their meetings.
Schools Called "Filthy''
OF primary Importance. in Ms
Hardy'e opinion. is immediate actor
! looking toward the proper cleansing
/ Of buildings. ana kalsomining The
walls of many rooms. She continued
# a member of Congress. or d
! memher Of the Board of Educa-
! tiOH caL.e into our homes and
! found our walls in the condition Of
! many school room walls and found
! such d general filthy condition in
our household rooms they would
tnink we We're not fit TO be en-
| trusted with children.
! Yet they know Of these condi-
/ IONS existing in many schools.
| Walls are black and sooty. and on
| upper floors they arc streakcd with
Ieakage frCm the roofs.
Proper cleaning material is not
used for desks. In many cases
| desks apparently are not cleaned at
! all During the summer coats Of
| varnish are applied over all the col
lectsd dir OF the preceding school
year. IL some cases teachers have
had children clean these desks be-
| fore the close Of the school year.
An urgent need Of children in In
northeast section, Mrs. Hardy asserts
| il central playground, like the Nir
/ ginia avenue and Garfield Park play
grounds OF the southeast; and those o
the northwest section. The only play
! ground OF this type now located in tn
closely settled northeast section. sh
| pointed out. is the Rosedale ground
| which is more thGn twenty minutes
walk from the nearest school In tn
seventh division. She said:
Near us, Of course. are the Capt
| tol grounds. These are beautiful to
| look upon. but allow a child to at
| tempt to play there, and he promptly
, is chased off.
The only other play space afforded
b. our neighborhood in Stanton
! square. and that has been regarded
| as unsafe even in daytime, for girls