Evening star., 1914-02-20
The Central algn School Fund.

! An amendment directly proposing the
| division OF the Central High School build
I ing fund and the application OF part OF
! rho money 10 the erection of new East
| eru High School has been submitted and
| is now pending before the Senate. 1t
sno,,ld be rejected bv the committee
| ,.Itich Is considering the bill and by the
Senate itself Ever since the effort to
divide this fund was nrst made, i; few
months age ii has been perslstentiy
pressed, with the result of unwarra ntedly
DELAYING the beginning Of construction,
and now il appears that there will be no
remission of the destructive endeavor ufI-
til the Senate has actually passed the ap-
| nropriat.on bill. That the amendment
will receive favorable consideration is
hardly to he believed, in view of the
strong reasons for permitting the former
action Of Congress 10 stand.
To understand this situation it is need
full 10 note the increase in the growth OF
the white high school population during
the last thirty Years, that is to say since
the organization of the high school sys-
tenn In 1873 it was 80; in lSl3 II had
grown TO 1.599; in 1908 it had reached
= .2322. while last year, at the conclusion
OF the third decade. the white high school
population was AIS. Ii the rate of IN
crease in the last decade continues
throughout the next the white population
in l"-3 will be 7.591. The tendency of
population In the District is unquestion-
ably toward the northwest. The latest
police census proved this Enthusiastically
The growth of the white population In
the tenth precinct. in which the new Cen
trail School is TO be located, has in the
last eight years been 2S.Ss5, while at the
same time the actual loss of white popu-
lation in all the rest of the District was
1,16o. From the spring of 1912 to the
spring of 1915 the growth of the white
population In the tenth precinct was 4,494,
and in the same period the actual loss Of
white population in all the rest of the
District was 3.6o1, caused by a heavy re-
cent movement northward overcoming
gains scored in other parts during the
first six years of the elght-year period.
These figures show the error OF regard
ing the needs of the central northwest
ern section as less important than those
Of other parts of the District. High
school congestion is certain to follow any
diminution of the construction proposed
for the new Central which in the very
nature of the population movement can
not fail to be the school of the greatest
numbers. Furthermore. the proposed
large building makes possible combina-
ton high school, the desirability of which
is evidenced by the congestion already
existent In at least one of the special
high schools, the Business, which owing
to its site Is Incapable of material extern
sion and Is now seriously overcrowded.
Washington should have a Central High
School of the widest possible equipment,
with the opportunity to give the fullest
service TO the great body of nearby resi-
dents. The site selected for this instltu-
tion was wisely chosen with view to the
future. and it would be folly now TO cut
in half the foundation appropriation, rem
dering necessary another delay and add.
ing to the school congestion II there is
need of a larger Eastern High School it
should be given, in addition to the full
sized Central. There Is no occasion to
provide for the one by cutting the other
in half and this effort to undo the good
work which has been so satisfactorily ac-
conplished il TO be resisted in the inter-
est OF District development.