The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1919-12-29

more teachers, a business manager
with a sufficient business staff, more
and larger buildings and a law to re-
tire from service the superannuated
teachers.
1t was made plain by those now
having the movement in charge that
they want other organizations to join
in the campaign to get theSe five i'm
portant needs supplied byl Congress.
However. the organizations which
want to come in on the fight and
share the consequent glory of it's sue
cess must support only the FIVE OBJ
jectives outlined at the preliminary
meeting.
AS soon as the drive organization
is formed on January efforts will be
MADE to interest woman's organiza-
tons. 1t is believed all woman's or
CARNATIONS will unite with the Big
Four" in their fight and make an i'm
portant impression on Congress when
they appear with the others to recite
the pressing requirements OF the local
schools.
WestIakc Making Arrangements.
W. b. Westlake, president of the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
by reason of the fact that he heads
the largest of the Big Four" or
CARNATIONS. has been charged with
the duty Of making arrangements
for the first joint meeting of school
committees. Mr.. Westlake has been
elected temporary chairman, and
will call the first meeting to order.
Permanent officers of the drive COM
mittee will then be elected.
Working under his direction is
the temporary steering committee
composed Of Roland Robbins. pres
ident OF the Rotary Club: Charles
1. Corby. chairman of the school
committee of that club. and Roy
&c. CIafiin, chairman of the school
committee of the Board of Trade
and prime mover in the citizens
better schools movement.
This committee Is collecting data
concerning conditions now prevail
ing in the schools which have caus-
ed the business men and citizens
to protest. In addition to collect
ing these facts. to be included in
a report to the joint meeting, this
committee will determine the sum
Of money needed to finance the pro-
posed movement and formulate the
plans for raising it,.
Although Superintendent Thurs
ton, of the school system, is not
member of the committee and has
refrained from allying himself with
any of the organizations in their
movement, he has supplied the tenn
porary steering committee with all
the facts II needs and has helped in
every possible way.
Inquiry to BE broad.
At the same time that the com.
mittee Is making its drive for funds
for the schools, there will be an in
vestigation in an effort to determine
why the schools have not been
properly looked after to date. Suf-
ficieht appropriations have been re-
quested of Congress, but after they
had passed through the various
channels, including the District
Commissioners, and the committees
OF Congress, they have come out
badly cut. This method of economy,
which goes to the very root of the
training of young American citizens,
will be thoroughly gone into by
those having the local school fight
in charge.
The school officials this year re-
ceived a notice from the Treasury
Department to make absolutely no
increase in appropriations. This ar
bitrary prohibition of increases. in
the light of fast falling school
structure due the lack of suffi-
Gent appropriations, left them moth
ing to do. Then the Commissioners
are limited in their estimates fur
Their to an amount equal to twice
the Districts revenue, and in con-
sidering the school requests along
with their other needs have felt 1t
necessary to cut the school esti-
mates.
The Commissioners handling of
the estimates Is another phase o.
the matter which it is proposed to
have the local organizations exam
Inc. Attempt will be made to have
the Commissioners take another
look at the school system with .
view to asking more money for
them annually, even II it is neces-
sary to chop of some other esti-
mates which are not SO important or
pressing.
1t Is suggested that the reason fo-
the Treasury Departments order
not 70 increase saiarx astinataa yaa