Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-09
|SEE NEED OF MORE
SCHOOLS FOR D. c.
Speakers at Mount Pleasant
Citizens Meeting Call
Conditions Shameful.

Washington is faced with a very crit
ical public school problem and there
must be sufficient schools erected with
in the next three years to house the
numbers of new pupils sure to keep
pace with the growth of the city, speak
ers declared last night at a meeting of
the Mount Pleasant Citizens Associa-
ton at the Brown Betty Inn, 18th street
and Park road
Characterizing conditions here as
shameful to a degree and asserting that
within three years the public schools
and particularly the public high schools
will be so crowded that there will not
possibly be room for more pupils. VIII
liam H. Linkins. chairman of the as
Sociation's school commHtee, and Rob
ert A. Maurer. acting principal of the
Central High School. urged erection OF
a school in the Mount Pleasant sec
ton.
Says Teachers overworked.
THE strain of war work has SO
affected teachers in the District pub
lie Schools" Mr.. Linkins said. that
there are cases every day of teachers
giving up their work. actually fall
ing in the performance of their duties
because of classes much too large
for them to handle. Many teachers
have classes of sixty pupils, where
the normal average should be thirty
five at the highest To this is added
the .absurdly small salaries paid tn,
public school teachers. and for that
matter to all government employees.
THE younger teachers are standing
up well under the strain, but the
older teachers cannot stand it, and in
consequence the schools are daily los
ing experienced teachers of which
they stand more in need now than
ever before. l recently read story
.,H taI hot drfy M
and bread wagons earned in many
cases as much as SIS per week. Our
school teachers start at about $65t
per year, and may be able to work
up to $1,000 or s1.400."
Mr.. Linkins said that inferentia1ly
after a talk with Mr.. Brownlow hi
gathered that there will not be avail
able for incorporation in the esti'
mates for 1920 any money available
for the erection of schoolhouses. He
urged that a schoolhouse be buif
somewhere in Mount Pleasant section
and named the site at Adams Mil
road. Klingle road and 2eth street
northwest as the one combining al
the features desired.
Mr.. Maurer said that the higf
schools of the city were never in
tended to hold the large number Of
pupils that are now crowded into
them. He said there are $500 pupils
number, and that more are applying
daily.
40 Admitted to Membership.
Reports were submitted by precinc
presidents of the nine precincts. ap
pointed by the association to canvas.
its territory for new members. as {
result of the first week Of the can
vass, forty-nine new members were
admitted to membership last night
Herman A. Phillips. president of thu
canvassing organization, predicted
that the association will have upward
of 500 members on its rolls within
two months, and urged every member
to get behind the movement for in
creased membership
A proposal from the Columbis
Heights Citizens Association, urging
he Mount Pleasant association to ge
behind a project for erection of vic
tory memorial arch on 18th stree
near Columbia road, was referred tt
the committee on parks and parkings
This committee urged purchase Of
seven tracts of land for Fairgrounds
chiefly in the northwest section of the
city, at a cost to the District of about
81, 300, 600. A resolution to this effect
was passed. and letter urging the
purchase of this land will be sent te
the District Commissioners.