Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-13
CRISIS IN HOUSING
SCHOOL CHILDREN
Board Meeting Hears From Super
intendent Scott About the
Crowded Conditions.

A curious crisis IN public school affairs
ioomed large and iorcboding ~ last night
meeting Of the board of education Super
intendent Clifford ]. Scott in his report
complained he did not know how he could
house the pupils for another month IN the
present buildings. DIR. Conwell Banton
chairman of the committee on repairs,
resigned because there was no more re-
pairs money and consequently nothing
more for his committee 10 do
But the educational committee still
showed signs of life. This arm Of the board
was on hand with plan for the introduc-
ton Of safety principles and accident
prevention INTO the curriculum.
Superintendent Scott said q new gram
mar school IS needed IN the southern
section Of the city, but sad the building
program outlined by the board To the
City Council for the expenditure Of NIL
lions of dollars must be very broad TO
cope with the situation.
DR. Banton said he could not under
stand the attitude OF tho people Of WI
mington, that the children of the city had
been loft out IN the cold through per
~istent Ignoring Of the boards plans
lie went on TO say that i the code werc
accepted the people would have to dig
down as they do not now do 70 pay for Il.
They ask us to take our splendid
school system, he continued, and put
IL under men a. present inexperienced
and rlntried: under superintendent who
has never raised the schools above thirty
third The board acted properly when il
rejected IT,
This discussion resulted N 2 motion for
the appointment Of a committee Of ilvc.
including Superintendent Scott, 70 de
visc plans for the necessary buildings for
school purposes. This committee VIII act
with Council
Shermcr Stradlcy. chairman Of tho
finance committee. stated that the COM
mittee had already spent ST 800 moro
than allowed for repairs and spoke against
going further into debt that way lie de-
clared more hsd been spent in the past
FIVE months than the whole year allowance
William Corey, superintendent Of rC-
pairs, reported that all labor had hcen
laid off The secretary, Harry q. Guthrie,
scored the methods q former committees
IN purchasing supplies and one thing and
another and declared that old bulls were
coming IN vet as he result 4 new system
of bookkeeping was demanded by MIR
Stradlcv and on motion of m RantOn
committee was appointed 70 investigate
and bring out i new system Of bookkeeping.
The public safety committee, Delaware
Safety Council, appeared 70 urge teaching
of safety principles and accident pre-
vcntion in the public schools These new
subjects Will probably he worked IN with
other studies such IS English and arith-
rnetic. il was stated. f. George payne,
president Of the Harris Teachers College.
s. Louis, who appeared before the com
mittcc. explained the proposed method
oi weaving IN these new subjects. lie IS
the author Of one Of the few text books on
safety topics Superintendent Scott WAS
heartily in favor oi the proposition
The designations Of Teachers Martha
b Reese. W : Gibson and Aiaudc :
Grier, wore accepted Tho principal Of .
School No % reported that Yesterday
a moderately warm day. the temperature
within the school was only 80 degrees
and that the pupils had to be huddled
up to keep them warm. An Investigation
VAS ordered.