Evening star., 1920-04-04
FVE-YEAR SCHOOL
BUILDING PROGRAM
SOUGHT IN DISTRICT
Betterment Council Suggests
a Commission Be Given
Wide Authority.

Creation OF school DullQlnS COM
mission composed of the District En-
gineer Commissioner and the munich
pal architect, which will have the au-
thority to make a detailed survey OF
the entire school system of Washing
ton and map out and enforce five
/ year building program will be recon- :
mended 10 Congress by the National
Capital School Betterment Council.
This action was decided upon yester-
day afternoon at a meeting or the
council in the Willard Hotel.
The council also decided to ask Con-
| gress to establish a segregated ap-
preparation from which funds VIII De
drawn to erect essential school build
ings. together with a request that
Snowden Ashford. municipal archl-
tect, be called before the Senate SUD
committee on appropriations TO give
information which will be of great
value to determine the appropriations
TO be granted for new schoolhouses
A committee composed OF Jesse u
Suter w b. Todd and Ellen Spencer
Mussey of the District Bar Assoc1a-
tion was appointed to appear before
the Senate appropriations committee
in support of the segregated fund-
Meeting Is Not Closed.
For the first time since formal or
yauization of the council, the meeting
was not held behind closed doors. Ill
ness of Charles /. Corby, chairman,
prevented him from attending, and
William b. Westlake, vice chairman
presided Mr.. WeStlake expressed re-
gret at the opening of the meeting
mat the Commissioners in the past
have not made recommendations LOT
maximum appropriations to carry 1or-
ward the school building programs
A communication prepared by Jesse
c. Suter, which will be submitted TO
the Senate appropriations committee
pointed out the necessity OF postpeh
ing the proposed erection of municipal
lodging houses. swin'.ling pools, pup
lie convenience stations, etc, and She
fund appropriated for their corStruc-
tion be used to build new schoolhouses.
The letter reads, in part:
'On account of excessively high
cost of buildings at this time and our
belief that no relief will come within
the year we feel that the following
work, for which appropriations nave
been made. while urgent and neces-
sary. should be postponed until the
present uncertainties in prices, wages
and materials have to some extent
been cleared up:
Municipal lodging house. swim
ming pools. public convenience. sta
ton, storehouse for electrical depart
ment. police station. cottage for col
ored boys. The sums heretofore ap-
propriated are not half sufficient TO
erect these buildings. The total
amount is s12s,291.
Relief in schools Needed.
"We do believe that -he conditions
In certain school buildings demand
relief even at the expense OF present
high prices. We. further are con-
WINGED that if adequate RELIEF is not
afforded in the pending bill for 1871
no additional schoolrooms will be
available for several years. and by
1923 the conditions will be calamitous
and many school children will suffer
"A lifelong handicap in the loss of
their just share of schooling
I'VE therefore fervidly recommend
that the sum now appropriated for
the buildings before mentioned and
amounting 20 $129.2e1 be transferred
to the school funds
The school buildings now appro-
priated for and the available balances
are as follows:
S-room addition and assembly hall. Pet
4-roon addition and assembly hall,
Desnwood ...........-........ $3.50
Care ~ Gnu e4,sss
Gymnasium and assembly hall, Phelps. 5s,247
Wbeatiey ...............- s2.4s7
TSfoma ...............-... ss.sss
4-room addition. Burrviue schooi..... 47,7S6
sion. Woodridge-IAnsdon ............ 1oe, ,oes
ssoa .s71
other buildings. ...'...........-.... 12s, ,291
s7aA NO