The Washington herald., 1921-11-30

n Sanization OF municipalities the greatest
handicap to municipal progress as voiced
oy the delegates, declared to be- the lack
OF interest shown by voters in the development
OF their own civic affairs. In other words Wash
ington, without the vote is no different from
cities that have the VOTE in expecting the official
powers that be to go ahead and do it all. There
is nothing else quite as the city whose
people investigate, plan, formulate details and
lobby through their own legislative bodies projects
Tor their city's betterment.
The vote does not make them do this 1t
does not help them do it. And the people of
Washington do not need the vote to get from
Congress anything they should have for which
they are ready to pay their share and which they
want badly enough to take to Congress as a
completely planned project Every Washing
tonian has heard of lobbying They need to
learn the art on their behalf.
That this city has not had the school system
1t should have, is far behind in an adequate
school building program, has condemned many
children to very bad class of portable build
ing, to rented quarters frequently still worse than
the portables, and to part time, is not the
fault OF Congress. 1t is the fault of Washing
ton 1t is safe bet that when the people of
any city complain that they are not getting from
their government what they should have that
either they are asking what they should not have,
or have lacked in their own efforts.
1t is hardly convincing to say that Congress
is solely responsible for the present school con-
ditions. This is the Capital of the United States.
famed for its beauty and attractiveness Every
Congressman feels a personal pride in it. For
three-fourths of each year it is his home and do
not forget that the children of scores of members
attend these schools. They are all friendly to
Washington. They all have the kindly feeling.
thevd do
be accused of guarding their own purses at the
expense of the children. The Herald will venture
that if Washington will go to Congress on behalf
of any project which will appeal to common sense
and good judgment; if they take a complete pro-
gram with full information and every detail ready
for final judgment, that they will get more
than sympathetic hearing.
We satisfied the District Committee is
ready to act to schools just as soon as it
knows the line of action which should be taken
and that Washington is ready to do its share.
Between times of the demands of national leeis-
lation, it5 members might in the course of months
dig out the necessary information for themselves
For than six weeks they have been trying
to start such investigation of school condi-
tons. Several times day and hour has been
set for this start. 1t has not yet been made,
further than hearing statements of few of the
school authorities. Congressman cannot neglect
national for local duty and would be nexcusabe
If they did, especially so the local duty is a
local obligation which rests upon the city as a
whole.
In the meanwhile The Herald has had made
the investigation the committee members intended
to make for themselves and we know our inves-
tigator has done far better job than thew could
do, discovering what they would not have found
and getting intimate insight which would have
been denied to them. We have gone further,
and in consultation with others, some of them
OF the committee, have formulated program
for discussion, amendment and action We, are
satisfied that the trouble of the Washington school
system is chronic; it demands surgery, not medi-
cine. 1t is fundamental and because of this is
not matter of persons, of agencies. No one
is to blame except for permitting continuance
of the conditions which the system is based
The greatest of educators could not develop
right, a MODERN nor an adequate educational
system on Washington conditions. Good teachers
and good teaching not lacking but instru-
u1entaltes are. The finest buildings and most
modern and complete equipment will not. make
good schools of themselves, but they are essen
tial instruments of the best results. If Washing
ton teachers were not just what they are neither
the best the average of them would stay here
under present conditions. They could get more
pay and far better opportunity elsewhere or in
other vocations. The time has gone, we are
happy to say when teaching is the only voca-
ton open to young women, and when they had
to take as teachers any salaries and conditions
offered to them.
Teachers now demand the salary of profess
SIGNALS with conditions which fairly assure prog
ress in their profession equal at least to their
effort. This is reason Washington schools
must get better very soon they will get lot
worse. Today they rank with educators as among
the very poorest in the entire country as whole
or as a system. We intend to try to rip this
system up the back to show the inner whyness of
its evils of insuficiency, and its ham-strnging of
efficiency. Just hint: At certain periods of
the school year you will read in the newspapers
each day of conferences between the superin-
tendent of schoQls and the District Commission