Evening star., 1921-05-06
new COMPULSORY
I. EDUCATION Law
WILL Be FRAMED
Draft for School Census Bill
Also Asked by Capper
Committee.
PRESENT ENFORCEMENT
SCOPE IS INADEQUATE
Supt. Ballou Recommends In
creased Pay for Teachers and
Fairgrounds.

The board of education and Supt.
Rallou of the public schools have been
requested by the Capper school in
vestigating committee to draft and
submit an adequate compulsory
aducation and school census bill.
1t was developed at the hearing in
the Senate District committee room
yesterday that the existing COM
pulsory education law is not working
properly and that there is no census
of school children to aid in the en-
forcement of the law. The bill re-
quested will deal with those two
subjects alone. and will be divorced
from child labor provisions. Senator
King of Utah. members of the COM
mittee. suggested it would be possible
to put such a bill through Congress
with practically no opposition.
Engineer Commissioner kutz testified
before the committee this afternoon.
The investigation of the schools will
be confined to the need of more build
ings and other facilities. and more
adequate pay for the teachers. it was
announced by Senator Capper of
Kansas. chairman of the committee.
Following the first meeting yesterday
afternoon.
1t was made clear that the COM
mittee does not propose to investi-
gate any controversies that may
exist in the schools. including the
case of Assistant Superintendent
Bruce of the colored schools
May Probe Building Cost.
In connection with the school build
hopes to draft after complete hear
ings on the subject, an investigation
of the building situation in the Dis
trict may be undertaken. Senator
King charged that excessive prices
were being asked by builders erect
school buildings, and said that before
he would vote dollar for new build
ings he would insist upon an inves-
tigation.
The sole witness before the commit
tee yesterday was DR.. Ballou. super
intendent of schools. DR.. Abram ST.
mon. president Of the board of educa-
tton sat beside the superintendent
and offered evidence corroborating
the testimony of DR.. Ballou now and
then. x
DR.. Ballou gave the committee q
graphic description Of the conditions
existing in the schools because Of
lack Of buildings and adequate play.
grounds. He explained to the COM
mittee the need Of the $5.0o0.oo0 pro-
gram which "S prepared Dy inc
board Of education several months
ago. With reference to the $2.O00,0O0
program sent to Congress by the Dis
trict Commissioners this week. DR..
Ballou said that it consisted OF the
most urgent items in the s5.0O0.0 900
program, and had been prepared by
the board Of education.
The adoption Of the $2.oo0.0o pro-
gram did not mean, he said, the
abandonment Of the $5.0o0.o00 pro-
gram. 1t may be considered merely
the first unit in the needed expendi-
schools to the condition in which they
should be.
Recon- mendations Made.
In addition to the building program,
Dr. BalIou made the following recon
me ndations:
Increased pay for the teachers. and
! il the $240 bonus is to be eliminated
in the general reclassif'cation of gov
| ernment employees the teachers should
! be included in the reclassification
| Legislation.
A corps Of paid substitute teachers.
r Additional Fairgrounds.
| An enlarged board Of examiners for
| teachers.
F.; Additional appropriations for re-
pairs and alterations of the school
buildings.
! new compulsory education law and
! SchOOl census.
/ Increased medical inspection.
| II the $2,000.00O emergency program
! for school buildings Is adopted. DR..
; Bailou said. 1t would make it possj BILE
| to do away with the part time classes
in the schools and give the children
| full time: it would make it possible
to reduce the size of the classes in
the elementary schools so that the
maximum would be forty pupils Der
| class and 1t would pave the way for
the ultimate abandonment Of the So
called "portables," which are difIicul,
to heat and ventilate and otherwise
undesirable. 1t would not make il DOS.
sible. however. for the Immediate
abandonment of the "portables.'
At the outset of the hearing. Senator
King announced he favored IMPROVING
the schools. but that he should vote
for no buildings until the BUILDING
situation here had been investigated
WashinEtoninns Being Robbed.
"People in the District are beinp
robbed" said Senator King. "as the1
are being robbed else where for build
ing construction. Prices are from q
to SO per cent higher than they oueh1
to be "
Senator Capper suggested that Dr
Ballou might give the committee in
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