The Washington herald., 1921-01-20
Request for Ten New
Schools Voted Down
After Clash.
JANITORS RAISED;
KING FIGHTS COST
Several Clerkships Cut
0ut-Ballou Is Not
e Given Increase.

With several slight curtaIImentS.
the District appropriations bill vas
passed by the Senate yesterday. car,
rying approximately $4,000 900 for
expenses Of the National Capital for
the fiscal year beginning June 30
next
Senator Harrison's amendment
asking appropriations for immedi-
ate building Of about ten schools
to relieve Overcrowding was de-
fested on a point Of order after
a sharp clash over the question
whether building prices here were
eKorbitant
The seventy-One janitors Of the
smaller schools were granted an in
crease Of $50 a year each. as were
the four janitors OF the BrightwoOd
Park. Kenilworth and Wisconsin
Avenue Manual Training schools.
King Starts Economy.
Reductions were made by the
ILLUMINATION Of two clerks at $1,000
feach in the personal tax board
Of the assessors once. one at 81. 900
in the license bureau Of the asses
sOr's once, and the assistant in
spector Of license, $1,000. Instesd
Of two assistant cashiers In the col
lector's once, at $500. there will
be one. These reductions were made
on amendments by Senator King.
of Utah He also caused the elm
ination Of an assistant inspector
in the Engineer Commissioner Of
fee. $500, and reduced the S3.5O0
allowance for q sanitary engineer
TO S24OO. An item OF $1,000 for
the employment Of expert services
and incidental expenses in the once
of the Public Utilities Commission
was stricken out on motion OF Sen
ator King. who caused a reduc-
tion from 5000 TO $4,000 Of the
item for services Of temporary
dTaughtSmen, eomputers, lsborers,
additional field party when required.
purchase OF supplies, care 81 tS~sss-'
, in the surveyors once
Ask s2.Ooo.e eco Cut.
Senator King declared il had come
to be the practice Of the District
Commissioners 10 swell the amounts
every year asked OF Congress with
out regard to the condition Of the
National Treasury, and after reading
a number Of protests received in the
mails and from documents showing
the trend Of increase in District ap-
propriations since 1877, he offered
an amendment proposing that the
District bill be recommitted to the
appropriations subcommittee with
|. Instructions to shrink the total al
lowance by 100000.
/ The amendment was defeated by
a viva vocs vote. Senator King de-
clared the divided responsibility con-
. cerning parks and bridges was a
source Of expense and annoyance,
| and Senator Curtis. chairman Of the
subcommittee. said something had
been done TO obviate this condition
which had existed four or FIVE years
that the bridges were being 70
some extent. given over 10 the War
Department. while nearly all Of the
parks Of the city. except Rock Greek
and possibly others on the river
front Under the War Department,
were in the hands Of the local sU-
thorities.
Champions schools.
II was senator Harrison who re-
vived the debate on school cOnstruc-
: ton. After failing in an attempt to
provide an additional S3.7OO for a
third assistant superintendent as
business manager Of the schools to
relieve the superintendent Of his eN-
Cessive work. but receiving Senator
= Curtis promise that this matter
would be considered by the con
ferees, Senator Harrison said the
: Senate and Congress are culpsbly
negligent in failing TO provide hous-
: ing for the school children, 5000 or
: 1000 OF whom were unable to re-
Z ceive proper education.
He declared 400 children are on
the part-time system, by which they
, receive only half a day OF instruc-
ton, and said 500 more would 20
added 10 this number February Z
He read a number OF kilograms re-
; CeiVed from other cities as to the
costs OF building. IL was shown
that while the lowest bid in wash
ington was 80 cents per cubic foot,
Philadelphia paid so cents. Denver
33% cents, Buffalo 5sif cents; New
ark SIS cents, st. Louis 20 cents. Bos-
ton so cents, Strstford CConn.l 81
cents. Chicago 5Sls cents. Lorsin
(ohio), 434 cents. and Hsmmon
. (ohio). 80 cents -
His ameHument proposed DIX
80 cents per cubic foot hs the maxi
mum the District would pay, thus
forcing contractors to meet the
sums fixed, which would reduce the
original estimates more than 20 per
cent. Senator McKeller offered an
amendment TO HsrrisOn's amend
ment providing 81 600 20 5000 fne
and two years Imprisonment for
contractors who were found 20 be
connected with any agreement or
combine to charge excessively for
school buildings. but both amend
ments were killed on q point Of or
der raised by Senator Curtis.
Block SUPPLEMENTARY Increase.
Senator walsh attempted to OBJ
tain an increase In salary for the
SUPERINTENDENT OF schools, saying
the position was accepted st SSooO
with the understanding that an in-
crease was later 70 be given. Sen
ator Curtis explained that the sub
committees policy had been to IN
crease no salaries that were already
$4,000 or more, on account of the
utter necessity for economy
Senator Kenyon made a plea for
employees OF the District govern
j ment whose salaries he declared.