The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-19
XVII. Washmgton's Schools.

IN
Washington we said would not quit until their
object was accomplished, though there would
be breaks in the continuity. The time has come,
we believe for one of these breaks The Herald
has a very decided belief to the obligation OF a
newspaper to its own locality from which it gains
so large part OF its support. This is that it must
search out how be of greatest use to its city
and regardless of the magnitude of the job, under
take it.
The one greatest need of every community is
good schools Months ago The Herald decided that
no greater service could be rendered to Washington
than to help make this the educational center OF
.the country in public school education We have
been year in deciding how The Herald could do
most to this end A newspapers part in any prof.
ec or movement is publicity, but there are all sorts
sof publicity We wanted the kind that would help
effect results that would make it possible, and then
certain that those who have the actual responsible
ty would produce the goods.
- In several ways the Washington situation IS
unique. Here the legislative body is Congress; it
pass the necessary law for school betterment.
The school board must be appointve and at least
10 per cent of all school funds come from the Fed
-eral government. Instead of just a two-sided, it
becomes three or four-sded proposition. 1t is
just the folks and their elected school board,
but the folks Congress- appointed school board and
the Federal Treasury.
1t took but little investigation to find that the
public knew the schools were a neglected child. II
is not hard to stir up hullabaloo when there are
over seventy portable shacks used as schools, with
rented rooms and hundreds of children on part
Z time. But hullabaloo gets nowhere; it is just
noise. II increases a newspapers circulation, but
IS of no public service We found many. especially
e among the women, who knew the trouble was
deeper than portables and overcoming.
% We found the school authorities hoping against
hope and Superintendent Ballou forced to spend
nearly much time in conferences at investiga-
tons at the Capitol and District Building as in his
Office. He had to take literally week after week
Calculating. and pleading, explaining and urging,
when every hour needed to administer the
schools. We found the Congressional District
Committee alive to the situation, ready and even
eager to make this the nations public school CEN
ter. But they were decidedly busy men, all
being members of several committees with dis
trcts and States to care for and national legislation
to frame. and consider.
The Herald's Job then. was plain. The first
necessity was a definite program of just what must
be done. This the objective and worked
it out our own satisfaction for submission to
Washington and to the committee. Next must be a
campaign in its behalf to arouse and inform Wash
ington to stir the intent of its people, to bring
organized effort, to unity opinion and to make the
opinion effective. At the time this motive
power put back of the committee for its sup
port, like interest would be started in both
Houses Of Congress, certain sentiment for the
project would be aroused there and the committees
work lightened in the passage Of their bill when
framed and introduced.
Our work then to do the explaining and to
have something to explain. 1t is mighty gratifying
that far, such experts a. DR.. Finnegan, head of
the Pennsylvania schools, have quite fully endorsed
The Herald program. A lot remains to be told
and intend to tell it.. We enlisted with the
people of Washington. the Citizens Associations,
the Parent eachers and Mothers associations and
women's clubs and with the District Congress
sional Committee, their publicity agency. So
this period of editorial adjournment is not quitting
or even stopping but merely a matter of tactics.