The Washington herald., 1921-12-02

Continued from Poos One.
building in time to benefit the next
generation of school children"
The large number Of repairs that
are crying out for attention. no hu-
name person, no one interested in
the welfare Of children, would want
the task Of classifying those re-
pairs under the headings named.
Where should urgent end and nee
essary begin?
Needed for Health.
Unless the elaborate health pro-
gram of the District schools is to
become a farce, there will have to
be a long list OF repairs labelled
urgent" Let US hope that, at
least, the following long-neglected
evils will get in under that classi-
fication:
Fire protection for children whom
the law compels to come to school
when they would have a good case
against the State for staying home;
drainage of grounds that make
damp basement floors and damp
class room walls: repair Of all in
sanitary toilet rooms and increase
of Inadequate toilet facilities;
proper seats for grammar grade
children who are now sitting in
primary seats; hot water for law
oratories. especially in schools
where children have poor washing
facilities at home; proper lighting
for rooms that are now producing
eye strain: sufficient janitor service
to keep buildings clean; resurfac-
ing of the dirt Fairgrounds thai
surround some buildings.
Black With Dirt.
In one of the large school build
inEs the intake pipe for the venti'
latiOn system is so low that the
air is drawn directly from a cindel
surfaced playground This air hal
been famed through the building
for several years until the wallI
and ceilings are black from tn,
dirt Let us hope the raising o.
that pipe may be one of the "urgen'
repairs"
1t is evident that there has no
been sufficient appropriations To-
school supplies for some years
Janitors and principals have salt
toilet rooms and lavatories had no
been furnished since before tn,
war After seeing the lavatorie!
and the toilet rooms one wondered
II that "befo' the war" was no
used in the Southern sense OF tn,
term. In one old building wher,
the porcelain OF the lavatory shon,
and disenfectants had just beel
in Fnf1ar q NJ
tor explained he had bought then
with his own money and added
'I did not do il for the school boar
or for Congress. but for the littl
children and teachers who should
not have to use such a place"
Teachers Quit ID. c.
In the matter of equipment TO
the schools the lack of funds ha!
worked a rank injustice to teach
ers and principals. The superin
tende1t Of schools, in a recent ad
dress before one of the women
clubs of the District laid stress OF
the fact that Washington was los
ing its best teachers. who wer,
going to cities where better sal
aries were paid. That Is the un
fortunate fact, but salaries are no
entirely to blame. They are goini
to cities where school boards hav,
the authority to supply them will
proper equipment TO carry on thei
work. They are going to citie
where they do not have to start a
once spending a part of their sal
airy to equip their class rooms
They are going to cities where they
will not be asked to teach in old
rnn6a
and where there are comfortabl,
conveniences provided for tn,
teaching staff of each building.
In a recent book on school build.
ing and equipment there is the fol.
lowing description Of what a prin.
cipa's office should have: Both re.
ception room and office should BIZ
we'll lighted and furnished attrac.
lively. with comfortable chairs and
tables In the Office there should
also be modern fiat top desk for
the principal, good six-sized
bookcase and a vertical filing cab
met for correspondencc and cards
A large closet should open from the
main office. in which may be stored
materials for temporary study At
tached to the office there should
also be a small dressing room
equipped with toilet facilities"
II principal in one of the school,
of the Capital should have that kind
of an office provided for her sh.
would probably be overcome by the
shock. II principal in These
schools wants a filing cabinet she
buys il from her own purse. II
she has other people dependent or
her and feels she cannot AFFORD the
price, she goes without IL and works
at a great disadvantage with nj
place to properly keep her records
In some offices visited everythins
from the desk to the chair has beer
bought by the principal
Depend on Charity.
If a rug was found on the foo
OF the principals office. or a com.
Portable couch in the teachers RES,
room. it was found on inquiry thai
IL had been furnished by the Moth.
ers' Club, or Parent-Teacher Associ
alton Of the school. II there was a
homelike bit of decoration about the
school. or II the playground wa.
well equipped it meant that Their,
was an active Parent-Teacher As.
ISOLATION connected with that school
But playground equipment is ex
pensiye and the first question was