Evening star., 1921-10-21
SWEEPING INQUIRY
|NTOD. C. SCHOOLS
PLAN Of congress
Probe to Cover ChiIdren's
Needs, Buildings, Pay and
Future Requirements.
JOINT committee WANTS
ALL AVAILABLE FACTS
Some Present Conditions Called
"Disgraceful'-Public Hear
ings Next Week.

A comprehensive investigation of
the public schools of the District was
determined upon today by the joint
committee on schools of the House
and Senate. meeting in the Senate
District committee room,
1t Is the purpose of the joint COM
mittee to make a detailed study of
school conditions here, so that a
broad plan for improvement may be
drafted. This will include a pro-
gram of building, not only to meet
present needs of the children. but to
make proper provision for the future
when the school population may be
considerably increased. 1t Will in
clude, too, a study of the method OF
appointing teachers. the pay OF teach :
ers. the school curriculum the method
of appointing the board of education
and the business methods of conduct
ing the schools.
VIII Report to COnYress.
The joint committee intends to make
to both houses after
this Investigation. which. it hopes, if
carried into effect. will do much 10
improve conditions here.
investigation was made by Senator
King of Utah and was heartily agreed
to by all other members or the joint
committee.
The meeting today was the first held
and organization of the joint conHpittee
was perfected by the election of Senator
Capper OF Kansas as chairman ana
Representative Walters of Pennsylvania
as vice chairman. Those attending the
meeting today were Senators Capper,
Cameron and King and Representatives
Walters, Millspaugh, Hammer, Keller
and Woods.
Capper Reviews Other Probes.
Senator Capper described briefly the
investigat tionS OF the schools with which
he has been connected i'll the past. IN
GLIDING the investigation OF the schools
when DR.. Van Schaick. jr.. was presi-
dent OF the board of education, and the
investigation prior to the adoption OF
the emergency school building program
ss Sc taEs Gfss sss ,ssssas fs0 iis was
bureau Of education the report Of a
survey made by the bureau experts Of
the Washington public schools, made
at his request.
REPRESENTATIVE Hammer said he had
visited many of the. schools. and that
he had found them very much crowd
ed. Conditions in some Of the coiored
schools. due to overcrowding. he said.
were 'disgraceful. MIR. Hammer also
urged that the municipal architects $
office should draw all the plans for
the school buildings here. and that
additional money to be used for OBJ
tanning the services of outside archt-
tects to draw school plans should not
be appropriated.
Demands Broad Inquiry.
Representative Walters, discussing
the King motion, declared that the
investigation could not be made too
broad to suit him.
Senator King predicted that after
such an investigation it would be
possible to bring to the attention of
Congress comprehensive program of
school improvements. which would
end the present "stagger hours for
the children and put into effect the
best possible school system. With such
a plan, he said, it would be possible
to go to the appropriation committees
and get what was needed.
The Joint committee will meet again
tomorrow to outline in detail plan
of procedure. Hearings probably will
be begun next week.