Evening star., 1921-06-09
S1,A4,0[0 Agreed
ON FOR SCHOOLS
House Accepts Conference
Report on Deficiency Bill.
Now Goes to President.
FocHT SHOWS SURPRISE
Disappointed That Such Small Ap.
preparation Was Asked-Win
, Urge Larger Amount.

pl0pl1atlOU was dSkeQ-Wu
, Urge Larger Amount.
Appropriation Of $1,544.000 toward
the $2,000.0o0 emergency school
building program to meet the inme-
diate needs of the Washington school
system was assured by the House yes
terday in accepting the conference no
port on the second deficiency bill Tho
s1,544.000 appropriation for tho Dis
trict schools was inserted in the de-
fciency bill in the Senate and agreed
to in conference between tho two
houses The measure now goes to the
President for his signature
A special subcommittee of the Dis
trict committee is now studying the
needs Of the District schools under
the craftsmanship of Representative
Walters of Pennsylvania. Chairman
Focht of the District committee said
that he was surprised and disappo1nt-
ed that the Washington school au-
thorities had asked for such a rela-
lively small appropriation. He en-
phaSiZed that a much larger appro-
priation will be urged after the House
committee has made Its investigation
In bringing up this item Chairman
said:
The situation with respect to
schools in the District OF Columbia Is
this: The District has been growing.
ing very rapidly. We have done very
little in the way OF constructing
school buildings. Take the first item
in the amendment. which is illustra-
tive of the general situation. 1t is the
Mott School. at 4th and Trumbull
streets, in the District of Columbia.
The enrolment today is 1.010 pupils
They have eighteen classrooms. one
supply room occupied by coaching
classes, and an assembly hall occupied
portable buildings. which are occu-
pied by second grades and one kim
dergarten. Sixty students, nearly
sixty pupils for every room, and in
many cases-and this is one OF them
the children are permitted to go to
school for only a few hours day, be-
cause there are not school facilities
enough. They are turned upon the
streets to do as they please. Before
the committee on appropriations or
on the matter and to instruct me to
make the motion which I have made
we took the matter up with the House
committee on the District of Column
of Columbia has been investigating
the matter and told US that every one
Of these items should be allowed.
THE only criticism that committee
had was the fact that it would not
supply what is necessary in the Dis
trict.
"It has had the careful consideration
of three committees 1t had the con-
sideration of the subcommittee of the
committee on appropriations on the
hi n mn
claim that it had the attention of the
committee on Deficiencies. except that
we reviewed the testimony. 1t had the
investigation of the House committee
on District a6airs-that is. legislative
affairs-which says that the only OBJ
lection to 1t Is that 1t Is not enough.
and it has had the investigation of and
extensive hearings before the Senate
committee on the District do not
want to take the responsibility OF turn
ing young children out on the streets
in the District Of Columbia when we
have provided by the agreement of the
conference report that so per cent Of
the cost of these buildings shall be paid
out of the revenues of the District and
40 per cent out of the United States
Treasury"
Chairman Focht AppIauded.
Chairman Focht Of the District COM
mittee was applauded when he said:
Free schoolbooks ought to be in the
hands of every child. They ought to
have free schoolbooks and good teach
er to teach them, and every child ought
to be compelled to go to school l was
very greatly disappointed when the head
of the school system in Washington
asked for such meager sum as Is con-
tanned in this bill and which is wholly
inadequate. 1t is not a question of
money here, my friends. because when
we get at this thing thoroughly and
make q complete and exhaustive study
of it you will see US asking not for a
meager million and a half dollars. but 1t
will be for IS .0o0. 900 to take care Of the
education of the youth Of the District.
II want to say just as far as we have
gone we ind the service here woefully
deficient, and that is the reason / am
for this bill and why every other mem
ber of the House should be for it. but
give warning that this is very small
item in comparison with what the neces-
sites call for and what we will ask
in the course of our further investiga-
House a complete canvass and survey
of the school situation of the District of
Columbia"
Representative Buchanan of Texas,
a minority conferee. brought demo-
cratic support to tho emergency pro-
gram when he said:
we have postponed from year to
year a proper response to those de-
mands upon the theory that the cost
of material and construction would go
down. and that we could have it done
a great deal cheaper perhaps next
year than this year. That is one rea-
son why we did not bring in a
greater appropriation for school build
ings-at least it Influenced my vote.
1 will state to the House. if human
testimony can be relied upon. these
/, buildings are absolutely essential for
q a nf he ~
the District of Columbia And I state
: to you that since the government has
assumed the province of educating
the youth Of the District it is its
Z duty to furnish ample schoolhouses
and teachers So that it can discharge
the sacred duty efficiently and effec-
lively"