The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-03-29

! ty. Building Called Disgrace
! Bad Odor Dark And Crowded
! Rooms And Lack OF ConVeniences
! Pointed Out.
| Cambridge, Md, March 28.-Wlth
| the passage Of the bill in both houses
of the Legislature and the assurance
| of the Governors signature grant
| ing to the voters of Dorchester coun-
tv the privilege of deciding next fall
whether the county shall be bonded
! for the sum of $3.50, 900, the ques-
| ton of continuing conditions at the
! Cambridge High School will be put
squarely up to the people.
Of this loan $150,00O is appropri-
ated for building an entirely new edl-
flee. The balance would go to pay d
| deficit which has been accrulnG since
| the war.
Led by such men as former GOV.
Emerson c. Harrington, Col. Albanus
Phillips and Robert Matthews, presl-
dent of the Chamber of Commerce OF
Cambridge an intensive campaign
| for the sanction Of the loan already
has been started. 1t is not, however,
going to be a campaign waged upon
q bed of roses. for, led by George
Woolford, the organizer OF the Non
Partisan Taxpayers Association
there are many who feel that the tax
burden of Dorchester county is all
that it can bear. and they Woulo ue-
fer the new structure until the n
nenaces of the county are in better
shape They offer as a substitute
plan of repairing the present build
ing and removal of part of the stu
dents to other school buildings. ms
scheme would require an expenditure
of $4,000.
People on both sides of the ques-
ton agree that the Cambridge High
School today is a menace to the
health and safety of the 514 students
and the IS teachers engaged IN thelf
instruction. A visit to the school
for the purpose of inspection reveal
ed conditions that are declared to be
a disgrace to the State and county.
AS one enters the door an I'M
pleasant odor greets one. The odor
has been compared to that of jail
The room of the principal, when Is
typical of the four almost under
ground recitation rooms, with con-
crete floors, low ceilings and poor
ventilation, is lighted by four WIN
dows. These have just exactly "a
,uuare feet of glass to give light to
room 80 by % by feet, with an
average class of 40 girls and boys,
:ometimes augmented to so. Each
person working in factory in the
State of Maryland is assured by law
500 cubic feet of breathing space. IN
this classroom the young men ana
women are permitted just about lou
cubic feet of air apiece, all the time
with their feet on concrete floor
This room is a fair example or the
three other basement rooms.
To pass from one room to another
pupils cross coal pile and a very
low bridge, within two feet OF the
furnace The same furnace is de-
clared to be a fire hazard. Home
economies, manual training and
drafting are taught in the cellar, as
are classes in bookkeeping, steno-
graphy and typewriting. One-half
of a room contains Is typewriters,
operated in relays by go students.
Besides these Is single desks are oc-
cupied by SO students of both sexes.
Just on the other side of half
inch partition is Room No. Z, con
tanning 81 desks, occupied by 81 stu
dents so crowded that the aisles are
closed. it is declared in violation OF
the statutes.
There are four stories to this
building and one lavatory for each
sex is all that is furnished for more
than 500 children. The cloak rooms
are so small and few that in several
classrooms the wraps are placed IN
piles. In one instance Is coats were
counted piled upon two chairs ana
broken desk-add to these a hat Tor
each coat and all were damp.
The building is equipped with fire
escapes on which the steps are so
wide apart it is declared children
would fall through before reaching
safety. This picture, but it is not
new to Cambridge people, and the
question is What is Dorchester
county going TODD about it,"
The taxable basis for Dorchester
county is $19,179, 200. The total
bonded indebtedness, if the voters
decide favorablyr on the loan asked
for. will be 1851 900. Last year
$1O8.O00 was expended upon the
schools 100000 upon the dirt or
shell roads. The bonded debt will
be composed of two items only
$4,000 for new school, the bal
ance $4,000 to wipe out the ac-
cumulated deficit.
1t is explained by some that TINS
deficit was created during the war
period. The opponents .of the
school loan aver that it was due 10
negligence of county officials. Both
sides admit that the deficit must pc
taken care of. With taxable basis
of nearly 100000, giving an IN.
come of $323,OO0, at tax rate OF
$3.50 per 800, the situation is not
alarming, advocates of the loan de-
clare. After the annual expenditures
for schools and roads were taken
care of $4,000 remained for other
purposes, it is pointed out.
The solving of this problem is az
viding homes, severing friendships
and iniuring business. 1t over
shadows all local questions.