The Washington herald., 1922-02-18
EIGHTEEN MORE
ROOMS NEEDED
TOSEAT PUPILS
DIR. Ballou Tells Senate
Committee 444 Glasses
Are diversified.
NEEDS s5OO,OOO
FOR HIGH SCHOOL
Superintendent Outlines
Plan to Improve
Conditions.

Eighteen more school rooms are
needed to give each District pupil
seat. Superintendent Frank w.
Ballou claims.
DIR. Ballou testified yesterday
before the subcommittee of the
Senate District Committee.
There are 444 diversified classes
in the schools of the District the
superintendent told the commit
tee and explained that an over
sized class was where there were
more than forty pupils to a grade.
Favors Two-Story Structures.
In the matter of buildings DIR.
Ballou said that he favored the two
story structures and advocated as
sembly halls and gymnasiums in
every school building.
At the present time Washington
Is nearly at the foot of the list of
forty-eight cities in the matter OF
educational facilities. he told the
committee.
When asked by Senator King il
IL were true that a school building
in Alexandria, Va. cost about one
half the price Of a similar building
in the District, DIR. Ballou explained
that in the Alexandria schools the
floors were not fireproof and in
other ways the cost Virginia
schools were cheaper to build be-
cause of the building regulations
Needs $4,000 for High school.
The Junior High School. he said,
ahn fEnn nm hHNf th n
Congress had Appropriated but
$500, 900 and this would mean a
piecemeal construction. 1t would
not be economy. he Insisted, to
start the building unless it was
possible to finish it
DR.. Ballou emphasized the need
of a larger administrative staff, and
advocated the appointment of a
business manager that could relieve
the superintendsnt SO that he could
dexote more tinIe 10 the educational
The program of the Board of Edu-
cation was said by DR.. BsAou to
overcome Objectionable features as
follows: /, Part-time classes; 2,
rented buildings; 3, portable build
fngs; 4, diversified classes: 5, unde-
sirable buildings.
Regrets Cut in Estimates.
The Plan was not extravagant,
he said, and would be found to be
economical.
1t was a matter Of regret. the
superintendent said, that the esti-
mates had been cut from 100000
900 to s6.000.00o.
Susie Root Rhodes spoke in favor
OF the Fairgrounds, and George
F. Bowerman spoke in favor of CO.
operation between the Public Ii
brary and the public schools.
Representative John Ketcham, of
Michigan. appeared in behalf of the
Mckinley Manual Training School,
which. he said, was badly in need
of more room.
William F. Hustled, of the Board
of Education, representing the col
ored schools of the District, asked
for the same facilities for the col
ored pupils that were available for
the while children.
Would Regulate Banking.
Following the hearings, Chairman
Capper, of the subcommittee, eN-
pI essed the opinion that it would
take about thirty days before a bill
could be prepared to include the
various features advocated by those
who have appeared before the COM
mittee.
Senator Ball, chairman of the
Senate District Committee intro
duced bill in the Senate yesterday
to regulate the banking business in
the District.
The bill provides that no corpo-
ration now engaged in the business
of banking in the District of CO.
lumbia shall be permitted to enter
upon such business until after it
shall have secured the approval or
consent of the>Comptroller of Cur
rency.