Evening star., 1922-01-03
HOUSE COMMITTEE
TAKESUPSCHOOLS
Hearings on Appropriations
Continued-CoIumbia Hos
pital Also Is Considered.

Hearings on District school appro-
priations and appropriations for CO.
lumbia Hospital were continued to-
day before the subcommittee on Dis
trict appropriations OF the House
District committee.
New items Of appropriation total
ling $21,0O0 for schools for tubercular
children were considered. One item
was for 5000 for maintenance OF
schools for tubercular children Supt.
Ballou and Assistant Supt. Kramer
were questioned by Chairman Davis
of the subcommittee whether the new
appropriations Indicated that tuper-
culoSis was gaining in the District.
They explained that there was q
marked decrease in tuberculosis. Du.
that the diagnosis was becoming
more exact nnd more children We're
coming into these schools. They eA-
planned two new buildings are oeIns
built one for the white pupils, anu
that the Harrison School on l3th
street is being rebuilt for colored
pupils For the former $4,000 Is
asked for equipment and furnishings.
and for the latter, $1,000.
Site Decided Upon.
DR.. -Ballou said that it may be
stated that the Commissioners have
decided upon the site at 14th and
4
which S15O,000 has been appropriated,
although there is litigation 10 pre-
vent its being built at that place.
Chairman Davis commented on the
absence of the president aud members
of the District school board from the
hearings He Sa d that a few years
ago the school board used to come TO
the hearings without a subpoena be-
ing issued and that they testified at
the hearings. Chairman Davis asked
that the names of the present board
be put into the record.
In questioning DIR. Ballou and Mr..
Kramer as to whether the compulsory
school law was being enforced,
Chairman Davis obtained the reply
from MIR. Kramer that the present
law is defective and does not regulate
the school attendance of boys be-
tween fourteen and sixteen. They are
allowed to leave school at fourteen. but
cannot be compelled to go to work be-
fore they are sixteen. MIR. kramer Saiu
that the boys ought either to be IN
school or at work. and asked for law
with some teeth IN II.
Declares Law Fails.
Another illustration that parent
can send a child to school for one
day. then keep the child out for three
days and continue this process fndeh-
nitely, particularly interested Repre-
sentative Buchanan of Texas, who
said that in this way the law failed
TO take care of those children for
whom. it was particularly intended.
Mr.. kramer said that the small
number OF truant officers appropri-
ated for also prevents adequate en-
forcement of the law. He pointed out
that iufractions of the law could be
followed up only in the case of chill
dren VINO We're registered with the
schools and then remained out. -
There are hundreds OF other ehh
dren, he said, who have never been
registered, and with the present force
OF truant officers the school authori-
ties are not able TO so out and hunt
UP these absentees.
Eighteen new PAGES. in the janitor' s
force. including engineers, assistant
engineers, electricians, nremen, jam
tors, laporers and night watchmen
are asked for in the estimates. Tnese
include new engineers at the Business
High School. Central High Scnooi,
Western High .ScRook old Eastern
High School: additional laborers at
the H. E. Cooke and Mn,atiSy
schools, which beeoafis twehty-roohn
Franklin school bdfl8ing, ana 'eiee-
tricians and additional assistant engi-
neer and coal passer in the Mckinney
Manual. Training School; an eiec-
lrician and fireman Armstrong Manual
Training School. and TWO new Jani-
tors for the new school north OF LIN
coin Park and the new school 1or
tubercular pupils.
Appropriations Asked For.
The total appropriation asked for
tanltorS ts S25..3io-
An increase from $10.500 to $12,35O
is asked for the medical Inspection
service 1t was brought out tnat this
contenplates no increase in person.
mel. but covers prospective increases
in salaries for inspectors
Othsr school appropriation items
discussed under this head were s12,VVO
Tor graduate nurses, Sl1,2O0 for Tree
dental clinics and Sl6,5Oo for rent OIL
scnool buildings and grounds. An
other item Of $1,000 for equipment OF
temporary rooms for classes above
the second grade was discussed.
Chairman Davis and Representative
buchanan questioned MIR. Kramer re-
garding the request for $4,000 for
nutrition classes so that nourish-
ment can be given at certain hours
to the undernourished children.
During the hearings yesterday the
request for S35,006 for community
center work was under consideration.
Miss Cecil b. Norton discussed this
item with the committee. There was
some criticism regarding dancing IN
the school buildings and Mics Norton
said that this had practically been
discontinued.
AmericanizntiOn Schools.
Miss Aiken, superintendent of the
AmericaniZation schools, appeared in
support o. an appropriation and was
closely questioned by members of the
committee, particularly Representative
johnson of kentucky. 1t was brought
out that eighteen teachers are i'll the
school and that the pupils under in
struction are principally Greeks and
Italians WHO are walters in hotels. One
class is conducted at the Shoreham no
tel. None of the teachers know the
language of the pupils under instruc-
tion and are teaching them by pa1to-
mime. These pupils range in age from
twenty years to seventy. 1t was brought
out in the hearings that many of these
have been in this country ten years or
more and have never done anything to-
ward being admitted as citizens. Their
salaries are sufficient, so that many OIL
them make out income tax returns.
Myrom NJ. Parker, president of Co
lumbia Hospital board, and DR.. w. r.
Du Bose, medical director, U. S. N,
retired, superintendent of the hospital.
appeared in support of an estimated
appropriation Of 100000.
Questions by Representative john
son brought out that the Columbia
Hospital site comprising 101 900 square
feet, is worth s250.000. Congress has
appropriated for buildings 1924, 900, so
that the plant stands the government
S774,000.
Government Instfutf0n.
Col. Parker pointed out that it is
purely a government institution and
that the principal officials are all from
the federal service, including the sur
geon general Of the Army, the surgeon
general of the Navy and the surgeon
general of the public health service.