The Washington herald., 1922-03-28
PINEY BRANCH
PEOPLE HEARD
Protest at tuberculosis
Schools Proposed
Location.
BOARD FAyORs SITE
Gives Report Indorsing Up
shur Tract, Despite
Objections.

citizens of the Plney Branch
Section registered vigorous oppose
tion yesterday to the erection OF a
school for tubercular pupils at Four
teenth and Upshur streets.
Appearing before the Senate Dis
trict Committee, delegation said
the school would destroy property
values and expose the health OF
their own children to the dread dis
ease. The question of whether
tuberculosis is a communicable dis
ease was discussed incidentally.
Keller Defends Site.
Col Charles Keller. District En-
gineer Commissioner. explained that
the District Commissioners had
chosen the site because IL was
owned by the District. because the
tuberculosis Hospital Is there. and
because IL is the most desirable site
for the purpose 10 be found.
He said the appropriation of
$4,000 for the building had been
made available, the plans drawn.
the school is sorely needed. and he.
urged speedy action OF Congress,
calling sAtention to the fact that
its decision would remove the
basis for the injunction which has
been obtained by citizens of the
neighborhood. The District officials
are willing to locate the school
elsewhere, he said. II a site can be
found.
senator Phipps Takes Hand.
But there is as much reason for
other citizens to object to this
school being in their midst as there
Is for those who live in the neigh
borhood of Fourteenth and Upshur
streets" Senator Phipps declared.
where would you put It? II IL
lowers the property values in one
place, why wouldn't II in another?
And why is there such prejudice
against a school of this kind?
Seventeen years ago a tubercular
hospital was built in a section OF
Colorado where II Is Just as
populous as here. and nobody ever
contracted the disease. though the
patients there are of the advanced
stages. while the pupils would be
only those who have incipient
cases Senator Phipps lives in
Colorado.
4.
citizens spokesman said One of
the speakers told of Offering a
house for sale and when the pro-
spective purchaser ascertained that
a tubercular hospital was in tire
netghborhood he refused to buy.
He said property values now
ranged from so to IS cents a
square foot In that neighborhood,
whereas they would fall to so
cents and lower II the school were
built. booming the neighborhood
to be a tuberculosis district,
whereas II the present hospital
were removed, for which the citi-
zens hoped. it would have a tend
ency to increase property values.
says New Location Costly.
Senator Stanley, of Kentucky,
pointed out that the government
tract OF thirty-six acres. at the
rate of IS cents a foot would reach
more than 100000. and that II the
government had to buy land for
the school 1t would be costly.
Commissioner Keller pointed on:
that when the tubercular hospital
was built the land was worth only
about 10 cents a square foot
Harry B. Henderson. president
of the Piney Branch Association.
presented petition signed by
thirty-eight property owners, and
introduced the witnesses to the
Senate committee. Mrs. J. H. Pei
len. who lives across the street
from the tUbercular hospital, on
Iowa avenue. declared that the rule
forbidding doctors. nurses and pa
.tients on Fourteenth street. was
not strictly observed. She said a
tubercuIar child needs care rather
than education.
Other Citizens Testify.
W. 3. Kerkam. Maj. w. q. Tufts,
Fenton r Thompson, Z. Z. Pabst
and DR.. F. A. Wilmington were
heard. They urged the building of
the proposed new Mckinley High
and Business High schools on the
site. and ultimate removal of the
tubercular hospital which they
thought would be a menace to the
welfare of the new schools
The Junior High School recently
was located on this tract. and when
asked why they urged this school
TO be erected On the tract with a
tuberculosis hospital. they ex-
planned that they had been prom
ised the hospital would be removed.
One of the Senators suggested
that the citizens should not be
afraid Of a shadow. Senator Cap
per. of Kansas. who presided over
the hearing in the temporary alb
sence of Senator Ball. chairman of
the District Committee. said the
heaSings would not be closed until
Senator Ball had been familiarized
with the evidence and the other