Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-13
SCHOOL FUND SLASH
PUT UP TO CITIZENS
Supt. BaIIou Suggests Appeal
for Restoration of $780,
900 Budget Item.

III an appeal Ia to be made to Con-
gress to have restored the $500. 0OO
which the Bureau of the Budget
slashed from the estimates for the
District public schools for 1927. to
carry on the fve-year school build :
ing program. as authorized by Con
gress last session. 1t must come from
the citizens themselves"
DR. Frank w. Ballou. superintende nt
Of schools. will take this stand before
representatives of virtually all the civic
organiza tions of the District to be
gathered In mass meeting at the
Franklin School. Thirteenth and X
streets. tomorrow evening. for dis
cussion of the needs of the local
schools.
The feeling has been growing
among civic leaders and at least one
member OF the District committee IN
Congress that the Budget Bureau In
Topping of so great an amount from
the school estimates needed TO carry
on the school building program had
acted for the benetit Of an economy
program rather than In the interests
OF the schools needs.
DIR. BalIOu to Make Statement.
At the meeting tomorrow evening
DR.. Ballou will confine his remarks to
a description to just what the budget
proposed by the bureau will mean
TO the school system. He is pro-
hihited by law. of course, from urg-
ing that Congress he asked 10 go over
the dictates of the bureau.
He will explain. however, that the
cutting of the requested $4,000 900
scheduled appropriation to carry out
the five-year building program down
to s2.s72,500 must mean that the pro-
gram is either to he extended over A
longer period Of time or that Congress
is expected TO appropriate greatly
increased sum for the 1928 fiscal year.
The cut in the appropriations. it was
evident, was an unexpected blow to
the school officials.
What was the use to fight for a
five-year program II An agency other
than Congress is TO be permitted to
come in and set aside the intent of
Congress school officials are asking
themselves
Senator Capper's Protest.
Senator Capper. chairman of the
Senate District committee, has made
an outspoken protest against the
action of the Budget Bureau. He
pointed out that in addition to the
greatly reduced amount the bureau
recommended for school construction.
most OF II Is to be obtained from the
surplus fund in the Treasury-a fund
which will be virtually exhausted the
ensuing fiscal year 1928.
A large number of civic leaders
have voiced dissatisfaction over the
school appropriations, including MEM
bers of the Citizens Advisory Council
who acted formally on the matter;
Jesse c. Suter. president of the FEEDER
alton of Citizens Associations. Charles
A. Baker. Isaac Cans. Mrs. Giles Scott
Rafter. president of the District Con-
gress of Perent-TeaCher Associations.
and James G. Yaden. chairman of the
school committee OF the Federation of
Citizens Associations and president of
the District Public School Association.
Mai. Daniel Donovan. District
budget officer. has explained that the
school budget was arranged by the
officials at the Bureau of Budget so
that though the appropriation total
for new construction work was cut
by 81 100000 the items approved were
allocated so that there will be virtu-
ally no delay in starting the new work
projected.
Action Carries Authority.
In other words. small amounts were
recommended for appropria ton for
the coming year. thus authorizing
the complete expenditures necessary
for the completion of the schools
planned.
This. however. will only handica p
the tiveyear program. If not actually
to jeopardize il. school officials and
civic leaders point out. Such pro-
gram will throw a heavy burden OF
appropria tons on the 1928 fiscal year
or mean that the flve-year building
program must be extended over a
longer period of time.
Denouncing this scheme as par
simony," Mr.. Baker declares tina
the fiveyear program was designed
merely to bring school facilities up 10
1.-The actual needs. and that the ever
increa sing population must be reck-
oned as vital factor.