Evening star., 1926-10-13

Parents of Washington school chill
dren voting on the proposed change OF
the opening hour for school so that
Youngsters going to class would miss
the heavy morning rush Of traffic, con-
tinued today to ballot in an over
whelming majority in favor OF the
changing of the convening hour from
9 to $50 o'clock.
A count of additional ballots re-
ceived in the poll being taken by The
Star to ascertain the wishes of moth
ers and fathers of public school pupils
showed today that a fraction more
than 90 per cent voted for the later
school hour and a fraction more than
9 per cent against the proposal.
The final results of the ballot will
he forwarded to DR.. Frank w. Ballou,
superintendent of schools, for the guild
ance of officials of the Board Of Edu-
cation in considering a suggested
change in the ringing of the school
bells in the interest of safety to the
pupils.
Valuable Suggestions Made.
Yesterdays tabulation of ballots
showed 90 per cent Of votes recorded
at that time to be in favor OF later
opening hour, based on the announce
ment by traffic officials that after
o'clock in virtually all sections OF the
city there Is a so per cent reduction In
the amount of traffic. This Is due,
Traffic Director Eldridge pointed out,
to the 9 o'clock opening Of Govern
ment departments and many private
business concerns.
number of valuable suggestions
which may lead to additional safe
guards for children were contained
in ballots of parents who opposed the
later school hour.
It was brought out that in some
sections of the District the morning
rush of traffic subsidies considerably
before 9 o'clock and that therefore
in such communities there Is no need
for delaying the opening OF schoo! Tor
for delaying the opening OF school
came from Lieut.. Comdr. B. II. Bieri,
U. s. N, Of 1925 Mckinley avenue.
The crowded condition of some
schools, which has forced double ses-
sions also is a circumstance that may
suggest a. modification of the later
opening hour plan to school authori-
ties.
Reason for Opposing Change.
Reporting that the Parent-Teacher
Association Of the Johnson school or
Mount Pleasant yesterday had voted in
opposition to any change in the open
ing hour. Mrs. c. J. Fernald, secre-
tary Of the body, wrote: I'VE felt
that this was necessary because our
school Is so crowded that the Kinder
garten and the two lower grades ol-
vide the use of the rooms, having an
afternoon session from 10 4:3V.
Therefore, a half hour later closing
hour would bring the children out IN
the evening rush hour and In WINTER
this would be after dark.
The Johnson Parent-Teacher Asso-
citation recommended that solution
might be found in adequate police
nrotection" for the school children.
-Four ballots contained proposals
for making the opening hour carrier
than o'clock. One favored O'Clock,
another S:15 and one voted for S:3O:
Others opposed to the $50 proposal
halloted in favor Of retaining the
present hour OF 8.
Mrs Elizabeth Hampton, 32o6 New
ton street, Mount Rainier, pointed out
that the rush Of trafiic In her COM
munity starts at $50 in the morn
ing and $50 in the afternoon, and
suggested that an 8 o'clock opening
hoiIr would give the greatest safety.
"Only last week q pupil OF the Brent
wood School was knocked down by
an automobile between $50 and and
seriously hurt.
p. r. Rogers, 3714 Livingston,
wrote, "I will not accede to any
change in hours that does not permit