Evening star., 1927-03-13
SWEEPING SURVEY F..
OF SCHOOL NEEDS
IN DISTRICT BEGUN
Census to Be Compiled and
Suggestions Made for
Building Program.
TRAFFIC INVESTIGATION
REPORT TO BE RUSHED
Commissioner Bell Anxious to Have
Fate of Moller Determined
Before April 1.

w ME the District Commissioners
await the report OF Herbert ID. Brown,
chlei OF the Bureau Of Efficiency. con
cerning irregularities in the purchase
OF traffic lights, two experts OF the
Bureau OF Efficiency and a corps of
TOUR clerks. II was learned last night,
nave settled themselves in quarters at
the Franklin School Building and
plunged into scientific and statisti-
cal fact-fnding survey OF the school
needs OF the National Capital, which Is
expected to keep them engaged
throughout the Summer months.
hapid-nre completion OF the school
census undertaken two years ago by
Fay l.. Bentley director of the da.
partment of school attendance, hsr
been ordered by Mr.. Brown and fur
nishesa evidence OF the far-reachins
investigation Of the school sYHtefb
which the bureau has in prospect.
More Clerks to BE Hired.
To complete the school cnusuE
zOO,OOO cards will have to be tabuiate6,
and Mr.. Brown stated last night that
he had ordered Herbert III. Rapp. ex.
pert accountant of the bureau, who
Is In charge of the school inquiry,
immediately to hire as many addi.
tional clerks as he deems necessary
In order that the census statistics
can be compiled within a month.
Decision to aid Miss Bentley's de.
partment was reached by the Bureau
OF Enciency when, as one OF their
1rst moves, MFR. Rapp and his brother.
Paul Rapp. who has been assigned 10
the Franklin School, called upon the
department Of school attendance for
certain figures on the number OF
school children in the District, their
ages. color and amount of education.
Congress Refused Money.
| Miss Bentley explained that the de-
| sired information was contained in the
100000 cards which agents OF her
office had gathered in house-to-house
canvass Of the entire city, but that
she could not provide 1t because her
personnel has proven inadequate to
taoulate the STATISTICS In workable
form. She further explained that an
| appropriation has been asked Of Con.
gress on two occasions to contract for
tabulating work with an outside con.
Germ, but the money was never
| allowed
The efficiency experts were there.
| upon advised by Mr.. Brown to under
take the tabulation work themselves.
The statistics which viii be gained
through tabulation," Mr.. Brown eN.
planned last night. really will prove
the Ioundauon for our entire investi-
gation school conditions of the city.
Board Scope of Survey.
We have been instructed to find
out how many teachers are needed in
the schols. how many pupils each
teacher should handle, in what sec
tions the children are centered so
that the five-year building program
can most wisely be utilized To do
TINS we must know in detail just the
information which these cards will
reveal when they are tabulated.
Il know the tabuIation of the cards
VIII be a big task. But my force has
been instructed to tackle 1t without
delay and hire all the help they need
In order to have II completed as soon
as possible.
After we have the statistics we
need before us we are going to find
out from the best authorities avail
able the number of students who
should be handled in each classroom
and other such information. 1t seems
logical to me that with the pupils be-
ing rated as to their mentality that a
teacher should be able to handle a
greater number of intelligent pupils
than she could dullards.''
Miss Bentley Not Criticized.
Mr.. Brown made 1t plain that he
had no criticism to offer because Miss
Bentley had not undertaken the tabu-
ls.tion task herself. He said that his
experts had not gone into this phase
or the situation as yet.
Tabulation OF the school census
cards by the Bureau OF Efficiency ex-
perts was hailed with qualification by
school officials last night. The school
census situation, delayed for two years.
has irked them considerably. The
tabulation will show how many chill
dren there are in the District who
will be old enough to enter school next
September, and this information is of
vital importance to the school Of
ficials in the allotment of teachers
and accommodations during the Sum-
mer months.
When the Bureau of Efficiency ex
perts first arrived at the Franklin
School last week they went directly TO
Miss Bentley's Office as the logical
starting point. 1t was indicated,
however, that other phases Of activity
in the school system Will be checked
over while the tabulation OF the
school census cards goes forward.
Traffic Probe Report Soon.
Mr.. Brown is now preparing repcr-
for the Commissioners on the resuhS
OF his bureaus investigation or the
traffic department. Assurance has
been given the Commissioners that
the report would be submitted to
them some time this week, perhaps on
Wednesday
While the Commissioners are strict
reticent about the traffic department
probe and its potential outcome, they
promise that swift action will be
taken to determine the fate of Col. I.
C. Moller, suspended traffic engineer,
and others whose names have been
linked in the irregularities exposed
before the Gibson subcommittee Of the
House District committee.
Engineer Commissioner J. Franklin
Boil explained yesterday that he is
anxious to have the situation cleared
up thoroughly before April /. when he
will leave Washington for a months
vacation In Panama. The other Com.
missioners, Proctor l.. Dougherty and
Sidney r, Taliaferro, also kant to dis
pose OF the case as soon IS possible.
particularly as 1t concerns Col. Moller.
Confer With Commissioners.
The Commissioners. it Is said. al
ready have a general knowledge OF
the results OF the Bureau Of S-ss-
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