Evening star., 1927-11-03
STORES DENOUNCED
BY SCHOOL HEADS
Proximity Assai|ed in 0pposi-
ton to Rezoning of Mekin.
~, ley High Area.

Stores and restaurants in close
proximity to school buildings were
strenuously denounced as contributors
factors to the breaking down of stu
dent discipline and as menaceS to stu
dent morals by members of the Board
of Education, three high school princi
pals and an assistant superintendent
of schools yesterday afternoon. wher
the board, in Semi-monthly session
was called upon to approve or disap
prove the rezoning of the Residential
area surrounding the new Mckinley
Technical High School. at Third and
r streets northeast, to permit the es
tablishment of drug store in pro
posed apartment building to be erected
one block distant.
Alvin w, Miller. of Central, Elmer
S. Newton of Western and Frank c.
Daniel of Mckinley, the three princi
pals, had attended the meeting to reg
lister their support of the board &
buildings, grounds and equipment
committees recommendation to disap'
prove the rezoning sought by w. M.
Ward, builder of the proposed apart.
ment structure.
Following a protraoted discussion, in
which members of the board and at
tending school officials took active
part, the recommendation was ac-
cepted and the rezoning consequently
disapproved.
Committee Report Read.
DR.. Fl. Barrett Learned, chairman
OF the buildings, grounds and equip
ment committee, which was ordered
at the last meeting OF the board to
study the situation involving the pro-
posed drug store near the new technl'
cal high school. read the committee S
report. in which it was recommended
that the board disapprove the recon
Ing. DIR. Learned then suggested
that the board members hear the
views of the three high school princi.
pals with whom his committee had
conferred in arriving at its conclusion.
Mr.. Miller. the first of the three
principals to express his opinion, said
he was, opposed to commercial zones
In the vicinity of schools, declaring
that Central has in its neighborhood
several stores and a lunchroom, and
he said: I'VE feel in them a serious
menace to our boys and girls, particu.
larly in their moral welfare"
Unsatisfactory conditions" arise
from the fact that these stores "are
the resorts of boys and girls not in
any way connected with our school,
but who in many cases have com.
mitted misdemeanors which have been
charged against our students who are
in no way responsible" Mr.. Miller ex.
planned. He declared that most ef-
forts to obtain the cooperation of
managers in prohibiting wrong con.
duct on the part of students and other
young persons who patronize the es-
tAblishments were futile, because "that
cooperation extends only to the point
where 1t interferes with trade" Mr..
Miller said there had been cases where
the proprietors themselves had aided
In student infringements Of discipline.
Western Principal Agrees.
DR.. Newton Of Western, the second
principal to present his views, sub
scribed to Mr.. Miller's expressions,
declaring that, although there were
only two stores in the neighborhood
OF Western, 'they form a nucleus for
something to start" when students as.
semble in them.
Henry w. Gilligan. member Of the
hoard. interrupted the principal at
this juncture to ask:
Something like what. Mr.. New.
"Truancy, for instance. Mr.. New.
ton replied, and he added that while
he and his associates do not believe a
school could control all the property
in the neigtbcrhood. they hoped to
do something" toward the elimination
Of the 'rendezvou OF weak students"
who are Influenced in the breach Of
good conduct by others.
Mr.. Daniel agreed with both the
previous speakers, asserting "the
store is no asset for a school," since
the only object in their establishment