Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-16
SCHOOL LAND PRICE
| LAW HIT BY BALL0U
Superintendent Declares Re.
+ striction Menaces 5-Year
Building Program.

and representatives of the various
civic organizations in a conference on
the 1929 school budget, declared thst
this limitation presents the most ini'
portant problem now confronting the
citizens OF the District of Columbia.
DIR. Ballou presented a statement Oh
the status of the 1929 school budget AZ
IL Is now before Congress. when sho"
ed that the School Boards estimate OF
AK sS6. s43 had been reduced by the
District Commissioners and the bufsau
Of the Budget to total of $l2, ,lSo.
The greatest single cut in the board :
estimates, the superintendent pointed
ont. was in the funds sought for the
purchase of lands for school sites ana
nlavcrounds While the board appeal
cd for Sl.4l9,6o0 for the purchase OF
SO tracts. DIR. Ballou said. the budget
as presented to Congress carries ap
nronriations for only two parcels OF
land at 49,. 900.
The superintendent told abe as
sembly that $3.50. 900 that had been ap'
propriated for other school lands was
ct present tiled up" because the DIS
trict was unable to purchase the par
cells at q price within the l2s per cent
limitation. He suggested as possible
eyulanation of the wholesale elimina'
priations the realization by the Com
nissioners and the Budget Bureau Of
ficials of the futility OF trying to buy
lands under the present restriction.
Sees Difieulty In 1889.
Declaring that unless some means 10
devised to permit the purchase or
school sites great difficulty will be ex'
perienced in the preparation OF the
1880 school budget by virtue OF the
fact that the buildings authorized by
the five-year building program cannot
be erected if the sites are not in hand,
DIR. Ballou said that the l2S per cent
limitation, which has prevented the
District from making the necessary
land purchases. is in effect an actual
..menace" to the building program.
II am of the opinion that nothing
more important cenfrents the public
OF the District today than this problem
OF the 125 per cent limitation" he said.
mot only is ii a problem so far as II
concerns school sites. but 1t involves
also Fairgrounds and parks. As ! see
1t, 1t is a vital question In the develop.
nient of Washington"
DIR. Ballou explained the details OF
the operation of the price restriction.
He recalled that while Congress has
stipulated that no sites shall be bought
at a price in excess of 125 per cent of
the assessed value, the tax laws of the
District require that all properties be
assessed at their full value. Even
when the District has entered cendem-
nation proceedings for the acquisition
Of property. he said. juries have placed
the value OF the lands above the
limitation.
ut is UP to you" DIR. Ballou de-
clared, ito determine what you want
done about the 125 per cent limitation,
and. as / see it, it is the most impor-
taHt thing at which YOU can direct
your attention" =
w. j. LaVarre, who. with william
Nick. Clayton. represented the Board
Of Trade at the conference, suggested
at the meeting should unite In con.
eerted effort to have the restriction re-
moved by Congress. He declared that
this would be an 0pportune time to
90 on record an favoring the removal
Of the limitation"
Warns Of Suspicion.
J. G. Yaden, president of the Fedora
ton of Citizens Associations. ad.
dressed the chairman, Isaac Cans,
member of the Board of Education,
sounding a warning against action
aimed at the price limitation. He said
that it had been shown that In many
cases the owners of property which
the District sought for school purposes
had asked as high as ESQ per cent Of
the assessed value, while In the ma
jority of cases the asked price In l7s
Per cent or more of the assessed value.
You 60 up to the Capitol and tell
them you can't buy property ut rs
per cent Of the assessed vaiue-and re-
member the law says property shall
be assessed Mt its full value-teil them
you must pay as high as ESQ per cent
OF that value, and Congress Is going
to say there's something rotten In
Denmark"
Mr.. Clayton was the next speaker.
Declaring that I'VE have tried to opeR-
ate under the i25 per cent restriction
without getting anywhere for year"
he suggested the District try to oh
tain removal of the restriction to see
how that works"
No action was taken by the assem-
hled representatives of the various
civic and trade bodies. however.
8 Wants Oh Classr00Bis.
Among the other items mentioned
specially by Dr. BallOu In his brief
allowed to reach Congress Is an sp,
preparation for 81 ciassrooms to he
made available during 1929. This In
the highest number of rooms ever
asked for in a single budget. the SUI
Perintendent pointed out. and he de-
clared I'VE should he appreeiative" to
the District Commissioners and TO the
Bureau of the Budget for allowing
that item to remain.
An increase of $4,000 In the fund
allowed for manual training instruc'
ton was permitted to remain in the
budget, but sharp cut was made
into the sought appropriation for the
care of buildings and grounds" The
Board of Education estimated its 1929
needs for janitorial positions and such
would demand a fund of $6s7,470,
which would he an increase of SS2.'
40 over the 1923 appropriation, The
Commissioners, however, reduced the
school boards estimate by sl9 ,03a and
the Budget Bureau made q further re
duction Of s2T .43S. bringing the total
asked-fOr appropriation now before
Congress to S6lt.00o. DIR. Bailou de
eiared these reductions have brought
tie total fund ito a dangerously low
level"
DIR. Ballou characterized the bulge
as it has been presented to Congress,
as IAN excellent budget but for thu
one serious handicap of the land-pur
chasing restriction results" and de
spite the discussion upon that single
exception. the budget was Endorsed b,
those present Edmund w. Scott
president of the Parents League o
the District OF Columbia. made the me
ton that IL he Endorsed and Mr.. YadeI
scrambled the action, which was car
F,s: unanimously by the vote of tn
ii0 representatives present,
In the open forum following DIR, Bal
louis presentation of the budget state
meHt several items of current seheo
Enthusiastically the status of the u
portable sehoolhouses in use I'm tn
District-were discussed,