Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-02
DISTRICT FUND BILL
DELAYEDFORDAY
House Adjourned Yesterday
With Fight Waging on 18th
Street Extension.

This being calendar Wednesday In
the House, consideration of the Dis
trict appropriation bill went over until
tomorrow
When the House adjourned yester-
day it was just beginning a nght on
the So, 900 authorization for the grad
ing of Sixteenth street, from
Kain1ia road to the District line.
Representative Zihlman and Senator
elect Tydings had conducted sue
cessful tight for reinsertion OF the
budget estimate by a vote OF Il 10
Is. A point of no quorum, however,
was made by Representative Funk.
Attacking the amendment Mr..
Funk said he had investigated THIS
location and had found that. lit leads
nowhere"
"This is simply real estate de-
velopment proposition, ne declaFeo
'Tt will serve to no purpose ana
think this money will be thrown
away. The gentlemen who support
this amendment will say 1t Is proposed
by the State Highway Department OF
MARYLAND to. bring a road 10 THIS
point. When they do that, II were
on the committee I might support
this amendment. But to spend S22,OVo
over a country that is gulch ana
leads nowhere IIlIik 10 AootASAhAi1SH7'
Mr.. Blanton jumped in at this point
and supported Mr.. Funk. He charged
that Mr.. Zihlman was merely trying
to keep some Of his campaign pleoges
by backing the proposal
Zihlman Explains Need.
Supporting the amendment, Mr..
Zihlnnar1 pointed out that last year 8
CONGRESS appropriated 100000 for the
grading of Sixteenth street from
Alaska avenue to kalmia road, and
that the Maryland Highway Comrnis-
sion had pledged to connect the pro-
posed extension with the Maryland
system. The extension, he said, mas
been approved by the District Commits
sioners, by the National Park ana
Planning Commission and the Fine
Arts Commission, and by everybody
who is interested in the development
Of the Capital my purpose in offering
this amendment in spite of the oppo-
sition of the subcommittee, he said,
.ls that there is a nil that will have
to be made and we want 1t done now,
in order that the work may settle so
VIE can have the street paved to the
District line"
Mr.. Tydings pointed out that COM
pletion of this grading would make a
direct highway from Baltimore to
Washington along this route. which
would be the most used route for au.
tomobiies and trucks. Maryland has
provided funds for building to the Dis
trtct line, he said, and when the Six
tenth street project is undertaken the
two routes can be hooked UP.
Debate on Teachers.
During debate on the item for new
teachers yesterday Representative Col
- ~ hal
lenged as inaccurate the statement OF
DIR. Ballou that there is an excess of
1.707 pupils over the capacity of the
schools. There is d school rule, he
pointed out, to the effect that a class
r6om ought to house 40 pupils per
teacher in the elementary schools and
fEurn 80 to 33 pupils in the high
Schools. DIR. Ballou himself" Mr..
Chllins said, has said these numbers
constitute ideal classrooms.
Telling about a chart he prepared
after investigating conditions, Mr..
Cbllins pointed out that the average
number Of pupils per teacher in the
high schools was found to be 1897.
III the junior high schools, 1884, and
IL the elementary schools, 51.24. This
estimate. he explained, was based on
the average enrolment for the year.
81 submitted the table to DIR. Bal
13u and asked him to prepare one,
said Mr.. Collins. The table the school
Superintendent prepared showed an
Average Of 20 pupils per teacher In
the senior high schools; in the junior
high schools. PIP, and in the ele-
n1entary schools. 35.5. Ballou's esti-
Mate was reached on a basis Of the
total enrolment.
Whichever table is used. Mr.. Col
Inns declared, they show there is no
excess Of 1907 pupils. as DR.. Ballou
claims, or else the table prepared by
him is inaccurate.
Mr.. Collins said his table showing
the number of pupils per teacher did
not take into account some 400 teach
err who were not regulars, SO that he
contends. DR.. Ballou's assertion of
shortage lacks confirmation.