Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-22

bI DEN MChkLWAY.
The controversy over removal OF the
SO colored tuberculous children from
the Harrison School TO the Toner
School which ragged 80 vindictIvely be-
fore the Board of Education until set
tied last week was neither fundamen.
tai nor far-reaching. II was merely a
superficial issue which could have been
expected and may continue TO be ex-
pected until the District awakens 10 a
realization of its responsibilities and
goes deep into the whole matter Of the
care of these child victims OF a tragedy
that has placed their hope OF salvation
In the hands OF the community. It
is a problem which has received too
little attention in the past. The man.
ner in which II Is being handled TO-
day Is not conducive to praise. It
shows some Of the effects Of that form
of economy which consists in making
one dollar do the work Of two. And
1t brings into sharp relief the question
OF whether the District is following the
right road now. or whether 1t should
abandon this road and head in another
direction.
The compulsory education law re-
quires attendance at school between
the ages Of and 49, In order to
segregate tuberculous children and pro-
vide for their education ct the same
time, the health schools, one for white
and one for coiored. were established In
1917. While the number Of pupils at
tending these two schools has been in
creasing every year. the appropriations
for their maintenance have not In
creased proportionatelv. One result Is
bal ~,
appropriation intended TO cover the
needs of 100 children Is now being
used In an attempt to cover the needs
Of $50 children. with the prospect that
this number will tend to increase rather
than decrease before the end of the
year. At the fine. new white health
school on Allison between Thirteenth
and Fourteenth streets, there Is lack
ing. as q result, such necessary equip
ment as cots. Part OF the daily rou-
tine at the school Is . 45-minute nap
by the pupils in a large and whole
somely clean dormitory with plenty of
sunshine and fresh air. But. because
there is no money available for addi-
tional cots. nine old rickety canvas cots,
condemned as UNIT for service. have
been pressed into use, and. although
the bedding Is changed. some of the
This Is an admittedly bad practice. but
under present conditions is necessary
Sheets on these cots should be fire.
quently Numbered. But. because there
is not enough money available for this
expense. the sheets must do double
duty. The allowance for food for these
children. whose recovery depends SC
much upon correct diet. has been cut
down. The explanation Is simple. II
available appropriations provide II
cents q day per child on the basis OF
go children. and II the school receives
20 additional children, the money avail
able must be stretched with consequen,
skimping In the allowance for each
child. An appropriation for transporta-
ton OF the children to and from the
two buses which make daily rounds
collecting children who live within Q
certain area and the provision Of cal
tokens for those who cannot be reached
by the BUSES The money for car
tokens, with approximately FIVE month:
OF the school term remaining. Is a.
ready exhausted The parents Of TIT
children must pay their carfare Blu,
should these children be required C
use the stree; cars under any condi-
ton? Some of them run tempera.
| lures One pupil at the white hsalth
school spends two hours q day on tn:
street cars to attend the school for Ave
hours. The law requires her attend.
| ance. And II she became physically un-
able TO attend the District drops her
then and there and provides her with
no other hope either for education or
Institutional treatment
.
This brings UP another matter. There
10 no institution in the District for the
treatment Of tuberculous children. A
child under - years old. afiicted with
tuberculosis in It's advanced stages and
who becomes Q bed case. may be sd-
mitted TO Children's Hospital. But this
valuable institution was never intend
ed for the care Of tuberculous patients.
It has neither the necessary equipment
nor the personnel And while q child