Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-08
Chairman Takes Issue With
DR.. CaruSi in Speech BIam-
ing Defects of the Law.
POINTS OUT SERIES
OF "SERIOUS" DELAYS
Congress Meeting Needs as They
Arise, House Told, With
Data on Budget.

The five-year school building program
has failed because of its own inherent
defects and weaknesses; in short, be-
what the growth and school needs of the
Capital would be in 1930-31.
But despite the shortcomings of the
program and of its execution, school
construction now under way, together
with that already appropriated for or
provided for in the 1881 budget esti-
mates, will eliminate So of the 70 port
able schools now in use and 16O of the
present 1876 part-time classes.
This, very briefly, is the picture of the
Washington public school situation as
Representative Robert G.. Simmons of
Nebraska, chairman of the subcommit-
tee on the District budget of the House
appropriations committee, saw it in a
speech delivered in the House yesterday
under general debate on the Interior
Department appropriation bill.
Mr.. Simmons address was largely in
reply, to assertions made recently by DR..
Charles F. CaruSi, president of the
Board OF Education, in his letter Of re-
sponse to Senator Capper's request for
an authoritative statement showing the
exact status" of the five-year school
building program. In that letter DR..
Carusi contended that "the primary rea-
son" for the failure of the program was
failure to appropriate $4,000,000 a
year for that purpose"
Simmons Views Different.
In his speech yesterday afternoon, Mr..
Simmons not only differed with the
school board president as to the primary
reason for the programs failure, but he
also took exception to five specific state
ments. or groups Of statements, which
DIR. Carusi made in his letter to Senator
Capper The Congressman spoke in ref
utation of these contentious for APP
proXimately two-thirds of the time he
was on his feet. The specific asser-
tions to which Mr.. Simmons directed
his attention, with an extensive array
of facts and figures, were:
/. That the Board Of Education Is mot
aware OF any serious administrative de-
lays:
3. The conclusion that the program
would have been completed If sufacient
moneys had been appropriated;
8. That "it is obvious that no fault
attaches to the Board of Education for
failure to originate proper estimates;
that the school board has annually at
tempted to secure $4,000,000 for build
ings and grounds" and that the board
pose, only to receive $l4,268,25o.
4. That the large surplus to the
credit of the District indicates that
more liberal policy toward the public
schools could have been adopted" and
5. That by the bookkeeping device of
eliminating certain so-called special
funds, a systematic effort was made on
have it appear that the schools were
already receiving more than one-third
Of the District of Columbia budget"
1881 Budget Items.
After reviewing these contentious
categorically and discussing progress
which has been made in the bringing
of WaShington'S schools up to date, in
cluding the school officials own elimi-
nation of certain items in the program,
Mr.. Simmons declared:
If the items carried in the 1881
budget are appropriated for, that part
of the f1ve-year program which should
be carried out at this time will have
been substantially completed. Neither
the Commissioners, the Bureau of the
Budget nor Congress should be criti-
ciSed for refusing to appropriate moneys
for that part of the program which
the school officials themselves have cast
aside. In addition to this, Congress
will have provided a number of prof.
ects not called for nor contemplated by
the hve-year building program act. The
Budget Bureau and the House commit
tee on appropriations have initiated
building projects and included them in
the appropriations bills in cases where
the Board of Education has refused to
act. 1t has been found necessary many
times to change and ignore the Ave-
year program when making appropria-
tions in order that the school needs of
Washington may be met.
THE t1ve-year program has failed
because Of its own inherent defects and
weaknesses. 1t attempted to prophesy
IN 1925 what the growth and needs of
the city of Washington In its schools
would be in 1930-31. The set-up Of
1928 does not meet conditions as they
exist now. In spite of the defects Of
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