Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-08
Snakehouses and Schools.

The interesting letter appearing on
this page today from lady who writes
with rare dlscernment of the relative
importance to the community of new
mansion for snakes at the Zoo and ade-
ouate housing for our school children is
a self-sufficient document that speaks
for itself Little wonder that she is
mystified over a situation that finds
city embarking on building program
for the National Geological Park before
it has been able to get rid of the port
able schools so eloquently described!
But she has merely discovered one Of
the illogical inconsistencies of the pres
ent system of financing the Nations
Capital There are many more.
The Stars correspondent concludes
her letter with the admission that here
in the Capital we are anxious that the
snakes-"the beautiful, crawling. Shiny
things"-be comfortable. But she asks
whether we have not right to expect
as much for our children. She might
have asked, in addition, if the commu-
nifty were given its choice between build
ing houses for snakes and birds at the
Zoo and eliminating the portables, which
would be done first? And further, if the
community were forced to do without
the snakes or the school buildings so
much needed, what would the decision
be then?
AS a matter of fact the community
has no choice as to where its money
goes. 1t contributes to the National
Geological Park, in relation to the Fed
eral contribution, in exactly the same
proportion that it contributes to the
schools. 1t contributes to other semi
national projects in the Capital, over
which it has no more control than it
has over the National Geological Park,
just as it contributes to its own munich
pal institutions.
The Zoo is popular in Washington.
Washingtonians are delighted with the
fine new bird house just being COM
pleted and they are, no doubt, enthu
siastic over the prospect Of knowing
that in addition there is to be house
for reptiles and amphibians, with wing
for insects. They will be no less keen
for the whole Zoo building program,
which contemplates small mammal
house with wing for apes, pachy-
dern house, a remodeled and improved
carnivore house, greenhouse to pro-
vide ported plants for buildings and
greens for animals and birds, an ante
lope, buffalo and wild cattle house, an
open barless pit for polar bears, a
monkey pit, three ornamental arches
to the Zoo entrances and fence around
the park, the whole to cost about mil
lion and a quarter dollars.
But the community is even more in
terested in the facts relating to the
portable schools, which were recently
laid before the Board of Education by
DR.. Ballou. These facts point out that
in 1927 small tornado tore the roof
off a portable, from which the children
had just been removed by teacher
who had the presence of mind to get
them into the main building; that in
March of this year portables on Grant
road near Connecticut avenue and those
in Wesley Heights were similarly
damaged by storm, which provi-
dentially came along when the children
were at lunch that the school officials
and the Board Of Education have in
dividually and collectively sought appro-
priations to build the permanent school
houses and eliminate portables, and that
had the five year school building pro-
gram been carried out by Congress,
nearly, if not ali, the portables would
have been discontinued. Failure of that
building program continues the firnsy
and dangerous portables in use, badly
lighted. badly heated. poorly ventilated,
and in some cases with outside, I'M
heated lavatories. And, in addition to
occupying portables the school children
must be content with part-time classes
in the elementary grades.
In Washington we are told that we
must support the Zoo because Wash
ingtonians visit it. We are told that 1t
should be the finest Zoo in the world
as it is maintained as a governmental
institution. We are told that it has the
third largest collection of animals and
birds in the country, but lags far be-
hind the ZOOS of New York, Philadel-
phia, Chicago and st. Louis in build
ings, and building program is begun
to catch up. Meanwhile we are told
that we must have the finest parks in
the world, the finest municipal buildings
in the world, the finest streets in the
world, because this in the finest Capital
in the world. Which explains, perhaps,
but of course does not excuse, the con-
tinued use of the portables.