Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-01
Co-operation On the Schools.

The proposal by President Darr OF
the Washington Chamber of Commerce
that the Chambers committee on pub
lie schools continue its inquiry into the
feasibility Of empowering the Board of
Eduestion to prepare, independent of
the Commissioners. the estimates for
the schools. should result in stimulating
public interest in an important local
question and make available additional
facts to support the boards. and Mr.
Dsrr's, contentious The community is
deeply concerned over the failure OF
the fve-year school program to ma
terialize as planned and it is apparent
to every parent that Washington
school system is not keeping apace with
the growth of the city wher. as a mat
ter of fact. 1t should b. far ahead.
There is much to be said in favor of
the theory that the Board of Educa-
ton should be given more latitude in
petitioning for and supervising the ex-
penditure of school funds.
Such radical revision in budget and
administrative procedure. however.
would require new legislation and it
is obvious that this special session of
Congress is not going to have the time.
the inclination or the machinery to
deal with local bill involving the Gle
ments of controversy inherent i'll the
proposal outlined by Mr. Darr. In the
meantime. estimates are being pre-.
pared for another fiscal year and those
estimates must be in the hands of the
Bureau of the Budget two months from
today. The attitude to be expected
from the Board of Education at this
time is one of continued close coop
Grafton with the Commissioners in see
ing that the current estimates are
drawn to the best interest of the
schools and of the city.
At the same time. the favorable re-
action on the part of the Chamber OF
Commerce and other representative
civic bodies of Washington to the
Beard Of Edueation's plea for more
generous allotment to the schools In
the District budget should by this time
have placed sufficient evidence in the
hands OF the Commissioners that the
community demands the maximum for
the schools that can be allowed. and
that this maximum represents great
er amount than previously has been
represented In the estimates submitted
to the Bureau Of the budget by the
Commissioners. II the Commissioners
are to reflect the community's senti-
ment. they must bring the allotment
for the schools to the highest figure
compatible with the Districts other
needs.
Chairman Simmons Of the House
subcommittee on District appropria-
tons made statement last week that
was characteristic of his point of view
and of that attitude held by his fellow
House members. which so deleteriously
affects the amount of revenue available
to the District. Commenting on the
three million dollars year for school
construction and grounds would still
keep the total for schools within the
one-third of District revenue, Mr.. Sim
mons said that three million dollars
additional for the schools would result
In an increase of twenty-five cents in
the tax rate. Chairman Simmons
avoids reference to the fact that the
politically impotent taxpayers of the
District are now being told that their
tax-raised revenue is to be used in the
construction of magnificent municipal
center, for the realization of an ambi-
tious program In park development and
for many other national or semi-na-
tinnal projects for the ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Of the National Capital, and that they
must take what their legislators choose
to give them in schools for their chill
dren. Without attempting to dispute
the value or the worth Of these projects,
the taxed but unrepresented Capital
community, can answer that the full
amount sought for schools could be
given without affecting the tax rate If
the Federal Government were paying
it's share for Capital development as
guaranteed by unrepealed organic law
"a law annually discarded by Chair
man Simmons and the House in their
arbitrary and peculiar attachment to
the magic lump sum" of nine million
dollars.