Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-20
SIMMONS TO FIGHT
CAPPER LOAN BILL
Tells Federation U. S. Is Al
ready Paying More Than
Share of Expenses.
Continued From First page.)

Continued From First Page.)
mons paid his respects to the Board of
Education and the superintendent of
schools in no uncertain terms. Read
ing from the Congressional Record. he
stated that the average pupil load in
the kindergarten in Washington was
31.s per teacher, and in the average
city Of more than 100000 population in
the rest of the country $40. The cost
per capita of kindergarten education
here is $1,000, and In the other cities
$3.50, he said.
"Gentlemen's Agreement"
With these figures before the COM
mittee, Mr.. Simmons said, 1t had sought
a way to bring Washington nearer to
the normal, and that 1t had gentle
ment's agreement" with the Board of
Education that no new kindergarten
teachers would be employed until the
kindergarten teaching staff had been
cut down by 70 teachers.
1.-THE papers have transformed this
into a statement that IS teachers are
to be fired" Mr.. Simmons said, when
with the smallest investigation they
could have learned that nothing of the
sort is intended. II the Board Of Edu-
cation carries out this agreement I
hope that the District taxpayers will
be eventually saved $4,000 a year,
although I do not expect to see any of
that saving materialize next year. And
yet the papers have stated that we have
cut $4,000 out of the appropriation
bill for teachers salaries, and we have
number of resolutions from citizens
associations, who have not stopped to
investigate the facts, asking us to put
back an item which we never took out.
No teachers who have jobs this year
will lose their jobs next year as Q re-
suit of this bill"
Cause Of Complaint.
Mr.. Simmons said that with educa-
ton as costly as 1t is here, If the citi-
zens have any complaint, it is not be-
cause Of withholding of appropriations,
but because of administrative inef-
ficiency," which Congress cannot
remedy.
Referring to the investigation Of con-
ditions by The Evening Star. which
showed that at one school children
were compelled to use card tables
instead of desks, Mr.. Simmons said that
at the Mcfarland Junior High School
the principal had appealed to the Par
| ernt-Teacher Association for contri-
button to enable him to buy q machine
to clean blackboard erasers, as the
Board OF Education had told him there
| available for the purpose.
"They spent it on Steinway pianos,
| gold-lined sugar bowls, $18 climbing
ropes, and 1910 punch bowls" he said,
while In many schools children had
| no desks and in the tuberculosis
school some children had no cots"
Facts Held Neglected.
"Why, this very federation" Mr..
Simmons exclaimed, sends up to my
committee recommendations that are
not based on facts. 1t sent up request
] that we put back an item of 5000 for
I the House of Detention rental, when we
| had taken out no such item. The item
we cut out was $11, 900 for rent of .
| building for which there Is no excuse
when the District owns so much prop.
| erty in the new Municipal Center area.
| Shortly after the news got out that we
| had eliminated this, the owner OF the
| present building where the House OF
| Detention is, came to me and offered 70
| renew the lease for $4,000.
There Is another proposition coming
over from the Senate that the people be
| called on to pay $2,500,000 for an air.
port. There Is absolutely no demand
| In washington for an airport. Cap
| plause.) The District doesn't want one
and the Federal Government has all It
needs. No airplanes are going TO keep
out Of washington, II they ind business
| to bring them, here on account OF the
lack Of Q municipal airport: There are
number of private airports mere now
and they all seem to be getting along
pretty well."
Mr.. Simmons wound up by paying .
high personal tribute to President
George c. .Havenner of the federation.
who was q faithful worker for the Dis
trict, although often opposed to his
| views, he said.
A Question as to whether to support
| the Public Utilities Commission IN It's
move to acquire control over taxIcabs
| carried by q narrow margin, DR.. Hav-
enner casting the deciding ballot after
q tie vote, 80 to 80.
Woman to BE Employed.
! The federation voted in favor of en-
| ploying female laborer who will per-
form some OF the work usually falling
| to q matron In the larger elementary
schools, at the earliest practicable date"
and instructed its education committees
| to bring In report on the merits Of
| request by the washington Highlands
| Citizens Association for an elementary
school In its territory. The committee
had at first declined to take jurisdic-
| ton on the ground that this was local
| matter.
A motion to appropriate 500 from
the federation's funds toward trafic
survey being undertaken by the Board
of Trade, the Merchants and Manu-
facturers' Association and the ONCE Of
Lieut.. Col. u. s. Grant, Sd. In charge
| of public buildings and parks, was
overwhelmingly defeated Immediately
prior to adjournment.
Capper Letter Read.
Dr.. Havenner read a letter from
Senator Arthur Capper, chairman of
the Senate District committee, inviting
the federation to express its views at
meeting Of the committee next Tuesday
on the Capper bill providing for $15,-
600, 900 loan from the Federal Treasury
to the District government. The money,
which Is to be retired In IS installments
Of $1,000.000 each, with 3h per cent
interest, Is to be used for purchase Of
land and erection Of buildings in the
new municipal center development.
William A. Roberts, Conduit road, Inn
mediately moved that the federation
| seek, instead of this bill, a provision for
o loan OF $25,0O0,00 without interest.
Mr.. Roberts motion was TO the effect
that the money be used not only for
the municipal center, but also for all
major civic Improvements. There was
very little debate on the motion, and it
carried, % votes to II.
The entire board of District Commits
sioners was present at the meeting, and
the delegates to the federation were
presented to the Commissioners and 70
Mr.. Simmons by President George @.
Havenner during an intermission.
| MRS. GIVEN CORRECTS