Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-09
BUILDING DELAYS
MAY RETARD NEW
SCHOOLS OPENING
Board of Education Told Con-
tractors May Not Com.
pIete Work.
GENERAL STRUCTURAL
JOBS REPORTED LATE
Seven Institutions, Additions and
Western High Athletic Field
Are Affected.

Contractors failure to complete their
work in time threatens to DELAY the
opening OF seven new public school
buildings on the resumption of school,
September 81, according to "a report be-
ing presented to the Board of Educa-
ton at its first meeting of the wear
this afternoon by Jere j. Crane, school
business manager.
Besides the seven new schools or
additions to old schools. contractors
delay also are expected to prevent the
use OF the new Western High School
athletic field now under construction
at Thlrty-seventh street and Reservoir
road. Work on the cafeteria in the new
John Quincy Adams School. which was
to have been completed for the coming
term Is not even begun, Mr.. Crane adj
vised the board.
In the same report, however, the
business manager is informing the
school board that six new school struc-
lures and junior high school shop
have been completed, according to con-
These are Alice Deal Junior High
School. Congress Heights School addi-
ton, Crosby Noyes School, Deanwood
School addition, Whittier School. Horace
Mann School and the shop at the Co.
lumbia Junior High School.
Schools Face Delays.
According to Mr.. Cranes report to
the school board today the schools
which seem certain to be unfinished in
time for the opening of school are La
fayette School in Chevy Chase, Young
tplatoon) School near Benning, Stuart
Junior High School addition in North
east Washington, Gordon Junior High
School addition near Burleith, Anthony
Bowen School addition in Southwest
Washington, the Key School in Potomac
Heights, and the Powell Junior High
School addition in Mount Pleasant.
Mr.. Crane is advising the school that
the Lafayette School cannot be COM
pleted until the beginning OF next week
and that shipments of furniture and
equipment for the building have been
delayed in the manufacturers cities be-
cause the Municipal Architects Office
has ruled that placement of furniture
in an incompleted school building con-
stitutes acceptance Of the building. Ac-
cording to a letter sent by Acting Mu-
nicipal Architect McGrew to the school
business manager. the contractor on
the Lafayette School is falling down
on 1t badly" Mr.. McGrew advised the
school official that his Office has exert
ed every possible effort and disciplined
him in every conceivable way in order
to get this work completed" The con-
tractor is Charles S. Bannett, Inc, of
Philadelphia.
Furniture Held Up.
Likewise, Mr.. Crane is reporting. fur
niture and equipment for the Young
School has been held up. Some of the
furniture which has reached Washing
ton, his report asserts, has been placed
IN, ho no nf ~ adiniY1jYN0 cphnOl
necessitating additional hauling and ex-
pense when the Young School is COM
pleted.
Delay in completion Of the Young
School. Crane is explaining, Is because
two one-room portable school houses
formerly in service at the Rosedale site
nearby have been removed and their
classes ordered to the still incompleted
new building The Graham Construc-
ton Co. of Washington is contractor for
the platoon school. The Powell Junior
is as near to being wreck as 1t Is
possible to be-
The entire building has been used as
a work space. and furniture and equip
ment has been ignored and miStreated,
he is reporting by workmen building
the addition to this structure. On COM
plant by Mr. Crane to the municipal
architect. circular letter warning con-
tractors that unless they treat school
property with more care the municipal
architect will require the building con-
Germs to erect bulkheads and room open
ings where new construction is going
on.
Powell Faces Delay.
Mr.. Crane does not believe it possible
to recondition the old portion of the
n t.. Co.
The Key School may not be opened
second floor addition seems likely, in
Mr.. Cranes opinion, to interfere with
the old portion of the school.
The Gordon Junior High School ad-
dition is ''in fair condition, but still has
considerable work to be completed" Mr..
Crane is reporting.
The Anthony Bowen School is in bad
shape, and from indications the old
part of the building will not be in con-
dition to use for the opening Of schools, +"
Mr.. Crane said.
The new portion, he added. still has
considerable work to be completed.
Addition Incomplete.
While the addition to the Stuart
Junior High School will not be COM
pleted in time for the reopening of
schools, Mr. Crane is advising the
School Board that it may be possible
to open the wing housing additional
class rooms. Unconf1rmed reports, he
said, indicate this may be done without
affecting the contract. Efforts to make
this arrangement are being pressed.
Despite the fact that requests for
the completion of the cafeteria room
at the new Adams School were for
warded with sketches to the District
Repair Shop, Mr.. Crane told the board
this work, which involves the complete
finishing of this room, has not been
started. Cafeteria equipment has been