Evening star., 1931-06-24
LABOR TO PROTEST
|VETO OF ESTIMATES
ION TRADE SCHOOLS
Refusal of Commissioners to
o. K. Items in Budget lrkS
Central Union.
IA. F. OF L. BACKS PLAN
FOR VOCATIONAL WORK
John Colpoys Forecasts Appeal to
Congress and Civic Groups on
Proposed Buildings.

A determined fight by the Central
Labor Union, backed by the American
Federation of Labor. for the carrying Of
the Board of Education's complete esti-
mates for public schools in 1888 was
forecast today by John Colpoys, editor
of the Trade UnioniSt and spokesman
for the labor group.
Mr.. Colpoys' promise Of the labor or
ganiZation's support OF the school board
was given when he was advised that
the District Commissioners had elimi-
mated entirely two items submitted by
the school board which were to advance
Washingtons vocational educational
facilities.
1t was indicated at the District
Building that among the items pruned
by the Commissioners from the School
Boards 1888 estimates was a sum for
the erection of a new building on land
already owned by the District in the
vicinity Of Thirteenth and Upshur
streets for the Dennison Vocational
School for Girls. and a sum for the
purchase Of additional land adjoining
the old Dennison School at Fourteenth
and S streets so that aNnew structure
can be erected in the future for the
Phelps Vocational School for Colored
Boys.
Will Appeal to Congress.
"The Central Labor Union" Mr.. Col
poys declared, will carry its fight for
the vocational education items straight
into Congress itself and there it will
urge not only the appropriation Of taese
two amounts, but e"cry item asked for
the Board Of Education. The school
board, We are convinced, has submitted
a pared list Of estimates that represent
the rock-bottom needs Of our school
system as seen by the men who
best know what the system needs. The
business Of the Commissioners, or the
auditors and anybody else in the Dis
trict Building pairing the school eSti-
mates is nonsensical because none Of
them knows what Is needed"
Mr.. Colpoys. asserted also that the
Central Labor Union would appeal i'm
mediately to every parent-teacher as
sociation in the city. all citizens asSo-
Citations and other civic bodies to ally
with it in a District-wide campaign on
behalf of the school estimates.
I'm this campaign" he added. ''the
Central Labor Union has the complete
backing of the American Federation of
Labor and the federation will go with
us into Congress to urge that no items
and emphatically none which look to
the development Of the vocational edu-
cation system-are eliminated from the
appropriation bill"
Congestion Relief Sought.
The significance of the elimination Of
the two vocation educational items from
the school board figures was empha-
sized by school officials at the Franklin
Administration Building today. While
the two amounts offer immediate ad-
vancement to the vocational educational
system in accordance with recommends
tions made by the Citizens Advisory
Committee on Vocation Education, they
which would afford relief to the colored
elementary school needs In the Tenth
and u streets region.
As planned by the school authorities
in the framing of the estimates for
1888, the now inadequately equipped
and badly designed Dennison Voca-
tional School for CWhite) Girls would
be replaced entirely. The new build
ing for this institution would be erected
on part of the tuberculosis Hospital
site near Thirteenth and UpShur streets
The then vacated Dennison School
could be rebuilt or replaced by a new
structure for the Phelps Vocational
School through the addition to its site
Of q few inexpensive adjoining resi-
Dental properties.
Charge Change Wrecks Plans
The present Phelps Vocation School
now housed in an elementary. school
building on Vermont avenue near U
the elementary divisions for use as a
colored elementary school, Additional
elementary school facilities, the officials
reiterated today, are needed sorely for
that neighborhood.
The congestion will be relieved some
what when the present Business High
School is turned over to colcred ele-
mentary school children. in accordance
| with the legislative provisions in the
appropriations act, which carried funds
for the Roosevelt High School. which
will replace the present Business High
School.
Elimination of the two items. from
the 1888 estimates of the school board.
1t was declared, wrecks this carefully
planned program and serves to increase
the congestion and other problems
arising from the use Of the present in
adequate facilities,
Carusi Board Made Report.
The Districts vocational education
system long has been the object OF
IL was ONb-
ject of a careful scrutiny by the Citi-
zens' Advisory Committee, which the
late DR.. Charles Francis Carusi, presi-
dent of the school beard, appointed.
That committees findings were pre-
sented in volumnious report with
concrete recommendation a year ago.
The inclusion of the two stricken items
in 1888 estimates by the School Board
was designed to secure large part Of
the committees proposals. The first
step in carrying out these recommends
tions was the School Boards order
transferring the present Abbott Voca-
tional School to the Columbia Junior
High School Building at Seventh and
o streets.
The Advisory Committee on Voca-
tional Education was composed Of Mr..
Colpoys, as chairman; E. g. Graham,
Gen. Anton Stephan, Rufus Lusk,
James G.. Yaden, Mrs. Giles Scott Raj
ter, Mrs. Fred T. Dubois, A. s. Pinkert.
A. I. CasseI, Capt. John Smith, j. A. @.
Lu Vale. Charles T. LIE Fewe and