Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-03
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Washington's public schools so years
ago were not all they should have
cx, been In the matter OF
0ChOoA safety and physical and
Safety sanitary safety. The Star
J' in its issue Of April 26
1881, however. found some comfort in
pointing to worse conditions In Baltt-
more.
An examination of a number of the
public schools in Baltimore has revealed
structural defects and sanitary evils In
every building. The inspector Of build
ings In that city has submitted q re-
port showing that 80 schools have but
single mode Of egress, each from the
upper stories. In many cases this way
Of egress leads through several school
rooms and along narrow passages,
sometimes partly filled with desks, SO
that In case of fire 1t would be next to
impossible for the pupils to get out
Doors giving egreSs to the street are
hung so as to open inwardly, and 1t
has been ascertained that 1t is not an
uncommon thing to keep these doors
locked. Besides the danger of fire, to
which the pupils of the Baltimore public
schools are exposed with a degree of
recklessness that is remarkable, they
are confined during study hours in badly
lighted, lily ventilated buildings. Very
few Of the school rooms are provided
with enough windows and some Of them
are so dark that on cloudy days the
pupils are forced to stop their studies.
Damp lower rooms with moldy walls,
daily poisoning the inmates, were found
In some Of the school buildings. The Bal
tin1ore papers are squirting the city au-
thorities to action In regard to the school
hEftI@fVnna - 4a $hnCa
defects being remedied. The school
buildings Of Washington are probably
superior in q general way to those OF
Baltimore, yet they are far from being
perfect and in sanitary condition and
in safety from fire. Intelligent public
opinion now demands the school author
tiles pay more attention to the physical
culture and well-being of the children
and less to the mere brain examining
department of education"
The Star Of April 81. 1881, refers to
practice that Is still prevalent to
Police tom: e''A-' 49,
Escor+s "our police force is q
A1"0oA 'S' good institution, as every
body knows, and 1t can be put to many
useful purposes. One of these uses, how
ever, to which it is frequently put,
which Is not only of no account In
itself, but which also withdraws the men
from points where they are badly needed
at the time, IS the foolish habit in
dulged in by our authorities of making
squads Of policemen act as guards OF
honor and protection to military
parades, etc. This Is the height OF
nonsense. There Is not the slightest
danger Of anybody stealing and carry
ing away a regiment of artillery, a
brigade of cavalry or even q division or
two of infantry while marching through
the streets of the city in broad daylight,
especially when completely armed and
equipped as they generally are. And
If there were such danger, 1t Is re-
Election upon the vigilance and bravery
of the soldiers to assume, as those in
power appear to do, that they are not
capable of protecting themselves. The
true place for policemen on such &C.
casions Is not in the procession, but
stationed along the curbStone on the
line of march to keep outsiders from en-
croaching on the space necessary for
proper display and to enable bystanders
and particularly women and children to
enjoy the pageant in comfort and safety.
The folly of the usage IN vogue here
was so conspicuously displayed and the
need Of a change was so apparent on
the Fourth of March that nobody ex-
pected to see q repetition Of 1t for at
least one or two generations. Yet on
Tuesday, last, on the occasion OF the
Farragut ceremonies, the same blunder
was committed again, greatly to the
surprise and chagrin of all beholders.
Are those who have the management
of these things veritable Bourbons, who
never learn anything and never forget
anything?"