Evening star., 1933-04-11
TubercuIar Children and
Americanization Classes
Also Hit by Budget Cuts.
Continued From First Page.)

T! school accomplishments. A plan wa
| introduced this year under which TIT
boy or girl who is unable to complete
| his or her course in the day classes
| can continue at night and receive, a
| the end of the course, an accredited
| diploma which will be acceptable by
any college or university which &C
knowledges the District public schoo
SYSTEMS day school diplomas. In Other
words, instead of requiring about sever
years work for night school diploma
which was little more than certificate
of graduation and which was not &C.
credited by higher institutions. students
now may earn a regulation diploma
that means something" in about five
years. But now comes the curtailmen;
of this service in the midst of difficult
times for youth, when that service
would be of most value.
Americanization Hit.
In 1888 the Americanization School
has had $4,000 for the salaries of
its teachers and in 1884 the House
would reduce the sum to $500. The
Americanization School, which is op-
Grated for the training of new citizens
in the very principles of government
upon which this Nation is founded,
holds an enviable position in the re-
spect of the immigration authorities,
the court which naturalizes the new
comers and the patriotic organizations,
including the Daughters of the Ameri-
can Revolution, which foster many of
its activities. On this cut of nearly
so per cent only drastic limitation of
classes, school year and general edu-
cational service provided can result.
Reduction of the funds for the edu-
cation and transportation of tubercu-
lar and crippled children will work a
real hardship on these youngsters. The
school system maintains special
health school for white tubercular chill
dren and similar institution-so far
as purpose goes-for the colored tu-
bercular children. Then, too, it op-
ored crippled children. The tubercu-
lar children attend classes in SUMMER
and better aired rooms than normal
children require. At certain times dur
ing the day these pupils are required
to take maps on cots provided for the
purpose. The crippled youngsters at
tend class in rooms equipped with fur
niture designed to make comfortable
little bodies that too often are twisted
and misshapen, and at certain times
these pupils are given theraputic
treatment planned to aid them in
their quest for normal bodies.
Cuts Mean Less Help.
This year Congress appropriated for
the maintenance of these pupils $11 900
and in 1884 the House of Representa-
tives would grant them only $4,000.
The reduction will mean less help in
school for these children who face
life, many of them with the alterna-
tives of becoming self-sustaining as
sets or public charges.
Because Of their physical handicapS
both the tubercular and the crippled
children are transported to school.
This transportation is provided by
busses which operate on special routes
designed to accommodate the greatest
number and some travel on street cars
on fares paid for by the school sys-
tenn. In 1888 total of $4,000 was
allowed FOR transportation of both
groups of pupils, and this sum has
proven itself inadequate. Yet in 1884
the House Of Representatives would
pare down this item to $18,500.
Washington's blind public school
children are schooled at Overlea, Md,
under contracts entered into between
the institution there and the District.
ILLS year p4o,UUU Was NIduc dfdudD1C
for this education, and in 1884 the
House would allow only $4,000 for
these sadly handicapped pupils. This
reduction was an arbitrary one and
represents simply the elimination OF
two blind children from the benefits
of the specialized training they require.
These children attend classes at Over
lea on a fixed contract rate of $500
each a year and the reduction of the
item by 81 900 means only one thing
The items for the night schools, the
Americanization School already men,
toned, refer to the salaries of teach
ers engaged in that work. DR.. Frank
w. Ballou, superintendent Of schools
says:
reau of the Budget for 1884 can be
met, in part, If legal to do so, by some
reduction in the scale OF pay OF teach
ers and officers in the vacation and
these reductions, however, will have tc
be met by reducing the number Of
schools opening and the enrolment ir
the schools as whole"
Other Reductions.
Other reductions affecting these same
| educational opportunities for Washing
tonians include cut of $500 from the
current appropriation of $4,000 fol
night contingent expenses. Another
cut of 5000 was made by the House ir
the current appropriation of $500 fol
| Americanization School contingent ex-
penses. Besides these the big text book
and educational supplies item was cut
from 100000 to $4,000. Other edu-
cational equipment and school mate
rials items which were slashed in the
| 1924 appropriation bill include: Manua
training. from $4,000 in 1888 to $780,
600; kindergartens, from $1,000 to $5,-
600; science laboratories, from $16,50(
to $4,000, and the general contingent
fund which covers United States flags
paper towels, ice, oil lubricants, re-
placement of various items of furniture
and other necessary items, from $685.
! 900 to 100000.
These reductions" says DR.. Ballou
| without qualification, mean inadequate
supplies for teaching purposes, anc
| must inevitably have a corresponding
effect on the efficiency of instruction.
Another of the major items which
has been reduced is that for repairs
| to buildings. A school building is SUBJ
| ject, perhaps, to even harder wear thar
other types of public structure. Tht
natural deterioration requires constant
application of repairs as an economic
! necessity, and this year total of S437,'
| 500 was available for this purpose. II
| 1884, however, the repairs fund woule
be 1925, ,000-a reduction of S112,500.
Still another important item that dit
not escape the economy scythe is tn,
fuel gas and electricity fund, which