Evening star., 1933-12-07
|ANACOST|A SCHOOL
CONTRACT AWARD
URGED BY CITIZENS
Association Votes to Take
Fight for s40O, 900 Build
ing to Commissioners.
BUDGET DIRECTOR HELD
EXCEEDING AUTHORITY
Stengle Says Douglas Can Control
Only Lump Sum Given
by Congress.
Demands that the District Commits

Demands that the District COmmis-
sioners Immediately let the contract for
the proposed Junior high school in Ana
costa in accordance with the appropria-
ton and authorization given them by
Congress will be made by the District
Of Columbia Public School Association
as a result Of a unanimous vote at its
meeting last night in the board room
of the District Building.
Copies Of the resolution will be pre-
sented to the Bureau of the Budget,
whose director, Lewis Douglas, recently
eliminated. funds for completion Of the
school from the 1885 estimates, and to
the subcommittee for the District of the
House Appropriations Committee.
Speakers pointed out that the entire
section Of the District, east of the Ana
costa River is without junior high
school facilities and explained that de-
lay Of the Anacostia Junior high school
building would force children to con-
tinue attending classes in a stove-heated
52-year-old building that was held unfit
for service over 80 years ago. A di-
lapidated portable also would be held In
service.
Contract Approved.
The Public School Association re-
viewed the steps already taken to OBJ
tain the new school. The school au-
thorities recommended the structure,
the Commissioners included 1t in the
Districts estimates, the Bureau Of the
Budget forwarded the request for funds
to Congress and that body appropriated
$225,00 to begin construction and
authorized the Commissioners to enter
into a contract for erection of the build
ing at total cost not to exceed S400,-
M sv.ft tAt t-1n
July /, 1882. The Commissioners de-
clined to undertake any contracts on
the ground that the $225, 900 would be
exhausted before the completing fund
could become available.
Charles I. Stengle, president Of the
association and former member Of the
House of Representatives, asserted that
the Commissioners have every right to
&C ahead with the contract and declared
that the Budget Director has mo legal
right to interfere in the budget Of the
District of Columbia"
Mr.. Stengle insisted that neither the
act creating the position Of director
Of the budget nor any subsequent leg
| islation gives the director any jurisdic-
ton over the Districts own budget "ex-
cept the lump sum which Congress
says 1t gives u.s."
Committee Named.
The association appointed a commit
| tee to undertake to relieve the need
for clothing which has necessitated abb
sence from school by about 200 pupils.
Mrs Giles Scott Rafter, citing the
school boards revelation in october
| that 2l1 children had been obliged to
stay out Of schol on account of their
lack Of clothing, declared that the Dis
trict Of Columbia was lucky to have
only 211 children absent for this cause
when we have $4,000 school children"
She insisted that there was no justifi-
cation in the school boards publicizing
this figure and contended that If the
school principals had only reported each
case to the Parent Teacher Associations
the needs would have been met.
Mrs. Rafter was promptly answered
by other members Of the association.
is such a thing as running out Of
funds" and that the associations have
been burdened beyond their ability to
provide.
James F. Duhamel, historian of the
Society Of Natives of the District Of
Columbia, presented an address ON the
history of the District Of Columbia pub
lie school system. The first public move
for the establishment Of free schools,
he reviewed, was taken In 1905 when an
act was passed by the City Assembly
calling for the establishment Of semi
naries and schools Of learning. This
same act levied taxes on liquor, taverns
and other establishments. and author
lied the acceptance of donations"
The first public schools were erected
shortly afterward, one at Seventeenth
and I streets and the other on the site
Of the present Providence Hospital. BY
1850, Mr.. Duhamel said, so per cent
Of Washington's children still were un-
taught. In 1868, 10 per cent Of the
Districts annual budget went for
schools. and in 1870 this percentage
had risen to IS.
HIGH SCHOOL DELAY HIT.