The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-04-25
RY|' YOUR CHILDREN
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 When was in the west drove to the earthquake coast to sec, what the recent shock had done. Naturally much of the damage has been repaired debris has given way to new buildings and except in a few cases there was little evidence of the holocaust of Q few months ago.
 But the school houses as a rule presented the same stark gaunt- ness that the forror-stricken citi-5 gems beheld at six o'clock on that | historical fatal evening. At i've thirty the earth shook, an hour or so after dismissal At six it was all over. The only school children hurt or killed were in their homes. on the streets, or in the stores.
 "Why," I asked my guide. .'have not the schools been rebuilt, or rstored And where are the cfil- dren going to school?"
 "They are," he pointed out, Gin temporary qu a rters wherever there is room. Some are in tents. < Haven't they had time to do something about these buildings?' asked Some of them look assi though it would take very little money to fix them up and make ] them safe."
 Taxes and Schools. 2 But, according to my guide. | thereby hangs a tail. As every body knows now, school funds are low. They not only permit no new l building, but evene the necessary | repairs. And to add bit of gos- sip it seems that some of the build- ings were discovered to have been | under par according to safety standards even before the quake. )So there they stood, gaunt ghosts of misfortune representing millions of dollars in tax money that probably can never be match ed again. And the children are going to school where they may. The buildings may have been safe. One has to discount the care- less word of a bystander. An | umns or carvings. Yet within stones throw were high apartment buildings that did not lost 8 tile, | or a cornice. Steel re-inforced-- solid, impregnable.
 Beautiful school buildings, are | one thing-safe ones another. i Only God himself got those chil-a dren out before the roofs and walls crashed into the rooms where l hundreds of little children had; been singing "Our Country Iris of 1 Thee only an hour before. | Thinking it over I have come to a conclusion. We may have bronze statues, swimming pools and n1t- | rals in our most expensive schools but are they always safe? Earth quakes occur only in certain sec tions of the land, but fires play no favorites, or even tornadoes. Better Safe Than Sorry. Is the fire hose rotten? Are the l fire escapes sound? Are the reg ular fire-drills?
 l Is the heating system safe? Are there regular inspections for | leaks? Are roofs inspected to bear | the weights of heavy snows? | Ahe the stairs safe? And what is the foundation like? When buildings settle-look out. Is the cement good? Sand without enough l cement is about as safe as putty. l It doesn't matter what school buildings looks like. What does matter is it's safety. Before long now school will be out. some rural districts 1t is already dismissed. This is the time for building inspectors to make an honest report and for school boards to harken to experta opinE ion. a g
 It is the unexpected that hap pens. Then there is furry of ex- | plantations and alibis.
 | There is no alibi where the lives | of children are concerned. It does not to do to take it for granted that "The Titanic Is Unsinkable." Regular inspections of buildings are the most necessary things in our whole educational system.