Evening star., 1938-10-16
p. W. A.
Continued From Page C-4)

Continued From Page CAY
session by Congress The building pro-
gram was rightfully described as
urgently needed" by the Board of
Education.
The sum finally allotted was ST.
100000 for one new building and seven
additions, divided equally between
white and colored schools The new
building will be the Bunker Hill School.
Basement additions will be provided
for the Bancroft. Kingman, Giddings.
the M. NJ Washington, Smoothers and
Monroe Schools and a one-story and
basement for the Whittier School. All
these are elementary except the M M.
Washington which is a colored voca-
tional training school,
Gymna sum- Halls Provided.
Gymnasium assembly halls are pro-
vided for the Bancroft and Whittier
schools for white pupils and the Gid
dings and Monroe, for colored. This
is in line with the Board Of Educa-
tion's policy of requesting such IA
cilities for schools of 16 or more
classrooms.
Conditions in the senior high schools
are not SO bad in the matter of over
croWding as they are in the element
ary schools. The ratio Of pupils to
teachers in the latter is considerably
more than educators find advisable
for best results The P. w. A. pro-
gram will do much to improve con-
ditions but it is only small sum in
comparison to real needs to end over
crowding.
1t is long distance short Of the
s30,000,000 actually needed to accom-
modate for future years.
Another item in the P. w. A. pro-
gram is s260,000 for a hospital and
administration building at the Dis
trict Training School, Laurel. Md.
This is another institution which has
been too frequently sighted in the
past. The Glenn Dale tuberculosis
Hospital. which hoped to get $780,
600 for 300-bed ward addition, was
disappointed. The fund was disap-
proved or withheld to meet other
needs which were in the minds of
officials
The reason for the cut In school
funds and failure to provide for three
Public Library branches, Public
Health Center and start the long
proposed Fort Drive to encircle the
city was apparent when a s4.61S,530
allotment for sewers and pollution
| abatement was announced on Sep
tember 20. In actual dollars this
brought the District up to the limit
of its authorization for negotiations
with the P. w. A.
More Sewer Funds
This huge sewage expenditure was
| proposed in addition to $758,623 pro-
vided earlier by Mr. Ickes for ex-
| tension OF sewers in Klingle Valley,
Goodhope road and McComb street
areas. An equivalent amount for wa
ter main extensions was omitted from
the program.
With 100000 Federal grant to
abate pollution nuisance emanating
from the Navy Yard and smaller
sums for the Anacostia Air Station
and Naval Magazine the funds now
approved and soon to be placed at
the disposal of District engineers
reaches the formidable total of about
s5,500,000 from the P w. A. alone.
Maryland communities were under
pressure to contribute to the abate-
ment Of pollution in streams entering
the District, but sums granted have
been neglible. Few towns wished to
spend or borrow money. The large
allotment for sewage and pollution
abatement in the local area led Com
missioner Melvin C. Hazen to assert
that the District has taken the lead
in attempting to prevent pollution of
the Potomac, but its neighbors are
not doing much about it."
Thirteen projects are scheduled in
the P. w. A. program for the war on
pollution but they will not entirely end
the menace. In 1886 the P. w. A.
provided $4000,000 for the newly built
sewage treatment plant at Blue Plains
and new electrical pumps have just
been put in operation at the New
Jersey avenue pumping station at a
P. w. A. cost of SSH 900. With the
new allotments the District sewage
system is years in advance
Rock Creek Major Problem.
With the possible exception of the
Anacostia River under its present con-
dition, Rock Creek presents the major
pollution problem. Under present plans
more than $4,000, 900 are to be spent to
improve conditions there, including the
Piney Branch Valley. In times of
heavy rains the huge sewer outlet in
Piney Branch Valley dumps great
quantities of sewage into Rock Greek.
and then into the Potomac.
Two great interceptor sewers, one
running generally down the eastern
side of Rock Creek from Piney Branch
Valley will do much to eliminate pollu-
ton which has made the waters of the
creek unfit for bathing or wading. The
other new interceptor will run along
the west side of Rock Greek from Kiln
gle Valley to the river
Other interceptors in the Eastern
section of the District will improve
conditions in the Anacostia River.
Until the Washington Suburban San
itary Commission, which operates in
Montgomery and Prince Georges Coun-
ties in Maryland, does more than it is
now doing, conditions in the Anacos-
tia, especially. will continue . prob
lem.