Evening star., 1938-11-16
Funds 10 Plan
New Wilson
Plant Asked
18th and Upshur
Site Favored in
Budget Plea

Funds for the drafting of plans for
q new Wilson Teachers College, tt
be erected on the large tract at Thir-
teenth and Upshur streets NV.
formerly used for the Districts Tu-
berculosis Hospital, have been re.
quested by the Commissioners in
their 1910 budget proposals, it was
learned today.
For several years. public school
officials have urged the need for i'm
mediate replacement of the old Will
son Teachers College and the use OF
the Upshur property for this purpose
possibly combined with recreational
activities. In conflict with this is
the request of Health Officer George
C. Rutland for permission to use
the Upshur street property as head
quarters of the Health Department
pending. its removal to the new Mu-
nicipal Center, now about to be
started.
In this connection it was revealed
today that continued settling of the
old Wilson Teachers College has
caused reopening of the cracks in
the walls of that structure, now be-
ing examined by engineers under the
. direction of Col. John w. Oehmann,
inspector of buildings.
Crack Widening Measured.
Col. Oehmann reported that dur
ing a 12-day examination the cracks
in the walls of the building had
widened by one-thirty- second of an
inch. He said the inspection work
would be continued to determine
If the settling of the building and
the widening of the cracks is pro-
crossing.
Some years ago the building in
spector condemned the Wilson
Teachers Building, but steps were
taken to patch it up, after Congress
declined to approve appropriations
at that time for new building. Col.
Oehmann said the building was
safe for the present and that
action would be taken Immediately
If and when there was any indica-
ton of immediate danger.
Details of the Commissioners pro-
posals for planning of new Wilson
Teachers College were not made
public. because the estimates now
are in the hands of the Budget
Bureau. 1t was said, however, they
had requested a fund of roughly
$4,000 for the drafting of plans
for a new building and there were
indications that the Commissioners
wished to use the Upshur street
property as the site. 1t was believed
the new building would cost prob
ably 100000 or more.
Resolution Presented.
Meanwhile, the Commissioners re-
ceived a copy of a resolution adopted
Monday night by the Raymond
School Parent-Teachers Association,
urging that the Upshur street prop
erty be used for educational pur-
poses. possibly combined with recrea-
tional facilities and that it should
not be used, even temporarily, for
Health Department purposes. The
association argued that the Health
Department will be provided ade-
quate quarters in the new Municipal
Center
The Commissioners said they had
not ret received a formal request
from the health officer for tempo
rary use of the Upshur street site
and for this reason withheld final
decision. They recognized the
"crying need for space in the Dis
trict Building, partly due to the ex-
pansion of engineering and archi-
tectural Offices in connection with
the Districts P w. A. program, but
one District official said this problem
would be alleviated when the first
unit of the Municipal Center is
COMPLETED,