Evening star., 1939-11-02
War on VandaIs
May Be Opened
By School Board

For Prosecution at
Committee Meeting
BY JOHN w. THOMPSON, Jr.
Supt. Frank w. Ballou soon win
place before committee of the
Board Of Education a suggested
policy dealing with vandalism on
public school property which may
result In active prosecution OF of.
tenders by school officials.
Sentiment at committee meeting
preceding yesterdays school board
session indicated the members are
about ready to declare war on those
invading school properties unlaw-
fully, as Col. West A. Hamilton, a
colored member of the board, urged
a substitution of the mailed fist"
for the milk and water" policy he
said has hitherto prevailed.
It was indicated to the committee
that both school officers and police
had been reluctant to prosecute Of.
tenders II the property stolen was
returned, but DR.. Ballou pointed out
that the guilty parties have since
been found to be repeater offenders
in some instances.
The time has come, he said, for
the formation of "a definite, positive
and vigorous policy" in dealing with
the vandalism problem.
Police Protection Sought.
Vice President Robert Maurer said
the unwilliugness Of school officers
to prosecute Was the result of the
hope that first offenders would 10
converted without the embarrass.
ment of police record.
Meanwhile the board voted to ask
the Comm ss.oners to pay particular
attention TO the problem with view
to providing police protection.
Action followed a strongly -worded
memorandum from Assistant Super
intendent Jere ]. Crane complaining
that the schools are being subjected
to conditions that interfere with the
educational program" embarrass
school officers and teachers and in.
volve increased cost of operation.
Mr.. Crane said sincere efforts" have
been made on leadership and guild.
ance basis that have been "misun.
derstood or deliberately haunted."
Conditions, he said, have reached q
point where prompt and determined
action must be taken, adding that
protection is the function of agen.
cies in law enforcement.
In support of his memorandum,
Mr.. Crane submitted urgent pleas
from several school principals for
some action to prevent the theft and
robbery and damage being perpe.
trated on their schools.
Plundering Reported.
Principal G. David Houston Of
Armstrong High School reported
that . gang Of rowdies had been
plundering the school between (
O'Clock and midnight, without fear of
the custodial force. Unless action IS
taken, he said, increasing damage
may be expected.
At Central High School Principal
Lawrence Hoover reported athletic
equipment in the dugout locker room
Is being constantly stolen. Tho
locker room, he said, is burglarized
about twice year, with a loss in
1878 Of $125 in football equipment,
$85 in baseball equipment, $50 in
track equipment, and $45 worth Of
property belonging to the students.
Ten days ago, he said, SITS worth Of
football equipment was stolen. Only
last Sunday it was broken into again
with loss yet to be completely de-
termined. Unless something is done,
he said, annual loss of about $3.50
may be expected.
Principal Frank Rolston of the
Mckinley Night High School re-
ported insufficient lighting on Second
and T street was leading to theftS
Of hub caps and radiator caps from
cars parked there.
At the Berret School, Miss Nine
ola Kirkland asked that iron guards
be put on the windows as protection
for equipment there worth several
hundreds of dollars. Miss Kirkland,
supervising principal of the 10th di.
vision, said a burglarproof lock had
been provided there at the expense
of the principal but the added pro-
lection was necessary.
| Miss E. p. Simmons, principal Of
the Morse-Twining School, reported
bands of boys and older men break
ing into the Morse ground. Despite
appeals to the police, she said, con.
Girions have remained unchanged.
One man, she said, drew q knife on
the custodian.
Big Broken Glass Damage.
A radio also was stolen from tho
Stevens School the other day, &C.
cording to Principal L. s. Malone.
In addition to this stolen property,
the schools suffered some SIS 900
damage in broken glass during the
past year. School officers have not
been able to ascertain, however, how
much of this is due to vandalism.
DR.. Ballou presented q brief report
at yesterdays meeting on the prog
ress Of the w p. A. project for in
strllction to shut-in children. He
said plans call for instruction at
Emergency Childrens, Freedmen's,
Gallinger and Garfield Hospitals by
20 teachers, Of whom some have
already been appointed. About 80
children are now receiving instruc-
ton, with each child visited two or
three times q week. The program
calls for both academic and hand
work instruction, he said.
Members also approved X-ray
examination Of senior high school
students for tuberculosis by tho
Health Department. The program.
with the consent of parents, will be
operated Is in past years, with tho
eXnenfion that teachers af thA