Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-04-06
School Uses
For IS Years
To Be Probed
Sharpe Indicates
Course in Reply on
Anderson Case

The Board of Education's Com
mittee on Community Use Of Build
ings will make a comprehensive in
vestigation of past uses to which
school buildings have been put after
school hours and on non-school
days over a period of as many as Is
years.
This was indicated yesterday by
c. Melvin Sharpe, committee chair
man, in response to a five-minute
statement made to the board by
Charles H. Houston on behalf of
the Marian Anderson Citizens Com
mittee.
Mr.. Houston asked for a compre-
hensive inquiry into the question of
bi-racial use of buildings after
school hours and on non-school days,
with open hearings to allow persons
both for and against the bi-racial
use of school buildings to be heard.
Denies Dual System Involved.
He insisted that the question of
the dual school system is not in
volved in this instance and ques-
toned whether the Community Use
Of Buildings Committee, in whose
hands the inquiry now rests, is in a
position to conduct an open
minded hearing. He referred to the
action of the committee March 3 in
recommending that permission for
Marian Anderson, colored contralto,
to use Central High School audi
forum be granted only on condition
that 1t be not considered a prece-
dent.
All three members of the commit
tee signed this report, it was recalled,
including Mrs. Virginia Mcclure,
the colored member of the commit
tee. Observers, however, thought
this directed at Robert A. Maurer.
vice president of the board, who cas-:
one OF the two dissenting votes to
the use of the auditorium by Miss
Anderson
Mr.. Sharpe assured Mr.. Houston
he would be heard by the commit.
tee at any time.
BallOu Presents Report.
Supt. Frank w. Ballou presented
TO the committee report made o.
the Community Center Department
on precedent cited by Mr.. Houston.
former member of the board, in
Volvlng use of school buildings py
organizations where profit was in
VOWED. The report confirmed Mr..
Houston IN number of instances In
which buildings or facilities had
been used and a fee charged. In
several OF these instances, however,
1t showed that the organization had
mace no profit or that a substantial
part OF the profit had been turned
over to the Community Center De-
partment fund.
Other matters to come before the
BOARD included a report from DR..
Ballou that Junior and senior high
school cafeterias have paid S6lOol3
10 the Unemployment COMPENSATION
Board under protest Cafeteria en-
ployes were recently ruled ineligible
Tor compensation benefits and the
ca1eter1as were released from having
to contribute. However, DR. Ballou
oecIared, no way exists under exist
ing law to recover this money. He
urged the boards Legislative Com
mlttee TO consider drafting the nee
essary laws TO recover the funds.
Or. Ballou further reported that
s320OO worth of work has already
been done in school buildings re-
placing dangerous plaster ceilings
with composition board. About
s5o'ooo worth OF work vet remains
TO be done, he declared.
$4,000 Fund Requested.
An immediate request was for.
Warded to the District Building
asking that $4,000 be appropriated
Tor an assembly-gymnasium at the
Margaret Murray Washington Vo-
cational School. P. w. A.. funds
were allotted last spring for this
project and 10 claSsrooms, but were
found to be insufficient, The board
decided to go ahead with the class
room construction under alternate
contract and seek either deficiency
appropriation or P. w. A. grant for
the assembly hall-gymnasium Il
was INDICATED this money might be
made available by P w. A., DR.. Bal
lou said.
Members also agreed to seek leg
lSlatlVe authority to transfer $40 OOO
from an appropriation to purchase
land near First and Pierce streerx
NV, to purchase playground space
IN connection with an Alley DWELL
ing Authority project adjoining the
Douglass-Simmons School
Representatives of the American
Legion appeared before the board to
ask that high school baseball stars
be permitted to play on American
Legion Junior teams in the national
summer contest it sponsors an
nually. The matter will be reported
on by DR.. Ballou.