Evening star., 1939-07-15
School Replacement
Program Lost as
Supply Bill Passes
Important Gains in
Other Educational
Items Won, However

trict's ancient and outmoded eight
room elementary schools with modern
24-room buildings was for the most
part postponed for at least an
other year as both houses of Con-
gress rushed through the 1910 Dis
trict supply bill yesterday.
The only concession the Louisiana
Senator was able to wiring from the
House conferees on this construc-
tion plan as the bill finally emerged
from conference was an appro-
priation of s2290O0 to build an
eight-room addition to the Ketcham
School. This was but one of the six
new large buildings planned to re-
place II of the older buildings.
Plans for new Wilson Teachers
College on the Upshur street tract
and new Abbot Voca tional on New
York avenue NE just northwest of
Gallaudet College were also slashed
rom the bill, postponing these much
needed items for another year,
Call for Survey on Needs.
In doing away with these con-
struction items, however, the con-
ference group decided to ask the
Commissioners to make q survey
OF school building needs for presen-
tation before the next session of
Congress.
While the conferees added only
the funds for the Ketcham addi-
ton and $4,000 to complete the
new Calvin Coolidge Senior High
School at Fifth and Sheridan streets
NV. to the House building pro-
gram, other sections of the bill re-
ceived important boosts.
A number of new teaching posi-
tions were created by the addition
OF more than $4,000 to the salary
item. The sum of s23 ,2O0-the figure
recommended by the Budget Bu-
reau-Was voted instead of the S20.-
000 originally passed by the House
Tor the transportation of tubercu-
lar. crippled and sight conservation
class pupils. The appropriation for
fuel, gas and electric light was
raised from the House figure of
$500 900 to S3l2,50O. The schools
had asked for S325,OOO.
The bill also carries the transfer
OF the Municipal Playground De-
partment operations to the Com.
munlty Center Department of the
schools but stipulates joint control
over the two by the Board OF Edu-
cation and the Commissioners. In
a sense the passing of the bill legal
ICES the action of the two groups in
forming joint committee to con-
troll supervised recreation through
the appointment yesterday of Lewis
r. Barrett as administrator. This
Is the first step toward consolida-
ton OF District recreational facili-
ties after 10 years of wrangling be-
tween the agencies responsible for it
School Repair Fund Boosted.
The item for repairs and improve
mentS to school buildings and
grounds was hiked $3O,525 to $780,
525. The cut by the House in this
item attracted good deal of crit
lcism from civic groups interested
IN having schools repainted and
grounds resurfaced. Supt. Frank w,
BaIlou told representatives of the
groups that a regular schedule of
painting every few years had to be
abandoned because of the large
number of buildings added to the
system apd the failure of the main
tenance appropriation to rise cor
respondingly.
An interesting development ap-
proved by the conferees vas author
lzlng the Board of Education to ap-
point a teacher to instruct in auto
mobile driving at the Abbot Voca-
tlonal School at salary of $4,000.
While the Senate won out on a
number OF increases in the appro-
prlatlons, House conferees were Sue
cessful in maintaining most of the
Legislative riders" the House had
approved in the bill.
The clause providing the average
salary of public school Librarians
must not exceed that of the public
librarians doing the same type of
work is in the bill. At the moment
six school librarians are wondering
what rebates they are going to
have to make to conform with this
ruling in the 1889 appropriation act
and all 16 have yet to receive their
June paychecks. Controller Gem
eral Fred H. Brown has been asked
for a ruling. This rider has been
particularly Objectionable to the
school officials who have sought
over and over again to have it taken
out Of the bill, contending that
school librarians cannot be COM
pared with public librarians be-
cause they must have almost a
teachers background and qualifica-
ton. 1t has also been argued that
the rider is in violation of the