Evening star., 1945-10-02
Industrial School
Improvement Is
Short Of Needs
$4,000 Required.
For Major Repairs, /
Ahern Declares

Scrubbed and painted since The
Star reported the conditions there
last March, the Industrial Home
School still needs $4,000 worth OF
major repairs, its superintendent
estimates.
Floors shine. First and second
story halls have been painted an
attractive green. Bed linen is clean.
The girls have new furniture
Reaches and rats have disappeared
But-the ceiling still leaks in five
places. There are cracks and holes
in the plaster. Fire hazards con-
tinue to exist. Eight-year-olds still
mingle with problem cases of 16
because there are no funds for a
separate dormitory on another
floor.
Daniel Ahern, the superintendent
said 100000 could easily be spent
on the ancient institution at 2453
Wisconsin avenue. For $4,000 it
will be possible to make it serve
until a proposed Children's Center
at Laurel, Md, can replace it, he
SAID
Mr.. Ahern has asked the Board
OF Welfare for the money. Ray L.
HUFF, director Of welfare, said the
board is reviewing maintenance
items now and will act by October
IS. Then the request goes to the
Commissioners and to Congress.
Congress Reduced Budget.
Although evils at the school were
reported last March, Congress In
May reduced an already low budget
Mr.. Ahern said. The appropriation
for the year beginning July, 1914
was S126,578. This years budget was
cut $21 ,65s before it got to Congress
and Congress slashed another $4,000
from 1t.
"I told Congress conditions were
horrible" Mr.. Ahern asserted. THE
only result Of such publicity has
been to upset parents and cause
staff members to threaten to leave
because they didn't want to be con-
nected with a horrible" place"
There still are seven vacancies on
the staff of 40, compared to II in
March. Following a public campaign
for improving the personnel, the
Board Of Welfare prepared a plan
for reclassiflcation designed to raise
low salaries. This has been before
the District Personnel Board since
September 10.
The Personnel Board must review
II or IA cases before it can get to
the school, Richard Townsend
assistant secretary, reported. The
board has been held up by the
inauguration of the 4o-hour week
and the necessity for reviewing work
weeks in excess of 40 hours, he said
but it hopes to get to the school
within month.
The recommendation of the Per-
sonnel Board are sent to the Com
missioners and then to the Civil
Service Commission. z,r,=
School Needs Inflrmary.
The school has obtained one nurse,
but it needs two and also an in
f1rmary for sick children, Mr.. Ahern
said. He would like to convert q
staff sitting room into an infirmary
but that Will call for partitions, beds
and sanitary facilities.
Yesterday sick girl was lying
alone in an alcove off the dormitory
Because there were no extra beds
her bed had to be moved to the
alcove.
On stove that would not be con-
sidered large for family of four
the girls prepare all the meals fol
81 persons. They have no gym
There is a basement room that coulc
be used for the purpose if the glass
windows were protected and the fiool
lowered.
All the boys now are ouartered OF
the third floor of building that i
not fireproof. Mr.. Ahern woult
like to convert a second floor play
room into a small boys domitory
adding sanitary facilities. A ney
playroom could be made by knock
ing out partitions of isolation cell
which no longer are used.
Playroom Is Damp.
The boys have painted their base
ment three times, but the whit
paint still rubs, off the gray wall
and dampness seeps through. Man,
of the jobs cannot be done by tn
boys, and the school has only on
maintenance man, Mr.. Ahern noted
Only expert repairmen can patel
the roof, replaster the ceilings ant
fill the hole in the pantry wall, h,
said
A new teacher has increased tn
staff to three. One teacher still
must teach the girls in all eigh
grades. Shop equipment lies idl
because the school has no vocationa
teacher.
A new educational plan has beel
prepared, Mr. Ahern said, and
can be put into effect with one NOR
teacher. But he has little hope O
getting one until reclassif1catiol
raises the salary for the position.
The Board of Welfare also ha
made provision for a social cas-
worker in its 1947 budget.
All we need now is the money,
MIR. Ahern commented.