Evening star., 1945-03-26
School Board
ayAsk Own
Repair Shop
DR.. Common Reports
Buildings Neglected
Due to Other Jobs

The Districts 176 school buildings
are being neglected by the District
repair shop, which maintains all
other District government buildings,
and therefore the school, should
have their own repair shop, DR..
James A. Cannon, chairman of the
Board of Education Finance Com
mittee, will recommend to the full
board next week.
The Finance and Buildings and
Grounds Committees Jointly con-
Quoted an exhaustive inyestiga-
ton OF school repairs today.
w. A. Draper, engineer in charge
OF the repair shop, testified that
30 per cent of his work is on school
buildings, but that at present he
mas been ordered by the Commits
sioners to give priority to a s43 900
paint job for Gallinger Hospital.
This priority against us is
shame when school buildings are
deteriorating by the week for lack
OF paint" DR.. Cannon said. Another
board member, Adelbert w. Lee, said
the putty around some school doors
could be pried away with a knife
for lack OF protective paint.
Urges Separate Repair Shop.
Why can't Mr.. Draper work for
us?" c. Melvin Sharpe, a member of
the Buildings and Grounds Com.
mittee, asked.
DR.. Cannon, presiding over the
meeting at the Franklin School.
SAID that the joint use of school
buildings by both school children
and the general public in night rec
reatlon programs had greatly in
creased need for school repairs in
recent years. Mr.. Sharpe added
that the inability of the District
repair shop to keep up with both
schooi repair needs and other de-
mands was bringing criticism upon
the School Board that it does not de-
serve. Both the members declared
that separate school repair shop
could remedy the situation.
A second phase of the repairs in
Vestlgatlon was the high cost of
buildings let out to private contrac-
TORS. Mr.. Draper admitted the costs
were "intrinsicially excessive" DR.
Cannon said that he also would
recommend to the board that all
contracts be scrutinized by school
officials as well as the Commission
ers before signing.
Or. Cannon also inquired why re-
surfacing of blackboards in. some
old buildings cost 81 900; why NOV
ing partition at the Franklin
School cost s232, and electric out
lets at Central High School cost
5 s37l.
All this work was done by the
District repair shop, Mr.. Draper
said, and none of the expense was
$ excessive in view of difficulties en-
< countered on the jobs.
Private Contractors Paw More.
3 The committees got from Mr.
: Draper comparison of labor costs
o in the repair shop and on jobs done
. by private contractors. The repair
r shop pays its painters an average oi
$3.50 day for a 40-hour week, with
q rs days leave, Is days sick leave
and holidays considered as working
v days, Mr.. Draper said. The private
: contractor pays his painter about
$13.76 day for 40 hours and then
s2.78 for each hour over 40, Mr.
Draper said.
None of the % District painters
I is at present working on overtime
despite the press of jobs, because
he must remain within within his
n operating budget, Mr.. Draper said
? The private contractor pays his men
n more, but on the other hand does
not offer steady work, Mr.. Draper
pointed out.
Mr.. Draper testified that of his
6 28 painters. at least II are now
o engaged at Gallinger Hospital, while
the others are on school jobs. Mr.
4 Sharpe objected to this as unfair
: to the schools. in view of the high
. proportion of school work. He also
branded as unfair the fact that re.
= pair shop trucks doing work for all
:, Government buildings were charged
q to the s127 500 school repair budget