Evening star., 1949-09-24

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George D. Workman, 36, of 212.
Monroe street NE, police said.
Nowe School Pupils
Stay at Home After
Fire Hazard CHARGE
All except 81 of the 22S coloree
pupils at the Slowe Elementar.
School failed to return to classe!
from recess yesterday after sew.
eral parents passed out circular!
charging the building was a po.
tential fire hazard.
Whether the walkout will bt
continued when school resumes or
Monday is a matter of conjecture
at present, with even the leaders
of the move uncertain as to what
is going to happen.
The basis of the charge in the
circular, signed by one parent
Frank M. Snowden, jr., 1921
Girard street NE, is that classes
designed for a capacity of AZ pu-
pills are being used for as many
as 46 pupils. constituting a pos
sible fire hazard.
Threat to Pupils Denied.
| School Supt. Hobart M. Corn
ing and DR.. Garnet c. Wilkinson
first assistant superintendent in
charge of colored schools. i'm
mediately denied there was any
fire hazard at the school, which
is located at Fifteenth and Jack
son streets NE. 1t is new
school. completed last year.
DR.. Wilkinson said that 1t.
Col. Thomas j. Hayes, assistant
engineer commissioner, stated
the building was designed for q
capacity of AZ students per class
room, but that the egress regu-
lations allowed in that school
because of exits of the proper
width, the use of rooms by 4s
pupils>if necessary.
Mr.. SnoWden withdrew his
daughter Jane, 9, from the schoo
as protest. He is chairman Of
the Slowe School Parent Teacher
Associations Educational anc
Recreational Committee.
Mr.. Snowden appeared before
the Board of Education Wednes.
day to ask immediate relief from
crowded conditions at the schoo
and investigation of violations a
the school because of the jammet
classrooms.
The Slowe PTA on Tuesday
passed resolution asking i'm.
mediate inspection of the schoo
to determine if there were any
violations. It was failure of the
school officials to take any actor
on the requests that prompted hi.
actions, Mr.. Snowden said.
With other PTA members, Mr.
Snowden drew up a letter which
was distributed during recess yes
terday to the children of tn,
school with the request that the!
take it to their parents.
| One section of the letter, signet
by Mr.. Snowden. said, I'm no
sending my child back to schoo
this afternoon. In fact, I hav,
withdrawn my child from school
What you do. of course. depend
upon your own decision"
He was assisted in distributing
the letters by William Leo Hans
berry, 1903 Hamlin street NE, {
professor at Howard University
and Mrs. Raymond Hayes, 310'
Fourteenth street NE, whose hus.
: band teaches at Howard. Mr.
Snowden also is a teacher at the
university.
l Mr.. Snowden said the PTA ha,
not scheduled meeting on tn,
matter as yet but that as far a.
he was concerned his child was no
going back to school on Monda,
until a fire inspection showed tn
school was safe.
The denials that anything wa
wrong with the school came EN-
phatically from school officials.
DR.. Wilkinson said 1t. Col
Hayes sent Mr.. Snowden a lette
stating the school had been in
spected early this month and tina
there was no violation at tn,
building. The latter stated tina
there was mo cause for alarm
for the safety of your children a.
the result of possible violation O
egress regulations"
Mr.. Snowden said he had re.
ceived this letter but thought
another inspection should bt
made. =
DR.. Wilkinson said the schoo
officials probably would send let.
ters to the parents-or get in touch
with them in some way-to give
them the true facts about the so.
called fire hazard and assure then
the school was safe.
i DR.. Wilkinson said the crowded
conditions at Slowe were bad bu
|, there were many schools in tn,
District, both white and colored
which had much heavier enroll.
!. ments. Multiple use of classroom
also was common in crowded ele
mentary schools. he said. Their,
are no part-time classes at Slowe
Northeast Grocer Robbed