Evening star., 1949-09-12

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District citizens that in lobbyint
the city's welfare they were il
competition with the Army, Nav.
and other Government agencie!
who are asking for billions.
Treasury Advance Urged.
Proposals for Treasury advance.
to finance long-range schoo
building needs were submitted BY
several persons. B. M. McKelway
editor of The Star, who was in
vited to testify was unable to at
tend. He sent letter to Senator
Neely to emphasize the Importance
of the public school problem. Ir
this he said
"You have noted the increasing
number of pupils. especially in the
elementary grades, who must at
tend part-time classes because en-
rollment succeeds capacity of the
schoolrooms in some parts of the
city. What makes this situation
important is the fact that it il
merely the beginning of what may
be quite a long period of years
during which, unless there is pro-
vision of adequate school facili-
ties, thousands of children will
suffer the disadvantages of part
time primary education,"
Mr.. McKelway wrote that while
school appropriations would not
come before the legislative com.
mittee, he believed the District
Committee. with profit to the Dis
trict people. might thoroughly ex-
plore the possibilities of financing
extraordinary new school con.
struction by authorized advances
from the Treasury to be repaie
in installments.
He said it may be found tina
with the new taxes recently levied
the current revenue would be ade'
quate for new construction.
Pay-As-YOu-Go Preferable.
"The Districts traditional pay
as-you-go system of financing i
preferable to borrowing, if Dor
rowing can be economically avoid
ed," Mr.. McKelway wrote. "Bu
if the proper authorities find tina
it is necessary to launch larg'
school building program. to taxi
care of a condition resulting from
war, it might be wiser to financ,
the program by a series of Treas
ury advances, to be repaid owe
the years. than to attempt it from
current revenue"
The need for additional air
ports for the Capital was outline'
by Jennings Randolph, forme
chairman of the House Distric
Committee. who lost his race TO
reelection to the 80th Congress
where he served for many year
as West Virginia Democrat.
Mr.. Randolph appeared a
chairman of the Washington Avi
alton Planning Council, an or
ganiZation of Is aviation group.
Mr.. Randolph recalled the lon
fight that he and others made fo
development of National Airpor
While critics at the time said
would be a white elephant" h
said it was indicated the POI
this year would have the third Q
fourth heaviest traffic of any air
port in the world.
Private Airport Seen Needed.
He predicted it will be necesar,
in the next several years to de
velop another commercial airpor
for Washington and perhaps t,
divert commercial cargo busines
to the new field. He also PLEADED
the need of the development of ,
port here for private planes.
Mrs. Leslie B. Wright, speak
ing for the Northwest Citizens
Council, told members of the Dis.
trict Committee that "the frs
thing to get" for Washington wa!
representation in Congress.
Senator Nicely said. You hav.
my vote on that" Mrs. Wrigh
said she was speaking for 5,000,.
900 women. explaining that sh'
was national legislative repre-
sentative for the General Fedora
ton Of Women's Clubs. Senatol
Nicely broke in to say, IF 70,
have 100000 women all agreed
on that. you can get it before tn,
end Of the next session."
Pledges Action at Meeting.
When he urged her to "ge
active" on the subject, Mrs
Wright said she would and tha
at an October meeting of the fed
eration's board in New York "
am going to make up their mind
to get it,"
Mrs. Ernest w. Howard, repre-
senting the North Washington
Council of Citizens Associations
listed various improvements Nortl
Washington wants, including
stadium at Calvin Coolidge Higl
School and numerous trafh
lights. a.
Ralph w. tDonnelly, president o
the Northeast Council of Citi
zens' Associations, who was un
able to attend, submitted a writ
ten statement in which he pro
tested the lack of a Northeas
resident on the Board of Educa
ton.
He also urged adoption of ,
formula to flx the size of tn
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