Evening star., 1949-10-04
Insists on Action Now
On Schools for the Southeast

AHSlSIS OH ACtlOH NU"
On Schools for the Southeast
To the Editor OF the Star:
Southeast residents are becoming very
much alarmed about school conditions and
the apparent lack of consideration by the
School Board officials.
It has been q known fact for number
of years that building BOOM was on in
the Southeast and there are no restrictions
about children in apartments out here. Why
did the Board of Education make no plans
to take care of the school children in this
area? We seem to have plenty of officials
who can foreSee disasters in foreign coun
tries and who can talk for hours about what
will happen in 1852 If we don't do something
now. Why can't they see what is right
here at home and do something now? And,
do it without all this "strike of pupils" mass
meetings., "signed petitions" and our having
to use newspaper publicity to stir things up.
Last year our PTA representatives went
to the School Board with pleas for help and
with suggestions for immediate relief. There
is supposed to be school built at Fourth
and Mississippi-when? The fact is that If
and when that school is built, it will not be
adequate. We will need another grade
school, also we definitely will need junior
high school and senior high school. AS it
costa to look forward to and those schools
already are on part-time schedules.
This September, our PTA representatives
tried again to get some satisfaction from the
School Board but no signs Of immediate
action were forthcoming. Therefore, the
newspapers are being called upon to take
up our fight for schools in the Southeast.
We need action right now-not next year,
or the next or the next.
CONGRESS HEIGHTS SCHOOL MOTHER.
Referendum Regarded As Proof
That "Solid" Community Opposes Change
To the Editor of the Star:
Senator Nicely seems to be under false
impression. The lack Of pressure from the
public to change our local form of Govern
ment does not indicate that we are inert
to our own interests but that, on the con-
trary, we prefer no drastic changes to our
present graft free and on the whole pretty
satisfactory local Government.
A few years ago we had a referendum OF
sorts upon the question Of change and we
voted overwhelmingly against it. Why. with
all this talk of our voteless condition, ignore
this conclusive expression Of opinion and
desire upon the part Of the people here? We
voted!
Most Of US would like our Commissioners
to have greater power, less hampered red
tape and above all a more liberal attitude
toward us here in the District from the
Congress, but with these changes the tax
paying community would be satisfied.
OF q family which treasures some old
deeds of property it owned as far back as
when Washington was referred to in deeds
as "The Federal City" and which now pays
enough taxes to well support a good sized
family, we want to protest against a small
and probably more or less floating minority
attempting to push through changes very
Objectionable to the solid. taxpaying citizens
of the District who have shown and now
pointedly are showing, by the attitude re-
ferred to by Senator Nicely, that they are
opposed to any fundamental changes in our
present form Of Government in washington.
M. B. A.