Evening star., 1951-10-19
House Group Pledges
Action 10 Get Steel
For School BUILDINGS

A House Education and Labor
Subcommittee today appeared
committed to efforts to get steel
for hard-pressed school systems
over the Nation who are faced
with record enrollments and no
more room.
School officials from nearby
Maryland and Virginia appeared
before the subcommittee yesterday
to point out the critical situation
developing in school construction
because of inadequate steel al
lotments., The subcommittee,
headed by Representative Bailey
Democrat, of West Virginia, has
been making a study of steel needs
OF schools over the country.
Would Double Allotments.
Mr.. Bailey later said he would
ask the Defense Production Ad-
ministration to double allotments
OF steel. A number Of other men,
bers Of Congress, a handful >of
whom testified before Mr.. Bailey's
subcommittee seeking relief for
their home districts, also are sup
porting this move.
Steel totaling $4,000 tons has
been allotted to school construction
over the country for the first
quarter Of 1852. The Office of
Educations estimates the actual
need for the period is about $780,
600 tons.
Representative Morton. Repub-
lican, of Kentucky. a member of
the subcommittee. said Congress-
not only will have to get more
steel set aside for schools but also
will have to set up some way for
the schools to get it.
! Representatives from Arlington,
Fairfax. Prince Georges and
Montgomery Counties and Alex
andria appeared before the group.
Smith Pledges Action.
Before they began their plea,
Representative Smith, Democrat,
Of Virginia. told the subcommittee,
''1f We can't get redress from the
! National Production Authority,
Congress will have to do some
thing about it." He said he was
afraid the steel was not being
ailoted properly by the agency
Chairman Bailey, pointing out
that / per cent of the steel pro-
duction of the country is enough
to meet all educational needs.
declared:
I'VE probably should insist that |
NPA allot that much to schools"
Arlington Need Critical"
William A. Early. Arlington
County school superintendent, was
first to testify and described Arl-
, ington's need as critical"
He pointed out that enrolment
In 1910 totaled 8.118 pupils; that
17.480 pupils are now attending
classes and that 1t is estimated
enrolment will reach 24,500 by
1857.
He said six major construction
projects are planned under S48
million bond issue and that 1920
tons of steel will be needed to
complete them. He said so far
only l18 tons have been allotted.
Outlines Fairfax Program.
w. T. Woodson, Fairfax County
school head. outlined to the sub
committee the construction pro-
gram which contemplates 16 new
buildings and additions to 30
others in that county.
Mr.. Woodson pointed out that
a bond issue of SOS million was
voted in 1850 but that sale of the
bonds and the construction pro-
gram was delayed a year by a
group opposed to the issue.
DR.. Richard Carpenter. assistant
school superintendent of Mont
gomery County, declared the
county "has been striving desper-
ately to keep pace with it's school
housing needs"
He said enrolment has increased
by 1887 pupils in the past five
years and will jump by at least
1000 pupils in each of the next
two years.
DR.. Carpenter said the construc-
ton program contemplated 80
projects providing a total of 258
additional classroooms. Construc-
tion of only IL projects has be-
gun and steel shortages are caus-
ing delays, he testified.
T. C. Williams. Alexandria
school superintendent, said the
city is in pretty good shape be-
cause ii had planned we'll" in the
last 10 years. 1t now needs enough
steel to build one more 3o-room
building, he said. If it is to keep
even.
Prince Georges Rolls Rise.
William c. Schmidt, superin-
tendent of schools in Prince
Georges County, declared school
enrolment had increased 12,778
in the past five years and now
stood at 34,799 pupils. He said it
Is expected to rise to 41,500 by
1858.