Evening star., 1952-05-25
Commissioners
|bypassedo on
School Funds
Congress Is Asked
For S. Million to
| Educate CoIored
By jones 6. Deone

-. MelVlH Onarpe. president or
the Board of Education, has by
passed the District Commissioners
and appealed direct to Congress
for an emergency fund of IS mill
lion for Negro school construc.
ton, it was revealed last night.
Chairman Mcmillan of the
House District Committee has
agreed to sponsor legislation. Work
on drafting a bill will start to-
morrow, committee aide said.
Disclosure of the unusual move,
a surprise even to most members
lof Mr.. Sharpe's own board,
brought immediate criticism from
the Commissioners.
Both Commissioner F. joseph
Donohue and Brig. Gen. Bernard
l.. Robinson called Mr.. Sharpe's
action in going over their heads
a mistake" And they indicated
little symr >eAy with granting the
requested SIS million, because of
the inroad it would make on the
city's already tight budget.
| No Such Money Available.
Budget Officer Walter L. Fowler
stated fatty:
If it's contemplated that's to
come from District funds, we don't
have any such money as that"
First reaction from congress.
gressional leaders also was skep-
Itical.
) The S. million would come out
OF District revenues. It would be
used for four Negro school projects
to relieve overcrowding in the
Southeast and Northeast.
The projects, Mr.. Sharpe said.
are a new junior high school, a
new elementary school and addi-
tional floors for two new Junior
hlghs-Terrell and Douglas
which open in September. The
new Junior high would be on
Forty-second street NE. and the
elementary school in Anacostia.
y Result of Eliot Rejection.
The school board president
! said he hopes some construction
can be started almost Immediately
: and completed in six to eight
months.
Mr.. Sharpe told The Star his
action grew out of last Wednes-
days school board meeting at
which the board turned down a
d recommendation to transfer Eliot
e Junior High School to colored
= use.
The refusal leaves the prospect
OF a serious surplus of Negro ju-
J, nior high pupils next fall.
: MIR. Sharpe explained:
Il personally took UP with
Chairman Mcmillan the emer-
gency arising with regard to the
lack of proper accommodation for
I colored pupils.
Dire Emergency
I made up my mind after the
, vote that the matter needed direct
attention. The need. both moral
r and legal, is there, and therefore
1t mas to be done.
4 Now is the time" the board
e president continued, "for us to
e realize we've got these colored
people with u.s."
He added:
There is no offense intended
e to the Commissioners. This is an
r emergency Of the most dire char
] acter. Something had to be done.s
= Cant See Money in Sight.
The first congressional comment
came from Chairman Hill of the
senate District Appropriations
+ Committee. and Chairman Bates
v OF the equivalent committee in the
: House.
S Senator Hill. whose group is
$ expected to send the District
r budget to the Senate floor this
week. said he hadn't been informed
h OF Mr.. Sharpe's proposal but added
he couldn't see where the money
. would come from.
y Representative Bates said he was
3 IN sympathy with the need for new
/, buildings. but he stated:
,, My guess is they'd have to come
o through regular channels. the
a temper of the House being what it
4 is"
v Brings Sharp Criticism.
" Mr.. Sharpe's action brought
h sharp criticism from one of his
O fellow board members, as well as
: the Commissioners.
q DR.. James A. Cannon. who said
h ne knew nothing about it in ad-
y vance. called the board presidents
move wrong. He declared:
I think the board will agree
he made two mistakes-one. not
to consult with the board, and
two, to go over the heads of the