Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-09-26
District Heads
Due 10 Review
.WorksProtests
Many Witnesses
Sharply Criticize
SAL Million Plan
BY JAMES G. DEAN

Protest on some features of
the Dunn Public Works Com
mittee's Sal million District
construction plan are due for
review by the District Commits
Sioners.
School. library and public
health cutbackS by the Dunn
group drew sharp criticism
from many of % witnesses who
gave the city heads their views
on the works proposals yester.
day.
At the same time, the plans
financial cornerstone-a 500
million Federal Treasury loan
won apparently unanimous
backing. All the witnesses who
commented on the borrowing
proposal spoke favorahly.
The Commissioners gave no
formal indication Of their own
views. Commissioner Robert e.
Mclaughlin announced after
the four-hour public hearing
that the record would be kept
open until October Is for writ
ten statements from any
| persons desiring to submit
them. One group. the Fedora
ton of Citizens Associations.
said 1t intended to consider the
subject at a meeting October
10.
The city heads, however.
already have told Congress
they definitely intend to push
an expanded works plan
financed substantially along
the lines Of the Dunn recon-
mendations. This was in
letter sent by Commissioner
David B. Karrick in June to
Chairman Nicely of the Senate
District Committee.
No Objection to Borrowing
And Mr.. Mclaughlin said
after yesterdays hearing that
the city heads have no objec-
ton to borrowing If 1t is neces-
sary to support needed projects.
Witnesses for the Board of
Trade and other groups testi-
fed there is apparently no al
Tentative.
The school proposal drawing
most fire was the Dunn groups
use Of a 32-to-l pupil-teacher
ratio as the standard for class
room construction. The Board
of Education has approved q
30-to-l standard. The larger
ratio enabled the works group
TO pare So million of school
board construction proposals.
Parents bitterly assailed this
action. Russell N. Shoemaker,
legislative chairman Of the Dis
trict Congress of Parents and
Teachers. accused the Dunn
committee Of shocking ignor-
ance" Of proper school stand
ards. Mrs. Edwin M. Smell, Of
the Area s PTA Council, said
the 32-to-l standard would
stand in the way Of giving
thousands Of youngsters the in
struction they need.
Mrs. Gordon M. Van San.
ford. Of the Area IA PTA
Council. charged that the city
had already wasted q year since
school officials presented their
own borrowing plan to speed
classroom construction.
Others Complain
Complaints regarding the
Dunn groups school proposals
also came from Julius w. Hob
son. Of the Federation of Civic
Associations; Mrs. Meyer Sa-
mols. Of the Area 4 PTA Coun-
Gil; DR.. Ellis o. Haworth, of
the American University Park
Citizens Association, and Mrs.
Milton Dunn. president Of the
League Of Women Voters.
Mrs. Samols said the 32-to-l
ratio. lis not sufficient to main
tain high educational stand
ards. DR.. Haworth particularly
protested the Dunn groups pro-
posal to convert an existing
high school instead Of build
ing a brand-new teacher COL
lege.
Slashing OF a proposed IL
brary expansion plan from Sl2
million to 81 million also
brought protests.
Spokesman for a group of or
CARNATIONS in the Fort Davis
area in Anacostia were espe.
cially vocal. Charles A. Froman,
president of the Fairfax VIII
lage-FOrt Davis Library Assn