Evening Star Newspaper, January 21, 1929, Page 5

SCHOOLS BUSINESS MANAGER FAVORED Appropriations Committee Appeared Greatly Interested in Facilitating Needs. The business manager, the new Busi tess High School, the school for crip- pled children, part-time classes, and child labor—all topics of the moot questions pertaining -to the District of Columbia public school system, which Washington’s citizenry has been at- tempting to answer in its citizen asso- ciation and trade body meetings—were discussed at length by the subcommittee on appropriations of the House District committee January 7, when it met with yepresentative school authorities in what the school men subsequently termed * most friendly session” to determine just how large an_appropriation for hearings of that one-day meeting were made public. K Perhaps most of the time occupied in the executive hearing by these out- standing problems was accorded the proposition of the school system’s busi- ness manager. Representative Sim- mons, chairman of the subcommittee, | brought up the subject when, during the consideration of salary items, he yemarked that the Board of Education had done nothing with regard to the proposal made by Senator Phipps, Rep- resentative Holad: and himself ]:\5(‘ Spring that a businces manager, with the rank of assistant superintendent of schools, be appointed. Representative Simmons declared that when the sug- gestion was made he was under the impression that the school amhorlhgs favored it, but that he since learned they opposed such an appointment. Dr. Charles F. Carusi, president of Phe school board, who attended the hearings with Dr. Frank W. Ballou, superintendent of schools, and other members of the board and official stafl, undertook to make the board’s stand on the proposed business manager clear. Dr. Carusi told the subcommittee that following the conference with the mem- bers of Congress who suggested the new business manager the school authorities studied the proposal very cartfully and concluded “that while there was un- doubtedly a great need to have the business activities of the public schools co-ordinated, the difficulty was not at the Franklin School’ Building as much | es it, was in the co-ordinating of the school needs with the different depart- ments under the Board of Commis- sioners.” B Lack Co-ordination. Declaring that most of the school business delays results from lack of co-ordination of the several District government departments, including the rYepair shop, the purchasing office, the municipal architect and the fire mar- shal, Dr. Carusi said: “It seemed to us that what was needed was to have somebody, preferably in the Municipal Building, who could deal with our business manager, as we call him, and could co-ordinate those vari- ous activities at the Municipal Build- ing, so that we would have one man to deal with.” Carusi added that because the de- partments which execute the school system's work are under the jurisdic- tion of the Commissioners, the school Poard is unable to demand an account- ing for the delays. Mr. Simmons re- minded him, however, that appoint- ment of a “co-ordinator” as a District official would not give the school board ‘more jurisdiction and Carusi responded that while that was true, such an ap- pointment would give the schools one man instead of six with whom to deal. Tribute to Ballou. Referring again to the proposal of #he Congressmién last Spring, Mr. Sim- ‘mons declared it would allow the super- “intendent of schools to devote his en- tire time to educational activities by relieving him entirely of business ad- ministration. Dr. Carust responded here, however, wm‘; a tribute to Dr. Ballou when he said: “The superintendent of schools—or this _particular superintendent of schools—apparently has the time and energy that is needed to attend to the #hole problem.” Later, Mr. Simmong sought to con- dense the School Board president’s ideas to a conclusion when he asked *Dr. Carusi if he was satisfied with the present arrangement whereby the board deals directly with the diffefent groups within the city government. Carusi’s answer was negative. Mr. Simmons brought out then that Dr. Carusi fa- ‘vored “an cfficial clearing house” under the Commissiopers which, he was con- vinced, would correct the delays now attendant upon the execution of school business. Appointment Might Help. Commissioner Dougherty, who also was present at the hearings, declared that while the “co-ordinator” Carusi sought would nct necessarily speed up the machinery, since in any event he ‘would rely upon the school officials for the necessary data on which to exe- cute his work, such an appointment might help some. He said it would be difficult to visualize how the arrange- ment would operate and added he could not see how the proposed “co- ordinator” could perform any duty not now already carried on in the District Building. After " lengthy discussion, which re- peated \much of the ground already covered, Representative Holaday of Illinois asked Carusi if the school board would be willing to hire a com- petent business manager as a member of the school system organization if the committee furnished the funds for his salary. The new appointee, it was indicated, would have the rank of first assistant superintendent. Dr. Carusi said the board would be willing to try that proposition. Asked directly by Mr. Holady #f he thought such a procedure would cure the existing ills in the system, Dr. Carusi said he was not svre, but that he believed it would help. He added that after a year or two, if no relief is found better data will be submitted for a new remedy. No Friction at Session. "The discussion of the business mana- ger. as were the entire hearings, was marked with occasional interruptions in vhich first the school officials and then the Commissioners, declared there was absolutely no tion between the Board of Commissioners and the Board classes were brought into 1 discussion when Representa- sey of Pennsylvania was ques- Robert cher needs_and sey expressed hi entirely out of sympathy with ssitated the In response to Mr. uestion Casey's " SEE US FOR LUMBER MILLWORK PAINT HARDWARE BUILDING SUPPLIES COAL Whatever Your Needs Talk With Us First! Bmall Orders Given Careful Attention No Delivery Charge J. Frank Kelly, Inc. 2101 Georgia Ave. N. 1343 Millwork—Du Pont _Paints "ir ware — Bullding Sunolics i:\pm'opriaflon called for in school [ large enough to obliterate part-time purposes would be recommended for | classes. 1930, it was revealed today when the| -child labor law, specifically requiring Mr. Haycock told the subcommittee that there are at present 166 first and second grade classes on part time. With an average of 35 pupils to a class, he computed, 5810 Wash- ington children are receiving less than the full quota of instruction, Mr. Casey demanded to know how | that situation can be corrected, and | Haycock told him that the five-year school building program was designe: to do away with part-time classes 1930 and that delays in that program meant delays in relieving«the part-time situation. . Explains Part Time. Mr. Casey wanted to know if the full | the bill | under consideration would relieve in | full the part-time class situation. Mr. Haycock said it would not, “because some of the items of construction still remain of our five-year program beyond the estimate of ‘this year now | in the bill.” You speak of estimates,” Mr. Casey | sald: “is this the estimate you originally | ed for or the estimate presented by the budget?” Haycock told him it was the Budget Bureau's estimate, and e: ‘plaln\‘d that it was about $1,000,000 |less than that originally presented by school board. Mr. Casey then anted to know if the school board's |original estimates had been granted | would the appropriation have been | Haycock said it would not. Dr. Ballou explained that only the completion of the five-year building program and the resultant appropria- | tion of $3,500,000 would have ended | part-time clas Asked if there was any reason why the school authorities did not ask for sufficient money to end the part-time | condition, Mr. Kramer answered that “we have budgetry limitations,” adding that the board originally sought ap- propriations between $13,000,000 and $14,000,000. Budget ‘Estimates. | Dr. Carusi then explained the meth- | ods and steps by which the school board’s original estimates were pruned | in the following statement, containing figures quoted from memory: | “Last Spring the Board of Education prepared estimates for approximately | $15,000,000. About $10,000,000 was for the expense of public schools, and $5,000,000 was for what we considered to be urgent building needs. At a con- ference with the District Commission- ers, where the tax rate and other mat- ters were discussed, I agreed on behalf of the board that we would cut our estimate down to $13,000,000, and that we would submit a formal estimate from the Board of Education this year for $13,000.000 instead of $15,000,000. That was done. Then, when the esti- mates were forwarded to the Bureau of the Budget, the commissioners in transmitting the estimate sent $12,000,- 000. In other words, they cut $1,000,000 off our reduced amount of $13,000.000 and put that $1,000,000 in what they called a supplemental estimate. So that | our estimates, when they finally reached the Bureau of ‘the Budget were for $12,000,000, when we had originally submitted $15,000,000. “The Budget allowed us a total of approximately $12,000,000. It is true that they took some items to make up that $12,000,000 out of the supplemental | estimates that the commissioners had prepared and' sent to them, and on the other hand left some items of cor- responding amounts out of the regular estirnates.” Carusi later corrected himself, de-| claring that where he used $15,000,00f he should have said $14,000,000. Child Labor Inspectors. ‘The question of child lahor law in- spectors oceupied but little time of the hearings and was dispatched in a quick interchange of questions and answers by Dr. Ballou and Mr. Simmons. Dr. Ballou told the subcommittee, in re- sponse to the chairman’s queries, that in May, 1928, there were 18 employes | in the department of school attendance and work permits and that no 'addi- | tions were made to the staff for the school year of 1929, although the new two inspectors, now actually is in effect. Explaining the need of the inspectors, Dr. Ballou said: “Several years ago, the superintendent of police withdrew two policemen formerly assigned to su- pervise the enforcement of the child labor law. Since that time there has been no systematic inspection of vari- ous establishments employing young people. This request for two child-la- bor Inspectors, who may also work in- terchangeably in school attendance work and census enumeration, is to re- place the two policemen and to make suitable provision for the enforcement of the child labor law. “The report of the Bureau of EM. ciency recommends this additional per- sonnel. Moreover the law itself spe- cifically provides that the Board of Education shall appoint at least two child-labor law inspectors.” In the matter of the new Business High School and the proviso which the Bureau of the Budget attached to the item for the beginning of its construc- tion, that the funds be appropriated only half of them. No Finance Charges We Absorb Fire and Theft Insurance Cost Office | at K |said he believed it would cost THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C MONDAY, if the old Business building be used as an elementary school for colored pupils. the school authorities simply reviewed the action they took in open board meeting. Dr. Carusi explained that, | feeling the Bureau of the Budget had | no right to decide the exact use to which abandoned school property was to be put—or for that matter to at-| tempt to decide any administrat | problem under school system jurisdic- tion—the Board of Education adopted | a resolution “to the effect that the| Board of Education was a body which in law and in reason ought to make the decision” concerning the use of the old | structure. | Discuss Crippled Students. The subcommittee members asked to what other uses the building might be put and they were told by Carusi that it might be used as a vocational or as | an Americanization school. He added, however, that to decide three years in advance’ what shall be done with a building that even now is in a neigh- borhood which is undergoing rapid changes would be unwise. | Discussing the proposed school for | crippled children, Representative Hol- | aday declared that planning such in- stitutions and working for the better- ment of crippled youngsters is a sort of hobby with him. He said, however, | that while he believed there are great possibilities in the work, he is inclined oubt the advisability on account | of the psychological effect of bringing | all these crippled children together in one building.” He said he was “for the general proposition, however. Dr, Ballou reviewed the study of the crippled children population here which | was reported at a recent meetfng of | the Board of Education, and he sub. mitted to the subcommittee a copy of a report which he nted | at that meeting. The exact item | under discussion_ was $6,000 for the | transportation of the crippled chil- | dren to school by busses. ~Dr. Ballou more nearly $20,000 a year, because the very nature of ‘the handicaps of the chil- dren would necessitate the busses going | directly to their doors instead of fol- | lowing routes where they could meet | the assembled children, as in the case | of the tubercular pupils. 1930 D. C. SURPLUS TO BE $10,000,000, HEARINGS DISCLOSE (Continued From First Page) added to the appropriation bill, Com- | missioner Taliaferro asked for several days to prepare a list. Mr. Simfnons | then replied: | “I would be very glad to give you the | time, but it seems to me it ought not to | be necessary to do that, to wait until we come here for the hearings on this bill, after the Bureau of the Budget has refused to accept certain of your items which appear to be, upon a checking | over of them, largely salary items; that then we are creating a condition here deliberately between the Commission- | ers and the Bureau of the Budget | whereby we will have a surplus, mak- | ing no effort through the regular chan- | nels to expend it, and at the same | time public criticism being directed to | Congress on the basis that the present | revenues of the District will not provids for needed improvement that the Dis- trict ought to make. “Here over a period of three years you have had an accumulation of ap. proximately $6,000,000 unexpended, and | at the same time criticism has come | from official sources in the District | Buiiding and outside directed at Col gress to the effect that money w not available under the present tax rate | and the present contribution of the | Federal Government to_make needed | improvements in the Disfrict, and with | that statement no program of better- | ments is ready for us.” Dougherty Submits Letter. Later in the hearings, Commissioner | Dougherty submitted a letter to the | committee for inclusion’ in the record to remove the impression, he said, that | the Commissioners had no knowledge of the fact that the excess revenue: were accumulating and that they had not given any consideration to the manner in which they should be used. ‘The letter follows: “In testifying before your committee at the opening of the hearings on the 1930 District of Columbia appropriation bill, you asked me whether the Com- missioners had knowledge of the fact | — that, based on the assumption that no | greater amount would be appropriated | in 1930 than was Budget Bureau for thag year, there would accumulate by that time unobli- gated revenues of the District of Co- lumbia of approximately $10,000,000; and if so, whether the.Commissioners | had given any consideration or made | any recommendations as to the ex-| penditure of such part of that sum as would be available for appropriation | misioners that their final estimates of | money, and they believed, and reached | the exc approved by the}“You may SAFELY ! fund to operate on a “pay-as-you-go” basis, as required by the act of June 29, 1922, | “I replied at the moment that I knew some time in September that this large sum was accumulating. At the time of my testimony I did not recall that Col. | Ladue and T had discussed with the | auditor of the District of Columbia this | question some time in the latter part { August or the early part of Septem- | ber, at which time Commissioner Talia- ferro was not present, as he was out of the city on leave. Since consulting | with Col. Ladue and the auditor, and refreshing my memory, I find that ome time following the receipt of the letter from the director of the Bu- reau of the Budget informing the Com- appropriations for 1930 could not exceed a_tentative maximum total of $39,962,- | 107, the general subject of the disposi ton of the accumulating revenues of | the District of Columbia was considered with Col. Ladue and the auditor present. The auditor stated at that time that if | the District should receive no greater total of appropriations than the amount approved by the Budget Bureau in 1930, and if the tax rate of $1.70 should be ontinued for that year, with the United States contributing $9.000,000, the Dis- trict would have a surplus of revenues in 1930, of appropriation | $3,000,000. u to this, attention was | called to th- fact that on June 30, 1927, the free cash fund of the District in the United States Treasury amounted to about $3,800,000; that in 1928 it ap- peared as though’ excess revenues of $1.500,000 or more would be collected; that in 1929 excess revenues of approx- | imately $1.000,000 would be collected and in 1930, based on the Budget Bu- Teau's approval, over $3,000,000, in ex- cess revenues would be collected, thu making a total sum approximating $10, 000,000 of free sh money of the Dis- trict in the Treasury in 1030. Discussed Use of Money. “out of this sum it was believed that | about $4,000,000 should be retained as | the amount’ required by the District| to operate on a cash-paying basis and | about $1,000,000 should be reserved for deficiency and supplemental appropri- ations, thus leaving something in the | neighborhood of $5.000,000 that could | be considered as being available for appropriations. “Col. Ladue and I, with the auditor, | then discussed what.'would be the best | use to make of thi4 money. There was pending in Congress a bill to pro- vide ‘a_municipal airport for the Di: trict of Columbia and also a new farm ers’ produce market. The Commis- sioners contemplated_submitting to the present session of Congress a bill to provide for a municipal center, includ- ing the acquisition of land and the erection of buildings for the several municipal courts and the recorder of deeds, and a bill for the disposal of city refuse. The Commissioners real- ized the fact that to carry on these | projects within the next few years would require a very large sum of a tentative decision accordingly, that it would be the part of wisdom and good administration to hold in reserve revenues in question to meet the cost of carrying such of these projects into execution as Congress might authorize by the enactment of law. The Commissioners did not be- according to what they under- stand to be the rules of the Budget Bureau, that estimates of appropria- tions would be approved by that bureau for transmission to Congress for any projects of major improvements in the absence of authorizing legislation. For this reason no such recommendations were made to the Budget Bureau in| connection with the budget estimates for the fiscal year 1930. “The Commissioners feel that they hould submit this letter to you for your information and to remove the impression which may be present that | they had not knowledge of the fact that these excess revenues of the Dis- trict of Columbia were accumulating and that they had not given any con- sideration to the manner in which they should be used. “As T have previously stated, Commis- sioner Taliaferro was not in the city at the time the general subject in question was discussed by Col. Ladue and me, and consequently he did not know at the time of his testimony what had really happened.” e Plain black coal transformed at New- castle, England, by the latest chemical | magic claims the cheap electric power production record. INVEST your capifal in Shannon and Luchs.Inc. First Mortgage Notes and receive an annual after making due provision for the cash RENEWED DISPLAY Due to the large number of cars we had in stock and our limited display space we have been able to show only one- The success of this sale now allows us to dis- play the other cars. The Cars in This New Showing Are Just as Fine as Those Sold Better Come In Today And See the Wonderful Values You Can Get at Our $5 Down and $5 Per Week . Special Used Car Sale Some as Low as $3 Down and $3 a Week " Higher Price Cars $6, $8, $10 a Week All Popular Makes 1-52 of the Purchase Price Paid Each Week These special Terms have not been offered you in 5 years. They may never be offered again. All cars guaranteed for thirty days. these cars are our “Famous Gold Seal Cars.” That means their condition is absolutely definite STERRETT & FLEMING, INC. Main ) Champlain Street orama Road Branch Open Evenings Showrooms | 604 H St. N.E, return of 6 %’,’ Today Is the Sixth Day of Our Sale—It May Not Last Most of 1711 14th St. N. 8 0’Clock Coffee . . . . Ib., Black Palm THE Every Pricels a Low Price On the items sold at the A&P. We have hundreds of cthers besides these advertised weekly. The QUALITY, too, Is GUARANTEED! Quaker Maid Spe;:ially Reduced for This Week Only. === Saiss' || PALMOLIVE SOAP, 3 ci 20¢ lo Buz ... 27" 1he | Oct. Super Suds."™ ™= 9¢ Chipso'.t. ... ™% 23¢ Fab Beads.......™ 9¢c Lux Soap Flakes. .”* 10c Tempting—Delicious Nutritious Lthse. Cleanser.3 “ 10¢ Waldort Paper. .3 17c Scott Tiss. Paper 3 " 28¢ Clothes Lines. .. .* * 23¢ Pilot Can Openers.*" 7¢ No. 6 Cr’n Brooms, * 39¢ ‘ Ael Monte PINEAPPLE Sliced | Lb Meaty California RUNES h/edium Size Cocoamalt . . . . 15-Ib. can, 23¢ Iona Cocoa . . . . 2b. can, 22¢ C&C Ginger Ale &5t 2 Bowtes 25¢ A&P Apple Sauce . . . can, 10c Jell-o, all flavors . . 2 pkgs., 15¢ Munich Malt Syrup . lg. can, 39¢ NEW LOW PRICES! Best Foods Mayennaise Relish Thous. Is. Dress. 31,-0z.{ &o0z. } 16-0z. 10¢;20¢/33¢ Red Circle Coffee . . . . Ib., Bokar Coffee . . 1.b. tin, Maxwell House, Orienta . Ib., White House Evap. Milk, 2 & 41c 45¢ Cans Eagle Cond. Milk . . . can, 19¢ 19¢ P. L. California ‘ PEACHES Halves—in Syrup [ Whke coonowy s Iona Brand ) LIMA BEANS Ready to Serve C S Med. Encore Prep. Spaghetti, 3 cans, 25 Heinz Spaghetti, 3 sm. cans, 25¢ Encore Macaroni . . 4 pkgs., 25¢ Mueller’s Macaroni . . pkg., 1lc Whole Milk Am. Cheese . Ib., 35¢ Del Monte Tom. Sauce . can, 6¢ Fancy Creamery Butter......"™ 55¢c S'field Print Butter..........." 60c Fine Gran. Sugar. ..*" * 10 ™ §lc Domino Tablet Sugar...."™ **19¢ Purelard......." "™ ™ 1dc; ™™ 16¢c A& P S'field Flour. .° "™ 24¢; * ™ 49c | G. M, Pills. Flour. .* "™ 27c; * ™ 57¢c Morton’s Salt Reguar or Nucoa, Nut Margarine. . ......" 25¢ i ! -Nutley, Nut Margarine. . .. 22¢ i 37c | Crushed Sugar Corn . Early June Peas . . . Tender String Beans . 49c | P. L. Fresh Lima Beans . Del Monte Spinach, can, Eg, ERe | Large, Full of the nest. Every E, Cot by Doz. Sunnybrook STRICTLY FRESH EGGS 49c the pick Doz. f Wildmere Selected EGGS 3¢ can, 10¢ can, 10c can, 12¢ can, 14¢ 14c; 18¢ Del Monte Asp. Tips»17¢;3:.29¢ T o " eat Tender Markets , I T mmmmfi Chuck Roast Lb. 25¢ Spare Ribs. . . ....... .00 221 Sauerkraut ..............2™ 15¢ Pickled Pigs’ Feet.............2" 15¢ Cooked Hominy. ..........." 10c Tender Beef Liver............™2l¢ Fillet of Spanish Haddock Mackerel . 25¢ . 23¢c LEAN PLATE DATES 3256 LAYER FIGS . 20c Montague rted CHOCOLATES o 350 Thin Skin and Juicy Fancy As Bananas. .... Idaho Potatoes with a Service that makes shopping a pleasure Boiling Beef ..........lb, 18¢c Select Cuts ORK CHOPS Lb. 310 Fresh Herring 2 Lbs.25¢ Lemons. ........"" 35¢{Old Cabbage........" 5¢ Cranberries. . . ..."™ 15c{Fresh Spinach. ...2 "™ 19¢ ..5"™ 17c{Yellow Onions. . . .2 Shoulder Lamb Roast Lb. 33¢c Stockinette Hams . ..........™ 29¢ SniokedCalas - ............."17e Lean StripBacon. . . .........™25¢ Canadian Style Bacon. . ... ....™55¢ Sunnyfield Sliced Bacon. . . '™ Pk |8¢ SALT WATER OYSTERS Standards Selects 30¢ €6c 4P(L)c 7°§c FRESH FRUITS & VEGETABLES FLA. ORANGES Doz. 25¢, 395¢ Grape Fruit. .. .2 * 15¢}Crisp Celery. . .." "™ 15¢ Cooking Apples .5 ™ 25c{Iceberg Lettuce. ..** 10c Eating Apples. ..4 ™ 23c{Florida Tomatoes..."™ 15¢ ..“* 30c{New Fla. Cabbage .2 ™ 15¢ Astor RICE 2+ 15¢ NAVY BEANS . 12¢ A&P Quick ) Sm. k. 9C Lge. Pig. ] 9¢ e OATS [