Atlanta Daily World

TWO NIGHT SCHOOLS
ARE ORDERED CLOSED
W. A. SUTTON
BATTLES
MOVE

Walden's Plea Saves
Schools Until
September

ONLY TWO REMAIN

Accepting the recommendation of
E. R. Sweat, chairman of the current
expenditures committee, the
board of education at a special
call meeting held Tuesday voted
to discontinue two of the four Negro
night schools now running. The
vote followed one of the hottest
sessions ever held by the board.

Through a plea offered by Atty.
A. T. Walden, president of the Atlanta
branch, N.A.A.C.P., an effort to
discontinue the schools this week
was overruled, postponing the actual
closing of the schools. David T. Howard
junior high announced which of the
four schools, David T. Howard junior
high, E. P. Johnson, W. H. Crogan
or Booker T. Washington high would
be closed.

Leading the fight against the
schools was W. R. Slate, who gave
his reason for lopping off the two
Negro schools as a desire to make
the number equal with white night
schools. Only two white night
schools are now operating. According
to his own statement before
the board yesterday, it was Slate,
who succeeded in having the number
of Negro night schools cut from six
to four, three years ago.

"I don't believe colored niggers

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W. A. Sutton
ought to have more than white
(Continued from Page One)
Continued from Page One
folk," he said.

and the necessity of the night schools
among Negroes. The saving
of $5000 effected through the cutting
off of the schools, is really
not a saving, Walden declared.

The increase in juvenile delinquency
which is lessened when children
unable to attend day schools are
given an opportunity to go to night
schools, would far exceed in cost to
the community the expense of the
two schools.

Member Julia O'Keefe Nelson, who
has been a member of the board
for ten years, stated that it was
just as necessary to halt white juvenile
delinquency as it was colored.

After Ira Harrelson, chairman
of the board, had overruled strenuous
objections on the part of Slate
to Superintendent Sutton making
an address, the head of Atlanta
public schools took the floor and
made a strong plea to retain all four
Negro night schools.

Mr. Sutton declared that it was
the duty of the board as white men
to the Negro population of the city
to keep the only opportunity for education
for many Negroes open.

Closing of the schools would lower
the morale of Negro citizens of the
community, Sutton said.

"God knows our colored folks
don't have much, please don't take
away what little they do have,"
he asserted.

Fight to cut off the schools began
when a saving of $5000 was seen
by the current expenditures committee
which is seeking to save $35,000.
This sum will be used to increase the
teacher's salaries one and one-half
per cent to offset the recent 16 per cent
cut Atlanta instructors received.

The other $30,000, it is hoped, will
be saved, with the cutting off of numerous
clerks and several departments.