The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-28
COLORED SCHOOLS.
Agitating the Proposition for Their
Adjustment.
THE LAW AS 1T STANDS.
Opinions OF Members ofthe Board
or Education.

ahs c,tv al New York and throwing the OF all
the public schools open to the colored children
Or tho CITY, which is now agitating the minds Of
those having charge OF educnsional matters, mas
eaused considerable feeling among the ccored popu-
lauon OF New York MS woll among those white
rit,sens whose old time prejudiccs are not easily
enaced The question was sprung upon the Board OF
Education at its last stated meeting, when Com
missioner strand mado tho sweeping proposition 10
do away with tho colored schools and TO mix tho chill
drcn OF coored those Of white parents IN the edu
cational establishments OF tho CITY, The proposition,
which il s believed the result Of considerable
elaboration on tho part Of several Commissioners,
was at once referred to tho Committee on Coiorcd
Schools for investigation and report but pending their
action subject has led to tho expression OF many
views on The part OF those particularly affected by
the proposed action OF the Board Of Education. In
order to ascertain opinions entertained by leading
olacials connected with tie public school system
representative OF tho HERALD yesterday called upon
peycral members OF the Board and also upon Superin
tendsnt Kiddla, all OF whom had already given the
subject considerable thought Notwithstanding the
fact that as vet no action had been taken
SUPERINTENDENT RIDDLE.
superintendent Riddle a:-'The idea Is a correct
pne IN the ABSTRACT at least. 1t may not DO right TO
sgrec every part Of the proposition, but
IL is in accordance with law. The State OF New York,
bin, passed tho following Law on April Q, 1873
AN ACT provide for the protection Of ciscns in their
SECTION mo citizen Of this state shall ey reason Of
color previous Of servtude Do excepted
Or nom snS S, 1 S
innkeeres by common carriers whober ON Lard or water
places Of ~ %
schools public institutions q learning and by eemo-
SIC THE violation Of any part the OF
this shall deemed to be m,demcanor and tho party
o. subject hne Of not less than $50 than
SIC 3-Discrim,nation against any citizen account
Of color ~ the white any other
in shis state is hereby repealed or annulied
s.Under tho above law" continued Superintendent
Riddle, ia colored citizen OF Brooklyn demanded ad
mission his child in Of the public schools, but
tho Court there, well In Ohio decided against
claimant because wherever separate schools exist
no exclusion can be charged The Board Of Educa-
uon have indeed perfect legal right TO continue the
colored schools which have existed IN our midst since
1857, but II nevertheless remains Tor them question
oil domestic policy, or rather expedency. whother 10
abolish Them not The city would loso quite an
amount oil property by doing away with tnem, ms
She land on whicn some q them stand has been
There no doubt exists a widespread pre-
ludce, which cannot ignore and 40 not
link the Board will 60 any further than puoic opr.
ioa viii allow. Since tho above law was passed We
have admitted quite number OF coored children TO
the ordinary SCHOOLS 1t impossible Tor their pa
lew and vide apart. There are only iour colored
schools in Inc cry, The most northern being 10 Forty
hrsl street. All Of that coored population lying
north OF Fortylrst street - virtually Disseminated
against by the present rule, which Is relic OF tho
past.
Our experience with the coiored children wa
years H. indeed very satisfactory and wo never yet
have heard of any adverse feeling OIL this subject
white s children have IN many instances treated
lhem with Considerable kindness, and In some cases
no ease where coored child mad been treated with
unkndness Three years ago eight Or ten colorc girls
wcro admitted 10 the Normal School, and every effort
was made by associates TO make them iccl that
they were not under any ban. The cocducaton oil
already exists IN part IN our schools IL has
not yot gone very far. But why should y not 90 iur
thor? Tue average Attendance a. Inc coored schools
rs oad, simply owing TO tho long distances 10 he trav-
eed over NY the cbiaren. In TACT, the number OF abb
kentees these schools two three times greater
than in tho white schools Out oi $50 colored chill
aren entered tho average attendance during 1877
only SAT. IL Is only a question OF tmo that these
bcnoo,s must be abolished IL Is Tor the Board OF Ed
ucation 10 say whether That time has now arrived"
TnI PRESIDENT THE BOARD
Commissioned Wood, President OF The Board oil
Education, on beng INTERCEPTED on the subject.
said sin my rounds among tho schools notice col
ored children mere and there, and do not see why
they should not oil be taken caro- OF In our public
noticed. the number OF coored children through
out the city is small. comparison with tho whi,o
children, that the effect would DC like adding drop
TO bucket OF water. There never any dslinc-
lion in the rwenty-third and Twehty-ourth wards,
xed to city, and thcro exists reason
~hy tnere should DO n color limo anywhere. Tho aim
Gully, however, Will arise with tho colorcd people
themselves; they DO not went their schools
pf considerable patronage, there being thirty-four
eolorcd teachers In TINS city and any number OF
coiored attaches not ono OF whom viii have chance
OF being employed IN tho ordinary schools. But the
heavy cost Of maintaining these separate schools will
undoubtedly load TO thor abolition. In 1872 there
was q colored school In Harlem winch cost 500 per
head OWING excessive rents and numerous sAla
rien The Board then decided 10 abolish the school
md v 4 he Car q rat
street tcbool This $50 per head, but We saved
so per head by this change and the practice has con-
xAIsrxxAscE or THE coLoRED SCHOOLS
Presiaent Wood then LAID before the writer docu.
each coiored school in the city, as ioows:-Mnberry
street school, with seating capacity Of
sS,idrsa during 1877. SIX teachers are con.
pecied with this school. aud their salaries
music teacher and 81 per hour Tor The teacher in
orawiny. The Jantrix mas asasry oil 5000 per annum
The average attendance 1t the soasn f'tth avenue
school grammar dcpArtmentD IN 1877 was only TORY.
four, while salaries amounting 10 S3,475 were paid.
In ne PRIMARY department the average attendance
Was l47 oil 81 $50 Tor teachers salaries, be-
side music. Tho janitor at this place gets 5000 per
Aunum. The colorcd school IN fery.lrst street mad
IN average attendance OF los children, while tho
teachers saIaries amount 10 s6s9s per year,
IRON tho cost OF teaching music and drawing. The
attendance 10 tho primary department vas "a, at a
rost OF 81 $50 for teaching and the anitors salary OF
$780, ihe attendance attic Seventeenth street school
last year los, cos, OF teaching $1,000, and the
salary Of the jansrix 5000
COMMISSIONER MANisRRE
Commissioner Benjamin n erre, chairman OF
the Committce on Colorcd schools, said:-"Wo Will
not be- ready to make . report on ths matter Tor
several weeks. Tho idea oi closing up the coiorcd
schools Is entirely now proposition and requires
u0mo careful consideration. Tho way the colored
sch ools now situated 10 certainly quite unsath-
factory. Out OF the 40 children IN me Mulberry
street school only very few i've IN tho Fourteenth
ward IL Is also al open question whether after all
the colored population In the city OF New York Is not
steadily the decrease, and this question may have
some influence on the final decision. IL certainly
cannot donied that II would be far better Tor the
coIofed children themselves II they wcrc placed
among white children and instructed W white
teacnsrs"
COMMISSIONER WEST.
Commissions Henry 4. West, member OF the
Committee Coiored Schools, expressed himself as
totally opposed 10 agitation the subject. There
WIS hardly room now, no SAID. for the white chdren
IN the public schools and he enw no necessity Tor
csowding tho colorcd ones In among them. Besides,
the city would lose considerable properly ns, Tor IN
stance, the land In ubsrTy street, which had been
- ~ ! sacieix Of