The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-27
NINETEENTH ward SCHOOLS.
Serious Charge Made Against the
Board Of Education.
JANIYORS APPOINTED BY POLITICIANS.
Three Thousand Poor Children Left Without
School Accommodation.

The report of the HERALD calling attention to the
overcrowded and ilkept condition of various public
schools throughout the city has been discussed with
interest everywhere and the facts it gave expression
to about the idle, lazy and incompetent janitors
meet with Endorsement by all acquainted
with the subject treated of outside OF inter
ested ward politicians. From what a HERALD
reporter learned yesterday it would appear that,
rule, there is no more good for nothing and i'm
pudent class OF officials in this city than the janitors
of the public schools There are some worthy ex-
ceptions. and these stand out in all the greater con-
trast to the worthless character of the rest Most of
them appointed through political influence OF the
most vulgar kind. Their antecedents utterly at
variance with notion that they competent to dis
charge such duties the Board Of Education imposes
them. Discarded hack drivers. bartenders and
corner loafers. who may at one time have been
decent aborers have been appointed for their polit
cal services jantors, and it is than ridicu
lous to hope that such class Of men can be ex-
pected to know Q little about the laws of health.
about ventilation, steam heating sanitary prevcn
tves such the duties prescribed for them by the
Board of Education would imply that they should
know.
In the Nineteenth ward are two janitors. named
John Pye of Grammar School No. SO, and Thomas
Hogan, Of Grammar School No. SO. whose removal
was twice attempted by the Board Of Trustees for
the ward, which consists Of Ferdinand I. Hopkins,
Eugene II. Pomeroy, Meyer Thalmessnger. John
c. Donney and Richard Kelly. and each attempt was
frustrated by the action of the School Inspectors for
the district, consisting Of the Twelfth. Nineteenth
and Twenty-second wards, Messrs H. b. Perkins
and Jacob Hess. These janitors now retained,
and they snap their fingers in the faces Of the trus-
tees and tell them in their choice vernacular to
do their damndest.
POLITICAL INFLUENCE THE SCHOOLS.
The law governing the appointment and removal Of
the jantors evidently framed that it might work
benefit to the politicians, for it declares that the
anitor shall he removed by the trustees except
with the consent Of majority of the inspectors Of
the district. While it is possible to have board of
trustees who not politicians, and who fill the
Office simply to promote tho public good. it is rare
that inspector is appointed except for his politi-
cal services Both the janitors named are charged
with tho grossest derelicton Of duty and with carry
ing themselves in q most Extensively overbearing
manner, as though conscious there was power
strong enough to them either in the Board Of
Trustees or the Board of Education. or this they
appear to convinced and hence the nature of their
conduct. "You must 90 to the Legislature. they
reported to say, and get special act passed to re-
move and then you won't get it,
This, indeed. is pretty nice state of affairs in
city like New York. said gentleman to the
porter. II visited the school No. 3d.. he continued
some time ago, and there was much dirt on the
windows that declare couldn't see an object out
side. / went down to the water closets and found
them in most disgusting condtion-so much so
that asked the janitor why they not attended
to, and he answered me, in an independent
tone that it was none OF his business, that he wasn't
there to keep water closets clean scrub windows
or dust desks. there several times after. and
could tell you if had time hundred ways noticed
l ,xvbir f.a tamil aa
! little possible"
is that janitor retained through the influence of
eyes, the Board of Trustees tried in vain to re-
move him and another. but politics got into 1t and
| the two still kept for Offset against the
other-one a democrat and the other a republican.
So the balance of power IL preserved the public
insulted and outraged and the childrens health is
Have you seen much more in the management of
| the schools that struck you as open to censnreY
sOh, yes; the overcrowding especially i'll the
Nineteenth ward is perfectly outrageous, and IL the
public knew the full extent of the deprivation of
OF Education would be made to howl. There are
| 5000 children unable to get inside the
they can hold, and these must consequently
grow up in ignorance as their parents will get tired
keeping them back TO get chance to enter and send
| to send their children to other schools distance
away that suffer most and they are just half crazy
with the state OF things allowed by the Board OF Edu
] cation
| .'who is responsible?'
Board Of Estimate and Apportionmcnt. but for three
/ years know the people OF the ward have been pc
titioning for extra school accommodation and not
schoolhouse has been put up yet. because ~ am
privately informed there certain private interests
! Of the Board Commissioners in conflict
THINKS THE JANlToRs BADLY Abused.
| Mr.. Ferdinand T. Hopkins, one OF the trustees,
having his attention called to the statement that on
the ground floor OF school No. IL there class
| rooms totally unfit for the purpose. remarked:-"I
don't agree with that They may not be as perfect ~
we would WISH but it is better devote them to the
i tI,.x- nj hal havc he "
4 them running about the Streets
Are they not frequently oycrcrowdedY'
has generally been attendance of one hundred
in one OF these cassrooms then the principal is to
blame it is forbidden by the rule OF the Board.
Taking up the HERALD and reading its report the
condition of School No. Is, Mr. Hopkins proceeded
at says here the heating Is detective that upon
examination the temperature was found to vary from
sxtyfive degrees to over scventyhve degrees Well.
now, that is not SO surprising Why. was out rid
ing to-day and there fully i've degrees difference
between the temperature ut one side OF my carriage
and the other and what must it be in large school
! room with a constant opening of windows and sue
cession OF draughts =
Reading again. Mr.. Hopkins resumed:-"It says the
children are packed M closely possible i'm these
rooms. As TO the floor and air space AS required 10y
the provisions OF the bylaws OF the Board OF Educa
ton, no attention whatever y paid. In regard to
| ago. allowing so many children on q floor accord
ing to the air space. Now. is quite
very high ceiling the proportion of air space will
be greater than in one with low ceiling but tho
same sized Hoor, yet according 10 tue bylaw OF the
Board, the one should be male to accommodate
| third or so children than the Other, while the
floor space is precisely the same In both cases. This
| bylaw Is, of course, dead letter.
Reverting to the article in his hand. Mr.
Hopkins read regards the work OF the janitor Mr.
joan Ryan, that speaks for itself. This functonary
makes the fires aud does very little else that Inc can
possibly avoid doing. THAT must be untrue" said
Mr Hopkins, with emphasis, IRON the fact that the
trustees think he keeps Of the cleancst schools in
tine ward and proof that they are particular ia
| this regard, they twice attempted to remove the
janitors OF two other schools for not keeping them
| clean, but failed"
INDIFFERENT THE cHILDRENs COMFORT.
| Proceeding with his analysis of the report, Mr..
| Hopkins read -" lie aud his assistants commence
| sweeping the Fairgrounds between one and two
| O'Clock, long before the children dismissed rails
ing clouds OF dust and half snothcring the little
| ones in the ground classrooms. Now. in regard to
/ the sweeping OF the Fairgrounds; they swept,
with the approval of the trustees after one O'Clock.
| The work at this season of the year must be done
early for there gas used in the building and the