The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-12
SPECIALISTS VS.. TRUSTEES.

OBJECTIONS TO THE HERALDs SCHOOL INspEc-
TIoN REPORTS REVIEWED.
The writer of the following letter is the gentleman
who in 1870 was commissioned by the Japanese gov
ernment to procure all possible information about
the school system Of the United States after which
Japan proposed to remodel her own. In fulfil
ment of this commission Mr.. Doyle collected school
reports and other printed material and inspected
numerous school buildings with all of their appoint
ments As he has also seen the internal arrange
ments of the native schools Of China and Japan he
is fully competent to suggest comparisons
NEw YORK, jan q, 1870.
To THE EDITOR THE HERALD-
AT the invitation of your inspector. and to crafty
curiosity inspired upon my return to this city after
prolonged residence abroad had the honor to
accompany him his inspection OF several of
read in your issue OF the 23d ult his report
thereon. The schools thus visited by me We're Nos.
g. 49, ~ 25 &c. 81, So and 20. ana must say that I'M
der the circumstances and conditions in which saw
these schools there Is not word III that report in
reference to them that would not reiterate with EN-
pass, and il affords pleasure now to observe that
in the tests to which that report is being daily
subjected the great OF evidence taken from the
enlightened and practical school who trustees
more than subsrantiate It, But, as some objections
have been offered by school trustees which I'M
mstakabiy raise questions of veracity, deem it my
duty TO offer my evidence in support OF the fidelity
and truth of your inspector.
To make it Ineligible and effective it will be
tons and the points involved. as they appeared i'll
different numbers of your recent issues.
In respect to the Eleventh ward schools Mr.. Trus-
tee Rhoades in effect. admits all that the report has
represented and adds that 1.-The closets ought to be
flushed out after every recess and then concu'es:-
This we intend to have carried out in the future
precaution." This gentleman states in another
part OF the interview that "when jantors long
time in they arc apt to get lazy and indifferent"
Mr.. Trustee Lmbcck. however, takes different
view with regard to No. 36, which he styles as "a
brand building. with all the modern improve
a ma hen
lie says my visits not regular some of the
Others, but keep posted about how they are con-
Now. certainly Mr.. Limbeck is misrcpresentcd or
very much in the wron. IN this matter am no
architect though have had great deal to do with
buildings and my observations and unqualified
opinion with regard to this new building is that it
peats all the defects of the faulty old structures
tied by me, and in this view am safe to say will
be borne out by any competent architect
builder. Here, right in this building
which, in Mr. Limbecks opinion fills the BILL
to what more do people want ~ l one OF
the darkest, most uncomfortable class rooms i'll the
city-so dark that bright sunny day. as it was
the figures the blackboard hardly percepti-
BILE ut short distance. Here too, We're radiators
within two feet OF the childrcns seats and through
which supply pipes for live steam passed to the
above without any practicable arrangement of
valves to regulate the heat OF this without in
terfcrng with the supply for above. The arrange
ment OF the furniture wrong in several of the
rooms and dsproportioned to many of the smaller
pupils in the lower grade classes
AS Mr.. Linbcck says, and, believe, truly, "tax-
payers never yet complained of what spent on
educating the children Then there appears
good reasons why these defects should standat least
they should be made known to the taxpayers, which,
it strikes is precisely what the HERALD inspector
has done. Mr.. Limbeck does deny that the heat
ing, ventilation &c.. is bad, and he certainly cannot
| call unmasked pine trough, fastened to pine
! wall for urinal a .modern Improvement His
suggestion with regard to the appointment of school
| commissioners is one to which my attention
called when visiting the schools. and is ittingly
pressed by him when he says that the Eleventh and
seventeenth wards, with an aggregate attend
ance of $1,000 children year.. have no com
missioner the Board, while one uptown
ward has nine, and lit is safe to say there
fifteen commissioners living in one school district.
| He says he talked to Janitors Murdoch and Wade
"and told them they had better keep things slicker
| than they were and they did so after that" This
statement is l apprehend nearer the fact than DR..
| Cregars. of the same ward, who pronOunces the
report simply ridiculous, and who says that this
subject has been exaggerated much that went
through to see for myself and ! failed to observe
many points for criticism" He In regard to
flushing the closets talked with Wade the janitor,
and he says he does it twice day II he did not do
this the principal would call the attention of the
| trustees to the matter.
Now this Wade said distinctly to your inspce-
| tor in lny presence that he usually flushed the
closets out every other day, and, i'll reply to your ill.,
spectors query as to whether he ought not to do
after every recess he said that he didn't dot That
was about two p NJ. and the closets needed flushing
then very badly 1t must be gratifying to learn from
| DR.. Oregar that 1--WE adopting u rule now, how
ever which to be in force for the future that the
janitors must clean up all through the year whether
school keeps or not" But it seems unjust tor HIM
to blame the teachers for the bal ventilation. es
pecialy considering the views expressed this sub
ject by Mr. Henry Merz, trustee OF the Seventeenth
ward reported in your issue of the Sd inst where
I'VE ought to have an officer in the Board of Eiu-
cation whose sole duty would be to look after the
drainage, ventilation and general hygienic manage
ment of the schools. The Superintendent (of school
Buildngs has variety of other matters to look after,
and there il quite enough business III this line to
take up mans attention., and when il is further
considered that attention whatever is paid to the
thermometrical records and regulations of the tenn
perature in these schools Mr. Trustee Powers adj
| Improvement
and that the janitors might attend to their
duties more closely, and We intend from
| this out to have them do We will
require of them in future not to leave the closets
unattended for single half hour. This is another
salutary effect of your inspectors report. The ne
cessty for II is selfevident and it is worthy of
mark here that in none of the school houses visited
Mr.. Powers further says they are now drawing up
code of rules tor the guidance of the jantors and
| further. while / saw that there things to
remedy, and that the criticisms were i'll some cases
true, did not altogether approve of the article"
But he does what it in the report that he
dsapproves Of unless it be that there should be amy
| report at all
| Mr. Trustee wangler seems very anxious to have it
understood that he expresses his views a things con.
sidcrcd," and 'don't think the children can be hurt
by the nature of the ventilation and admits that the
schools are not perfect and we must make the best
can of them. Everything can't be done at once
lie says he lin No. 81 few days after that re-
port appeared, and the appearance of things was not
Jantors read the HERALD. perhaps, aud may have
improved their time in the interim This il strain
ing very hard tn reiute or discr,dt your inspectors
report. 1t won't do. for he admitted that ho had
not been in the school for week before he saw the
report.
IN conclusion will only call attention to the
marks of Mr.. Joseph 4. Rogers Chairman of tho
Eighth ward Board of Trustees III respect to school
No. y reported in your issue of the 2d inst. He
says:"lt true. every word of IL. You couldn't
oxsggerate the subject If you tried. shall never
forget the effect upon when entered that ground
class ROOM
had no idea. when starting out with your in
spector, that IL would become necessary ior to
bear evidence to what l should But. ncverthe-
less now do voluntarily and cheerfully. Very
respectfully, &C., WM. IL. DOYLE.
IMPRESSIONS OF ANOTHER VISITOR.
10 THE EpTron or THE HERALD
have read the statements of certain gentlemen