The New York herald., 1879-01-02
THE NEGLECTED SCHOOLS.
Deplorable State Of Some in
the Eighth Ward.
HOW TRUSTEES DEFEND JANlTORS.
Views on Ventilation and
Children'S Habits.


Nos. s. IS and 3s-the two former being those to
which attention was called by recent report in the
HERALD concerning their ovcrcrowded, i'll drained
and i'll ventilated condition. The trustees of the ward
are Joseph L. Rogers, chairman; Austin Leake.
Charles II. Housely. Franz Branig and Charles W.
Baum. Talking yesterday to Mr. Rogers the state
Of these schools HERALD reporter inquired:
.Did you consider the criticism of schools and %
well founded?'
Decidedly. Itwas true, every word of it, promptly
responded Mr. Rogers. "lou couldn't exaggerate
the subject if you tried. There cannot be
any worse schools i'll the city. and the only
remedy is the erection of a school build
ing because the present structures radically
defective, and no amount of repairing make them
what they ought to he. If coat be made too small
for man all the altering in the world will never
render il perfect t and with these schools; they
can never be made even toerabe. The drainage in
No of the possible kind and when there is
high tide in the river the offensive sewage matter
is driven right back to where it comes from. Gas
has to bo burned all day long in some of the class
rooms but the want of light is nothing compared to
the ventilation. especially in the water closets. In
those belonging to the girls there was neither light
nor air. II was all darkness and the smells
ovcrpowerng. 1t is somewhat better now since
had hole cut at the end of tho passageway, which
allows current of air to come in and also
gives 10 tuc place. oouletHies,
especially when there is high tide the state of these
water closets is beyond the power of words to de-
scribe. The vapors from them fill the whole build
ing cling the window glass and penetrate the very
walls and linger there Another complaint about the
building is the narrowness of the only stairway for
reaching the classrooms In of panic il would
be utterly impossible to get the children out in time
to prevent catastrophe.
Why is it such state of affairs is not remedied ?"
"There is too much red tape in the Board of Edu-
cation, and that is of the This condi-
ton of things has existed for several years. went
before them a few months ago and represented how
matters stood, but never heard of any step being
taken by them up to this. 81 hool No. 49, in Clark
street. is about well as it is possible to make it.
The only mode of ventilation however, in that
school, as well as in the Others is in pulling the win
dows up and down..
..How do the janitors discharge their dutics?"
'As far know the janitors attenve; but they
do little or nothing. under the circumstances
have stated to make better than they are"
DER TRUE TALE.
Mr.. Austin Leakc another of the trustees, on
being asked if it that schools Nos 8 and 25
in the Eighth ward. wero overcrowded. badly venti-
lated dirty and dangerous, reped:-"That report
on these schools is only too truo We have been
asking the Board of Education fos the last four years
to give a school building that would take the
place of these two. but without avail No. % is not
by any means fitted for school, and No is built
in swamp. and there is absolutely drainage to it,
so that certain stages of the tide the sewage
not escape. There is no ovcrcrowding i'll ii, but
there is in No. %. 1t would be a saving
OF S2O,WWa year II a building put up to
take the place of the two, there constant
pairs required them. and repairs make
used No 3s is overcrowded. and if we had to carry
out the instructions of the Board of Education we
should have to turn away large number Of the chill
dren
TOO MANY FOSSILS
There to be good deal of fault found with
the Board of Education:
..wcll there Is good reason for it, There are too
many old fossils it. The trustees have power
whatever though. if the laws examined. think
it would be found that they are authorized to do
their privilege In place of attending to the condi-
ton of the schools they spend their time discussing
theories of class teaching and contriving some new
fangled study for the children. who have already
lessons to learn than they able to. When
had Normal college the teaching was better than
IT Is now.
..IIow about the ventilation OF these schoos?"
1T is impossible TO vcntate No. 25 in any salts
factory and the heating is defective. In Nos
3s and T. where steam is used, the teachers regu
hate the heat to suit themselves. The buildings
ventilated before and after school hours.
IN FAVOR JANIToRs
"What is your opinion of the janitors q
''The remarks concerning the iantors of this ward
are in my opinion unjust There may be some neg.
lect; but the whole. think they try TO make the
charge The best janitor in the world could make
nothing OF the water closet accommodation in school
No g. because the drainage is defective and would
cost money to remedy, but that is the business
Of the Board Of Education
TWENTIETH WARD SCHOOLS.
The schools in this ward have their full compile
men of pupils, but are not considered by the trus
tees as being overcrowded. The trustees H. d.
Ranney. Thomas NIaher. Christopher r. Tictjen.
Thomas J. Hall and James IT, Dimond Mr.. Maher.
who is chairman of the Board said. in commenting
on the report of Grammar Schools Nos. 80 and 3d.
II have been connected with the management OF the
schools off and ON for the last twenty years. and
have had occasion 10 go through them frequently
in u month and to talk with the teachers
and iantors, and whenever there was anything
wrong with the conduct of teachers or janitors
or with the schools themselves supposed the
Superintendent looked into it and had 1t renedied.
The statement about school No. 32. that the only
means of ventilation are the windows and doors is
correct, believe. but that is the case everywhere.
OF course where there are 80 many children the air
an old and must do the best we can with IL
when we have no other way OF accommodating the
children. The assertion that the air in the
class the ground floor adjacent to
the water closets is intolerable sounds like
exaggeraion. and this about Janitor Conboy being
Negligent in the performance of his duties. and that
abundant evidence of the fact was seen in the dirty
yard, the lthy condition of the water closets and
the disgusting odor arising IRON them, regard as
another exaggeration.
..Do Won consider the ianitor is attentive to his
duties that none of these things can happen?'
Il consider he tries to discharge all the duties re-
ouired of him as well he knows how. All our
janitors are competent and reliable men. They have
been there for years, and they are posted ON the
heating anu ventilating better than most men.
Another statement don't believe is that the air was
so bad that several Of the pupils were absent on sick
leave. The children might be sick IL th,y went
to school so that the ventilation has nothing to do
with that. They talk about the ventilation but
think IL is good in any ordinary dwelling
house..
woS'r ANYTHING
"What do you say to this remark about school No.
32:Ihe play room on this bright sunny day dark
and gloomy. much SO thai IL was with difficulty
one could mako hts way through the children ?"
THAT consider prctudical statement. The only
thing agree with IL the variation OF the temperature
where 1t s said that in some rooms u was as low as
" degrees aud la others over IU."
''Do you conccdc that the gallery classes in No 33
are very badly lightedf
no. that Is not so" warming up in his deniaD.
sThcse galleries have been there twenty years. and
that's the FIRST time I've heard Of any complaint against
them" IL evident that the chairman of the
Board of Trustees OF the Twentieth ward pre-
parrd 10 admit o. ttlc as possble rehecting the