Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-01-25
expenditures of this character being met
BY ordinary taxation.

7
metropolis, they failed in their fund.
amental duty to the City, to the State
and to The Nation, must clearly appear
from the following considerations;
New York is the largest political unit
in a Republic where the freedom and
intelligence of the town are esteemed
the funiaments of State and National
| government Under the pressure of a
strong public sentiment, more and more
averse TO ignorance as the greatest foe
OF democratic progress, the Legislature
of the State of New York passed in 1874
a compulsory education law.
| 1t was expected by all that this great
city wonld, if not Immediately at least
| gradually, take such steps as would
secure the execution of the law within
its borders to the fullest possible extent,
and thus take its place among the polti-
cal units of the Republic as the most
enlightened.
But what are the facts?
In proportion to the value of real
estate, the public school property of the
metropolis is less than in any other city
or town in the State having more than
1000 inhabitants, except Cohoes, Herk-
inner, Hudson, Lansingburg, Lockport,
Long Island City, Rochester, Tarrytown,
Troy ard Yonkers.
For supervision and teaching she ex-
pends each year, per capita of the aver.
age attendance of her schools, less per
centage of the assessed valuation Of
property, than is reported from any
other city or town in the State, except
Canandaigua, Catskill, Cohoes, Geneva,
Hudson, Rochester, Tarrytown and
Yonkers.
In proportion to the actual amount of
wealth within her boundaries, including
not only real estate but all kinds of
property, New York does less for educa.
tion than any city or town in the East
ern or Western States.
And yet at every public meeting or
banquet, the bamboozling politicians or
capitalistic magnates of this miserly city
praise education and boast of their un-
stinted support of the public shool sys-
tenn!
Since 1874 illiteracy in New York,
instead of decreasing, has increased at a
tremendous rate until it has reached
proportions which will be best realized
in tha light of the facts gathered and
computations made, thus far, by your
Committee. The number of children
between the ages of 5 and IA in this city
is about $4,000.
AS already stated, the average atten-
dance in the public day schools is about
135, 600; in addition to which there is an
average attendance of about 1900 in the
Evening schools. $500 in the Normal
College and Training Department, and
10000 in the Corporate schools; the
whole making grand total of 1856, 900.
Allowing that the average attendance is
only four-fifths of the total enrolment
IN other words, that the average alb
sence of enrolled pupils is twenty per
iigure--the total number of children and
youths of all ages taught in the public
schools is less than 100000.
We do not know, as yet, the exact
number of those who are taught in pri-
vate and parochial schools, but we may
safely take it for granted that the total
enrolment in those schools does not
reach $4,000.
By accepting this maximum as a pos
sible figure, we have total possible
maximum number of 275,000 children
and youths Of all ages receiving more or
less education, as against total popula-
ton of $4,000 children between the
ages of and IA.
From these figures, supplemented by
computations which we reserve for a
more complete report, the conclusion
seems warranted, that there are at least
10000 children between the ages of s and
ID, who under the Compulsory Educa-
tion law should attend the schools, but
who, under the present school system Of
New York City, are allowed, nay, ac-
tually compelled-to grow Incomplete
ignorance; while vastly greater num-
ber, by the irregularity and insufficiency
OF their attendance, are scarcely enabled
to acquire primary education.
For this state of affairs, as for any
condition detrimental to the poor as a
class or to the body polite as a mass,
there is no remedy but in the hands Of
the working people
Organization against this crying evil
is primary and fundamental necessity.
In the opinion OF your committee the
best and cheapest mode of promoting
this organization is to call a mass meet
ing at the Cooper Union, to be held in
February-say within month of this
date, at which a sober statement of
the facts in this report, and of all the
additional facts which your committee
may yet obtain, shall be laid before t.
people. We suggest that short circu-
lar or hand bill be issued in English and
German, substantially similar to The
first hand bill through which attention
was called to the matter under consi-
deration when, two months ago preli-
minary meeting was held at the New
York Maennerchor Hall, East 56th street.
We cannot at present see that anything
could be gained by cnlarging, or amend.
ing its contents to any extent, and
therefore we submit the following as the
4 "a L.