The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-25
THE SCHOOLS ARE FILTHY
So Says Director Comte of
the Board of Edu-
cation.
UNFIT FOR HUMAN BEINGS
Money Enough Spent by the Old
Board to Have Had Them in
Good Condition.

81 have this to say. that the condition
of the public schools of San Francisco is a
disgrace to the City. Many of them are
not fit for human beings to inhabit. They
have not been even cleaned for wears.
Many of them are in a state of rot and de-
cav and are filthy. Some of them seem
never to have known whitewash, and it is
time that new order of things set it,
So said School Director Comte before
the Finance Committee of the Board of
Supervisors yesterday.
He had come there in behalf of trade
with Mrs Weaver for her lot adjoining the
Douglas School, corner of Collingwood and
Nineteenth streets, which the school
board desires should be purchased as a
playground for the children of the school
there being no yard to the school.
Mrs. Weaver wants $500 for the o.
foot lot, and Mayor Sutro had sent COM
munication to the Supervisors, referred to
this committee, stating that lots in the
same neighborhood were not worth more
than $500. A lot IS feet 'front.' more than
double the frontage of Mrs. Weaver's. just
opposite, could be bought for $4,000. He
advised against the purchase and the COM
mittee agreed with him.
| Mr.. Comte said he and the Board of
| Education knew that the price was excess
| sive but they thought it was necessary.
| The children should have playground, as
| the building scarcely had grounds enough
to admit of their free entrance and exit.
Chairman Taylor of the committee
| thought it would be wiser to buy the two
| lots opposite for the purpose.
| Mr.. Comte said that the school-teachers
| objected to that, as they declared they
would not let the children cross the street
because of the danger.
"That is a Woman's argument" said
Mr.. Taylor; ''when the principal of a
school wears petticoat you must make
allowance for her reasoning on these
things. The first thing the children do
when released from school is to run into
the street. They must cross streets every
day going to and from school. 1t is silly,
then, to say that they must not cross a
street to the playground. l have been q
| member of the school board and | know
| something about these things"
II am not special pleader for the woman
principal, neither am l attending the
| Woman's Congress-" said Mr.. Comte,
'but | do believe in the children having a
playground. 1t is as important to them
as their books, for you must give their
young energies an outlet, and teach them
| to be healthy as well as WISE
Then, warming to his subject, he de-
livered himself of the caustic criticism of
the public schools of San Francisco, as
quoted above. Having said that the
school buildings were uncared for and in a
state of decay Mr.. Taylor interrupted him
| to say:
''In this connection I would like to ask
if the department hasn't had a lot of idle
carpenters drawing a salary for some
years whose business it was to look after
| these repairs?"
''They have had some carpenters and
| have spent great deal of money, I have
| no doubt" said Mr.. Comte; "enough
| perhaps. TO have secured very great i'm
| provement on things as they exist if it had
| to talk about that, but to consider things
as they do exist. believe we should give
the children good, we'll ventilated, clean
and cheerful schoolrooms and plenty OF
! room to play, and that is the spirit of the
| present board throughout, l believe"
The committee decided to hold the mat.
| ter over until next meeting.