New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-14
THE CHT-RCHES AND THE SCHOOLS.

Mayor Strong is entitled TO much credit for his
suggestion that religious organizations should
put their Sunday school rooms at the disposal of
the Board of Education. for the benefit OF chill
drcn for whom there is no place in the public
schools So far rs we know. this method of sup
pyng temporarily a scrons deficiency has
never been proposed before but that is prcsilm-
ably because it was never thought Of. for there
is much 10 commend IT, and LITTLE 10 he said i'll
opposition. II is gratifying Ia note that several
consents hav" been given. but the response has
not been 80 prompt and general it ought To
have been. Perhaps it is not surprising that
church trustees should at first thought shrink
from taking such step. in view OF the reSpon-
sibility which they would thereby incur: but it
seems to us that a careful consideration OF the
matter should convince them that favorable
action on the Mayors request would he ~ be-
coming as 1t would be useful. and that no serious
abuse of the privilege need be apprehendcd. We
suppose that the possibility of contagion has oc-
Cured To some Of the church authorities. but
there IS no more reason 10 expect such n mis-
fortune from the use Of Sunday school rooms
for secular instruction than from their use for
religious instruction. To n great extent their
occupants Sunday come from the same parts
of the city and the same elements of the popi-
lation from which their occupants on weekdays
would come. Moreover II was an essential con
dltion of Mayor Strong's proposition that they
should he kept thoroughly clean, and no doubt
the Board OF Educailor would agree 10 make
assurance doubly sure by liberal use Of disln-
fcctants on Saturday, If that were considered
desirable in any case.
We hope that the good example Of church
officers who have alr.ady accepted the Mayors
suggestion will he speedily followed 10y many
others. II IS n grave and dscrcditahle situation
in which the community has been placed by the
long neglect Of the municipal authorities. The
specific injustice inflicted uron the children who
cannot find places in the schools amounts Ike
wise to n general injury from which all the pco-
pie suffer. When thousands Of boys and girls
are left free 10 follow their own devices. subject
only 10 the lax discipline OF careless or prcoccu
pied parents there must inevitably lr many who
will sink through idlcness into degradation and
become a curse to themselves and To society at
large The success of the recent bond sales
guarantees. we trust. rapid progress in the i'm
pcraivc work of providing new schoohouscs,
but little If any addition to the existing esiab-
lshmcnt can he made within the current school
year If the greater part of those who are now
the victims Of imprOvidcni administration can
be gathered for regular instruction in the sun
day-school rooms OF the city the situation will
/ he much relieved. And II would be m especially
! suitable and graceful thing for the churches 10
permit such Of their property both because
they exist for the publication and uplifting Of
| humanity and because their exemption from tax
alton imposes upon them the moral obligation
of public service.