Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-17
NEW YORK GOSSIP
Why There Are So Many Scholars
Without Enough Schools.
WAGNER FEfRAL0GY BY WHOLESALE
A Precocious Youth Who Made a
Phenomenal Success.
STORY OF HIS DOWNFALL


NEW YORK, September 49, 1898.
After the summer vacation the young
ones over here are again attending school
that is, all but 10000 of them. For these
10000 there is no room in the schools.
Last year only $4,000 and odd were denied
that essentially American gift to the youth
ful-a public school education. But the
barge office hopper has been operating
right along. The steerages of transatlantic
ships have brought in thousands of Euro
pean youngsters of the school age. The
native young ones have continued their
habit of arriving at the school age, rather
inconsiderately taking no account what
ever of the lack of school accommodation.
But New York's board of education or New
York's board of estimate and apportlonment
or whatever municipal outfit is responsible
for these 10000 human mavericks-it is no
easy matter to ascertain where the blame
rests, so deity and unanimously do the
concerned and cornered gentlemen of the
municipality point their fingers at each
other-does not make a specially of statis-
tics. The municipal government of New
York is too busily engaged in figuring on
the puissant generation that is and the
power thereof at the polls TO waste much
time in preparing for the generations TO
come. Herein is no knock at either of
the political parties that has had munich
PAL coHtTOl Oh New 1Ork WITHIN the past
few years. 1t is an indictment of both par
ties that speaks for itself. Twenty-four
thousand mavericks last year under re-
publican municipal administration, 10000
mavericks this year under democratic mu-
nicipal administration; the difference is a
mere matter OF a years amplification in
hgures- 1t is sore old subject with the
defender of New York and her institutions
this turning into the streets of the metrop-
oils of almost as many young ones as join
ed the children's crusade to the Holy Land
back in the dark ages. 1t is the one criti-
cism of the town and the management
thereof upon the presentation of which by
"Uitlander" the New York man will shut
up like a clam. If he undertakes any de-
Tense whatever he is likely to say:
A Common Argument.
Why the dickens should the taxpayers
of New York be asked to build and maintain
public schools for slews of thousands of
youngsters who have been brought here in
their mothers arms from the other side
kids who have to unlearn the iargon of
their native countries, the jargon that is
still spoken here in New York by preference
by their parents before they can make any
Roadway in English? Dye know that more
IMAM mar me young ones in the public
schools of New York are of foreign birth
or parentage? Take the annual list OF
graduates from the city high school that
Is published in some of the newspapers; I'll
"a
Two out of five of the names of the sradu-
ates. Moreover, dye know that the for
elgn youngsters are crowding the native
porn children. the American children, out
or the schools of New York? Fully one
half of the 10000 children who are shut ont
of the schools this year are dyed-in-the-
wool American children, whose people have
peen Aner1cans for generations back. The
Doaru OF educatfons figures show this
Dye suppose were going to break our
necKs throwing school buildings together
Tor the perpetuation Of such "a system as
this? Dye think we've got a contract To
Undertake the education of all of the off
spring. legitimate and illegitimate of the
continent of Europe? Not much"
This argument, so far as 1T goes, is neith-
er untrue nor much beside the mark But
it has it's manifest weakness.
oh the system, then, Is at fault" you
say to the New York man. We'll, who's
responsible for the system? Who or what
specific combination of who's, enjoys the
one-half of them Americans, from the pub
lie schools Of New York;"
oh 1 Dunno" is the reply. "Give US
rest
And it being ascertained that the chill
dren Of foreign birth or parentage," you
pursue, ARE getting much the better of the
distribution of seats in New Yorks public
schools, your scheme now is to sulk over
the proposition and to make no further
provision in the way of school accommoda-
ton whats er, either for foreign or Amer
lean chlldren, out JUST TO let all Oh EN- to
come hereafter educate themselves
Il am tired" replies the New York man.
Considering New Schemes.
Meanwhile, various schemes are being put
forward to the end that few thousands
of the 10000 outcasts from school privileges
shall have at least a little dabble in the
fields of learning. The New York board of
education is thinking of adopting the "Co-
penhagen system of stuffing learning into
the minds of the children Copenhagen is a
crowded town, and long while ago it was
found that there weren't enough schools
for the children. So some colossal Danish
intellect suggested that one-half of the
yourg ones of the school age should be sent
to school in the morning and the other
half In the afternoon. In other words, CO.
penhagen split her educational facilities in
to two watches. and utilized them thus In
order that all of the Copenhagen young
sters should have at least half an educa-