The times., 1899-08-28

NEW YORK. Aug. q i'm order to learn
how far the recent exclusion of a coiored
boy from Jamaica school in this vicinity
under a provision of the common school
law Of 1864 might be applied as precedent
to the exclusion of colored children from
other schools Of the enlarged city 5ttended
ty white children, a reporter maze some
enquiry yesterday.
Henry r. NJ. Cook, auditor Of the board
OF education, said: THE board of educa-
ton has the right, inherent in its corpor-
ats powers and fortified by several sections
of the c.-y charter 10 direct the attendance
OF pupils throughout the different wards.
In a word. this body can determine what
school a child shall attend. Whatever may
be the technicalities of the law, the courts
thus far have sustained this authority Of
the school boards. In 1893 the King vs..
Gallagher case was decided in favor of the
Brooklyn board. The recent decision Of
Justice Smith was in favor of the school
board Of Queens borough. The whole ques-
ton. therefore. lies with these officers. If
they see fit 20 establish separate schools
for Jews. or Slavs, or Italians, they have
legal power 10 do SO, provided these schools
are supplied with equal educational facili-
ties / do not think, however, that the open
door policy now maintained Will be at all
narrowed by the Jamaica case. The board
OF education viii try 10 regulate all sfch
matters in accordance with the best inter-
ests Of the community"
1t is rurnolei, nsverth zless, that strioteT
line may be drawn in some districts be-
cause of the constant and more than pro-
portionate increase in the negro population
Of those quarters. In 1890, according 10
the United States census. there were in
the city of New York 25,614 colored people
in a total population of l,515, ,3o1. This was
one colored man TO about fifty whites
Judging from the death rates of whites
and blacks for the years 1890 and 1898, il
is estimated that there are now in Man
haitian and the Bronx about 10000 colored
persons in a total population OF ?, III, ,106-
one eolored person TO flfty-two whites. In
the borough of Queens the proportion OF
negroes has always been much greater
than elsewhere, and il is now estimated
as high as one TO forty. Ii is in that
borough that the color line has just been
drawn. In speaking Of this increase Dr.
Roger s. Tracy, recorder OF the health de-
partment said that al present there was
large immigration OF Southern negroes
This is noticeable in the death records,
he continued "A great number come from
Virginia, many of whom are house SER
wants. or representing for the most part
the better classes Of the Southern negro
OF course, down among the wharves one
may find the stunted, lowbrowed type,
which is seen at work in the fields OF
Georgia and Alabama The districts Of
Manhattan that appear to have the most
attraction for them are the Eighth ward,
bounded by Houston Street, Broadway,
Grand Street, and the North River; also
the districts around Ninetieth Street and
Third Avenue, and Thirty-hrst Street and
Sixth Avenue. They find employment as
laundresses, house servants, porters, jani-
tors. clerks, truckmen, BARRIERS, and cigar
makers. A large number each year are
going into the public schools and entering
the professions Each year also sees few
er engaged In unskilled labor. which is
being performed instead by immigrants
from southern and eastern Europe"