New-York tribune., 1901-10-23
IANuANY STEALS THUNDER.
SCHOOLS PROVIDED FOR BY REPUBLI-
CANS AND DELAYED BY DEMO
Gratis CLAIMED AS WIG
WAN IMPROVEMENTS

Iammany Hall has sent out a somewhat i'm
posing booklet entitled "Glimpses of Great Pub-
iic improvements in New-York" After a glow
ing introduction which bears the caption
'0ur iears OF Marvellous Activity in Beauti-
Iylng New-York and Making It More Habit
aole' tnere follow pictures of the principal pub
iAo SCHOOLS the work the rapid transit tunnel
some OF the streets that are asphalted. the 4Iar-
lem River bridges, and other similar irnnrove-
nehts. The pictures Of the schools are given
special prominence. as - the particular atten-
ton or the reader were invited TO what Tam
many appears TO be doing for the Young idea
IN the Introduction the first reference is to the
schools, and one of the sentences is the follow
ing Ihls administration is completing three
high schools and nine other public school build
lngs. accommodating seventeen thousand pupils.
| 10 be opened in 1902"
The nrst picture that follows is of the Peter
cooper High School. at e-hundred-and-sixty-
J sixth-st, Boston Road and Jackson-ave. in The
Bronx. The picture has an explanatory note,
mat the school accommodates 2.51O pupils and
cost $4,000. The tense of all the verbs the
present. which together with the cut gives the
/ reaoer the impression that the Peter Cooper
High School actually stands complete as a
monument to Tammany's zeal for higher edu-
cation
The second picture is Of the High School of
Commerce which an explanatory note says is
between Broadway and Amsterdam-ave. and
LOO pupils and cost S3OO.OOO- The third pict-
ure is Of the WaGleigh High School for Girls. at
one hundred -and-fOurteenth and One-hundred-
and-nfteenth SITS. between Seventh and Eighth
aVes-. which accommodates 2 $3.50 pupils, and
cost SfSI,Ooo Pictures OF other public schools
follow.
AS a matter Of fact not one Of the three high
schools Of which the Tammany circular boasts
IS completed, or any where completion.
The Peter Cooper High School is hardly more
than above the ground. The High School of
Commerce is little further along. and though
the contract for the Wadleigh High School was
signed last December. the building is not yet
completed.
An examination shows that these buildings
had their origin In Mayor Strong's admintstra-
ton. The Of S2.500.0O0 was appropriated
/ by permissive bill passed at Albany in 1897,
and known Chapter 412 Of the Laws Of 1897.
The bill was introduced by a Republican As
semblyman and supported by the city admins
FauOn- The new law permitted the Board Of
Estimate and Apportionment 10 issue bonds for
the high schools. With the incoming of Tam
many Hall, however. no action taken until
ton Of about S4OO for borings on one Of the
/ sites. Time dragged on, however. and no site
was procured until September l. when a site at
Tenth-ave-. Fifty-eighth and Fifty-ninth SITS
was obtained. Nevertheless, no high school was
ever built this site.
On November % 1899 the site OF the Boys
High School. at Fourteenth and Fifteenth SITS
and Livingston Place, was obtained. On Febru-
School was bought for SIP. .63T 10. The foun-
dations now hardly more than laid. on
July 24. 1900. the site Of the Wadleigh High
School for Girls purchased for S4S1 600, and
on December Is. 1900. the site OF the High
School Of Commerce was procured. the cost be-
! ing 1902 $40.
So history shows that, though a Republican
! legislature passed the legislation providing for
! these schools four years ago Tammany's negli-
gence and procrastination have prevented their
/ construction.