The sun., 1903-09-29
The Basis of New York'l Civiliza tion

The Basis OF New York1 CiV1l11ac1on-
The essential importance Of the public.
schools, and more especially on Manhat-
tan Island, where now less than one
sixth of the population is Of native birth
and parentage, is too obvious to re-
quire argumentative demonstration. The
greatest increase in the population by
immigration in the history Of the town
is now taking place, and the new access
sions, more than ever before, are from
races not speaking our language.
Nothing in the municipal administra-
ton OF New York gives so much reason
for pride as its school system. About
one-quarter Of the whole expenditure Of
the city government is for free public
education For the actual running OF
the schools the appropriations this year
were something over $40, 900 900, equiva-
lent to four mills on every dollar Of the
assessed valuation Of real and personal
estate in New York. The sum asked for
by the Board of Education for next year
is s23,OOO,OOO. This is wholly additional
to the amount expended and to be ex-
pended for the sites and buildings OF
new schoolhouses, sums raised by the
issue Of city bonds. Last January tho
Board Of Education asked for about
100000 for building, and the last OF
this amount, about 100000, has been
allowed within few days.
On Sept. IA. at the opening of the
schools, 535, ,103 children registered as
pupils. In Manhattan, out of total
registration of 265O7o, all except 9,l37
were in the elementary schools.
1t is suggestive to compare these sta
tstics with those of the London School
Board for last year. At Lady Day, 1902.
there We're 546,370 children on the rolls
Of the London board schools The ex-
penditure for administration and main
tenance was less than $4,000 900, as
against over s20,0OO0O0 in New York.
The enrolment Of pupils was about the
same AS il is here this year; yet the popu-
lation of the London School Board dis
trict in 1901 was one-half greater than
that Of New York. Conditions there
and here are so different in respect OF
public education and of enumeration that
no exact comparison can be made but
the vastly greater expenditure on our
schools and proportionate attendance on
them are unquestionable.
In New York there are now 500
schools, free and wholly supported by
taxation, and of teachers something like
1900 Since last january nineteen new
schools and additions and parts of three
Others have been opened, and thirty-eight
are now under way, four-fifths of which
had it not been for the strikes in the
building trades
SO rapid is the growth of the popula-
ton Of New York-37l per cent. bet ween
$40 and 1900, and since 1900, apparently,
IL a still greater ratlO-that it has been
next to impossible to keep pace with it
in the matter Of school accommodation
and last year actually impossible because
of the labor strikes. Accordingly, "a very
considerable part of the children enrolled
are unable to get instruction during
MORE than half Of the usual school day.
there being two shifts one morning
and one afternoon This, however, is
not by any means 30 serious depriva-
tion rs 1t Is made out to 10 in many
quarters. The great majority Of these
children are Of an age when il lis ales-
tlonablo il the reduced time of school
attendance is not 10 their advantage.
When, however, the schools under way
are opened even these half time pupils"
VIII be comparatively few and AZ tho
policy OF the Board Of Education III liberal
IN the matter of building new schools in
ths congested districts and IL Is sup
ported by the Board OF Estimate and
Apportonment, We may expect that Ia