New-York tribune., 1904-09-24
THEIR GRIEVANCE.
Teachers of Fairgrounds Tagged
5 Out from AH Work and No Play.

E,v che TOersrtrnent OF Parks treats the children
,ho frequent it's Fairgrounds so well and the
teachers who direct the play OF ths ittie toiA 90
badly Is a question which has bean sgitsting the
minds OF the said teachers for some time. and
which they VIII probably call upon the department
70 answer before long. Their grievance is that
they get no vacation and no holidays. not even
Christmas or the Fourth OF July. and, while the
cause Of dissatisfacfion is not new it mas been
recently brought 70 climax by the granting OK
three religious holdsys-the Day OF Atonement
which occurred last week. and two days in the
pdeceding week-to the Jewish teachers.
Now, the non-Jexish teachers have been obliged
20 work on Christmas ana Good Friday well as
national holidays. and they do not see why Chris
nsn holidays should be ignored while those OF the
Jews sre respected. Besides this. they want the
two months vacation which all teachers are sup
posed 70 get and they have therefore. decided that
the time has come Cor some actiOn on their part.
The reasons offered by the Park Department
for requiring the supervisors OF Fairgrounds to
work on holidays IS that their presence is more
necessary then than at any other time. but the
supervisors believe that occasional day OF free
dom would be good for the children. rather than
injurious. They also say that the mothers would
be glad II the Fairgrounds did not open early
on holidays. as they require the services OF the
children at home
The vacation question has only arisen within the
last year. because previously the Fairgrounds
only open IN summer. Last winter the experiment
q keeping three Fairgrounds. those IN the Hamil-
ton Fish. Seward and Tompkins Square parks. was
tried and now IL is proposed 20 keep all the play
grounds open throughout the year. The necessity
fo- vacation for IT, supervisors has, there
fore, arisen. but so Tar Il seems 20 have escaped
the attention both OF the Park Department and
the public.
Ia the three parks kept open last winter the
supervisors have been working for more than
year without intermissioD and are completely
tagsed out Saturday, which Is a day OF rest 70
nost teachers. brings them only additional labor,
sAc on holidays they expected 20 be on hand an
.oqr earlier than usual. Besides this. they have
Lac the additional labor and nervous strain in
sork
More than once" said one teacher 'I have been
e1t among the department stores looking UP suit
wasn't supposed 20 be al work before II o'clock. ."
4 an tired said another that / can
scarcely talk 20 the children, and how am going
lo Get through the winter without rest is more
tnan know. I can't imagine what the Park De-
xetrnent Is thinking OF &c let such state ot az
lslfs t2ist- Thew are very good aboBt giving Us
- tne supplies and equipment We need. but what
- ths use OF that with tagged out teachers They
sts tar more important than the equipment The
s0.k is very hard both physically and mentally.
yne mas 70 be on ones feet all day. and 90 have
children 70 NEten 1eir troubles and adjust their
disputes Is absolutely nerve wrecking. No matter
slpH 1reaf an Interest one takes IN the work, apd
cOLlsloer the education OF the parks quite as
sslleble as that given by the public schools, one
cshnot Keep Il up forever without rest"