The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-14
PUBLIC AND PARISH SCHOOLS.
An Appeal From the Superintendent Of the
=. Catholic Parish Schools.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: In YOU
/ paper OF this day. the 18th. you enumerate tn,
| number OF children In New York city for whom
| the Board OF Education was unable to pro-
| vide full time school accommodation yester
| day in our public schools. To certain extent
this condition is, no doubt, the result Of recent
labor strikes by which 1t was found impossi
BILE to get ready the new school buildings fol
| occupation. 1t Is very doubtful II the city OF
New York will ever be able to erect sufficient
school buildings to meet the steady natural
yearly increase In the population OF children
Of school age.
But. In the figures In your paper, you failed
TO include the number OF children Of New York
city ut present In the Catholic parish schools
In which an elementary education is given free
to the children. but at the cost of much money
to our Catholic churches.
When our public schools reopened their
doors to the city's children yesterday. 90
Catholic parish schools we're also opened to
the Catholic children in the boroughs of Man
haitian and The Bronx. and about so In the
boroughs Of Brooklyn and Queens. In these
ll8 school buildings more than rs. 900 children
81 the city were enrolled. These children are
distributed IN about 400 classes and are
These u. 900 children. therefore. were not
pr Prey ds for yesterday y any way with any
Of New York through its Board Of Education.
fs sl
and paid for put q the Church money Of the
The elementary education provided in these
saSs R al s
the pockets 81 the Catholic citizens Of =! New
York, These citizens. at the same time are
lected for the support OF our public school
system They are consequently ers hsping the
two very practical ways: First, by educating
their own children at their own expense, and,
second by cheerfully contributing to the cost
Of educating the rest OF the children Of the
is s.a 70 the OsndtG1
the tho sGnSS q Children who " dd appy fos
school room and who had 70 be put on the half
@ st the ha sssen 4d% by
our public school system.
of the school Children oH city
education in full time Or otherwise. the num-
schools sch must be- included that Correct and
complete count may be had
The situation. then. is this The Catholic
Catholic children children oitisens"Sit6' an
elementary education up to the requirements
OF the bOarQ OF EuuCatlOn without n cent OF
cost to the city, thereby UNNECESSARILY re-
lievinQ and assisting the Board of Education
in it's desperate efforts TO fulfil the promises
OF the city's present administration TO give
every boy and girl of school age seat In the
schools for a full schrc! dav.
And. since II actun,iy costs the city of Sew
York $40 year to educate each hoy and girl
In our public schools. II follows that the Cath.
Ollie parish school h saving the city annually
in education 81. 600, 400. when the value OF
the Catholic school ruilding itself is added to
this great sum the figure of profit to the city
taxpayer by our Catholc school ass umes
enormous proportions.
appeal to you. sir. to present this cor
reoted statement of the school question in our
city to the readers Of your paper, Our great
State OF New York is the most liberal of all
public Its citizens, az body, are fair
minded and they love Justice! Relying on
their high sense Of justice, am convinced
the time will soon come when they will vote
to appropriate some yearly reeoppense from
the public school taxes for the CATHOLIC schools
OF our city and State for the unselflsh help
they are giving In the noble work Of the edu-
cation Of all the children so dear alike to
Church and State.
(Rev) THOMAS A. THORNTON,
Superintendent Of Catholic Schools. Arch
diocese of New York.
New YoRK, Sept. Ia.