New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-11
DIR. MAXWELL ON TEACHING ALIENS.
Says Immigrants Of To-day Learn Less
Readily Than Teuton Predecessors.

Dr. William II. Maxwell. City Superintendent \
Schools. delivered address last night IN tina
Manhattan Congregational Church. Broadway and
Seventy sixth-st.. on The Public Schools and ira
People 1t was the first Of series OF addresses
70 be given IN the church on public life Presiden,
Butler OF Columbia University; George H Daniels
OF the New-YOrk Central and Hudson River Rail-
road: District Attorney Jerome and Others will bs
heard IN the near future. Superintendent Maxwell
said IN part:
Up 10 two years ago the increase IN the number
OF pupils about 23oOO yearly but n the last Two
years the increase has been s.. 90 each year To
provide for the increase thirty-eiSht new buildings
WITH capacity for 1000 pupils each and costing in
the aggregate S450OOO0 would have 70 be provided
and 30 new teachers engaged at annual expense
OF 100000. or $500 each. Books and other supplies
would cost S5.c0 The total cost FOR the school
year Of 19O3 4 So. 232.5 $50 81 pupil The
pupil per capita cost for purely educational purposes
was SsO 81 As a result 81 fhe concentration pos
stble under the greater Citv idea. the cost pupil
has shown a decrease each wear.
New-YOrk has shown a greater increase In 10
school attendance than any ctv IN the world. ard
though there are several contrfbutOry causes the
chief cause IS immigration. The number OF imn
grants in 1899 was Bills and in 1893 99S0 ana
character OF the immigrants from the Tsuton:
races OF twenty years ago 10 the prepOnderancs o.
Latin. Slavish and Jewish PEOPLES OF recent years
has given educators much TO think about and par
ttcularly so here in New-NOrS. where Compare
lively large percentage o. the influx remains &C..
The significance OF the problem lies N tle ~
that the immigrant OF to-day does not assnn sS
"a readily as did his Teutonic predecessor su -,
80 per cent cannot speak English How 20 I ~
the problem politically is question BY ttseI Dl.
the immediate fact that concerns Us Is that tness
peoples brought up IN an atmosphere, haoll So So
eminent and low plane OF living. differing from Ou
life and alien in language well as In other tnlns
here. and our business and duty are 10 c0n.els
them into good American citizens. They are frssa
from taxation. oppression and discOrd anu ~
TO be made 70 respect our laws and SI-.,y,
IL is our first object TO teach pupils OF loLsi
birth the English language by putting Clle Hl
separate classes FOR from three to six moILs' ~
after they fairly well versed IN EnsliIsl -.
are advanced into the regular grades. Nss s,S o
system aims to teach them something OF ne $50 esT,
ards OF American living by making eyery k..r
school and building example IN gOCd -.
ing Then it Is necessary 70 teach tng 11s sslf
liberty IS liberty only when accompanied W. "A
restraint foreign childs notion OF u oS,.sC .o,-
license" We have TO teach them tnaS So -
troll here IS the substitute for the entoEC5eN ~
straint they lived under in their native anus -
the task Is not easy one To unCers.sNo ,sIss
love American institutions IS the maj st5R, $500 a.
from the usual educational Instruction NH1N -
companies the whole process .,,v
Up to two years ago children were turnsu -
Now provision Is made for them, X Ory O ~ .-.T.
time. This feature has caused some missge..,
cism. but II has been imperative Inc law o,s. .,,
provides that every child has the right 70
ct the public expense and IL also provinces Ia
must attend school. For the first time tne
Education is carrying out the PROVISIONS or
Thank God. corporal punishment mas 80 80 ssvz<
fshed in the New-YOrk schools. and truss " ~
will be brought back.