New-York tribune., 1906-10-21
CITY CATCHES TRUANTS.

All the parochal schools follow the same pro-
cedure in cases of truancy-apply to the city
officers. AS to corporal punishment the right to
administer 1t is vested sometimes in the prin
cipal and sometimes In the director.
Il hold court every Friday morning" said the
Rev. Father Mcmillan, director of the School of
St Paul. in West Goth street. and I attend to
the bad boys. It's not much-just shake, to re-
mind them that there's higher power. There
are boys accustomed to being knocked about
at home that they don't understand the absence
OF II A good many years ago. before this school
was built, end when there school at all
from 56th street for many blocks uptown took
census of the truant boys around here, and
FOUND three hundred. / used to say to the
truant officer: You get the pay and I do the
work They run when they you, but they
don't run from me- Well, there aren't many
truantS now
St Pauls is entirely a primary school. The
writer visited 1t early enough one Friday morn
ing to see the assembly with which the school
opens three times q week. The children, about
thirteen hundred of them. marched into the great
assembly room, where they sang a hymn and re-
cited the Lords Prayer and Hail. Mary" Then
Father Mcmillan gave brief talk about guar
dian angels. Then the children sang the RED
White and Blue" and rected some memory
gems" and lastly the honor roll was called-the
pupils whose work had reached certain stand
ard through the week. This assembly-the
marching in and out from the classrooms-is re-
garded, too. as a sort of fire drill.
There is large kindergarten in this school,
where the proceedings about the same as in
other NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. songs. having the
children repeat stories told them by the teachers
and working the letters of the alphabet in
colored worsteds. The supplies decidedly in
expensive. The one property doll is battered,
but still smiling. The director called attention.
with some pride. to an invention Of this school
oiicioth foundations for the children to weave
colored mats on These last" he said. I'VE
don't have to be buying new ones"
The parochial schools a rule their teachers
say, nave few truants. Our children realize
That they must study" one of the brothers said.
They. most of them. belong to the class who
have their living to earn early, and they realize
that they must prepare for it." This fact also is
taken into account by the Catholic school boards
and the directors Of the various schools-they
go upon the theory that, as the Rev. Father NC
MILAN put II to the writer, "the bread winning
studies must take precedence
St. Peters, the old school In Trinity Place is
one Of the most practical. To this school-stand-
ing where the elevated trains shake its very
wallS-come children from upper Harlem and
the outskirts of Brooklyn. They entered the
primary classes when their parents lived near
by and We're unwilling to change schools when
they moved
The sister who was teaching the girls gradu-
ating class told the writer that she had been
teaching there for twenty years MonsignOr
Mclean, pastor Of the parish has been there
twenty years. Two days a week he spends
in the school. visiting the classes, teaching them
Latin and giving them religious instruction The
| highest classes give most of their time 10 Eng
| lish literature, history, geography and the first
| books of geometry. There are constant exami-
nations in spelling The teacher of the girls
b. after putting her class through a quick cate
chism in various subjects for the writer's benefit
| pointed out the pictures, hanging the walls
| of previous graduating classes
This girl" she said of OF last year ',has
| gone to the Normal College, these two are in a
| business college: this one is taking the course
! in stenography at the Young Women's Christian
| Association Some have gone into Offices"
"A good many of these girls and boys go into
Offices. and seem to do WELL. said another of the
| teachers. Il don't know why unless II is that
being here in the business district, they absorb
| the BUSINESS atmosphere"