New-York tribune., 1908-04-08
Of Interest ~
< TO Wome11.
RUDE TO WOMEN
". Fl. p. A. COMPLAINS.
Treated Like Mendicants at Board
of Education Building.

9Th. BOARD of Education needs somebody after
IT." said Charles C. birmingham former presiuenl
OF that body 70 the members OF the woman :
Health Protective Association at It's meeting at
the Academy Of Medicine yesterday afternoon Il
wish this association would to that board three
times week every week in the year and tell them
some the things that ought TO he done
Then Mrs Ralph Trautmann, president OF the
association, got
Eve have gone TO the Board OF E,dueation-or
tried to-sometimes she said. But there Is not a
public building New York City where one l.
treated with Iitt courtesy as one receives III
the headquarters of that board Why even the
clerks treat us as II we mendicants and it
goes from them up TO the highest grade l have
heard Superintendent Maxwell on the lecture plat
form speak IN praise OF gentleness and politeness
I thought myself You had better begin with
your force
The dlscourtesy in that building is in the very
atmosphere; you feel 1t the instant you enter 1
have great respect for the time OF busy men; 1
hate to go to them unless it is matter of necss-
slty. But this association doesn't to the Board
OF Education with fads Ond theories We are a
band OF women working hard to lessen certain
evils. But what happens when any OF Us go 70 the
Board Of Education We stand around till we can
get the attention of some office boy who stands
looking around with his head in the clouds.
What do you want?' he says
'' Can I see Mr.. So-and-So2'
'' Sit down And sit down one OF those
long benches in the outer hall like the benches in
a dispensary. and wait. and wait, probably two or
three hours And I'm afraid that to go there three
times week as Mr Birmingham suggests, and 10
wait two or three hours each time, would be
spending more time than the members OF this as
sociation can afford"
"I wouldn't wait two hours" said Mr.. BurIng-
ham. I'd go home and write rousing letter 10
the president of the board
I'VE really a1noss thought Of going 10 the
Mayor about it," said Mrs Trautmann- Why.
once committee from our association went 70 see
Mr. Maxwell by appointment; he had written, set
ting the hour and yet we kept waiting four
hours And Of our number was woman
eighty-fve years old
We only want TO cooperate with the Board OF
Education The Board OF Health has made it easy
for US to Cooperate with it. but it's beginning
TO be so that it's hard to get inside there. too
And If you can't get hold of people ended the
president of the Womans Health Protective As
ISOLATION what can you do?'
Well said Mr. Birmingham anxiousy. I'd GER
tainly bring this discOuTtesy 10 the attention Of
somebody
Mr. BurIingham's talk before the association was
The Physical Welfare Of SchOolchildren-" In
cidentalIy he said that the New York public
schools ''Instructng the children in waste
We give them 50 much" he said. books. paper,
everything-ft doesn't come hard enough; they
don't learn the necessity of saving. Anybody who
has an office downtown knows that most of the
office boys and the girl typewriters are waste
ful II they'd been born 10 the purple Their
wastefUlness is extraordinary, and I think it's
because they're not taught economy in the public
schools. I know there parents who cannot
buy books and paper and pencils for their children.
but surely way could be devised 10 provide
for such cases without any one knowing"