Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-23
BRUMBAUGH WON
SCHOOL FUND OVER
POLITICIANS HEADS
Carried His Fight to the
Parents of the Pupils
When the Organization
Opposed Reforms.

n,,nbaugh fought the political forces
tbst sought to deny the children Of the
oity a decent education. This is being
impressed upon the voters Of the State
nv friends Of the Republican candidate
tor Governor to refute the charge of
vance C. Mccormick that Doctor Brum-
SauEh never participated in any decisive
movement for civic uplift.
Before the present school code became
affective in 1911, the Board OF Education
was subjected to the tyranny of Nc
Nichols men in Select and Common
Council because all educational appro-
priauons were made by the municipal
body rather than by the school board
itself.
To obtain any favors from the OrlA MIA
tion, those who were in charge OF the
put;is schools were obliged to submit to
the rulings of the bosses, regardless of
the rights Of childhood.
Against this system Doctor Brumbaugb
rebelled When he began his duties as
superintendent of schools in July, 1906, he
found the condition of Philadelphia's
school system worse than that of the
rural districts where the little red school,
house" still predominated.
The new superintendent applied hlnaelf
Immediately with his characteristic Penn
sylvanla German energy to the eiimina-
ton of all the sore spots" for which the
politicians were responsible.
Doctor Brumba1gh wisely refrained
from participation In factional politics
without attacking any persons he showed
.he voters of this city how their chill
dren were being cheated of what was
their legal as we'll as moral right He
was careful to avoid the possibility of |
a charge of political activity, which has |
always been regarded among leading |
educators as not in accordance with their |
ethics.
APPEALED TO THE PARENTS.
Doctor Brunbaugh appealed to the
parents Of the city rather than to the
politicians. He showed tho public how
children were obliged to sit ON window
sills and wooden boards thrown across
the alsles of olassrooms because Councils
had failed to appropriate sufficient funds
for the maintenance of the school sv,-
tenn
Speaking at mass-meeting in the Cen
trail High School on February q. 1907
the superintendent said:
we need as good a school ecruipnent
as any other city in the world I shall
80 farther than that-we want a better {
school system than any other CITY In the I
world"
Then he told his audience that 5000
echool benches In use in this city had
been declared unfit for use by pbysi
clans; that soap boxes were being used v
as substitutes for desks and that crIp- !
pied children were obliged to sit on t
chairs without backs. He assured the d
assembIage that this condition was not (
an exceptional one, but applied to almost r
any school In PhiladelnhIa | "A
Doctor Brumbaugh aroused such indIR- 7
nation that resolutions were adopted de- Il
mandlng that something be done irnrne e
olately TO relieve these conditions Moth p
'Ts ana Fathers shouted their approval. n
were with you. Doctor Brtmbaunh
they cried; "either new schools or nav. [
Councilmen. Our children can't vote but 7
we'll fight for them" v
subsequently pictures were published o
showing the shameful state of the +
behools' The Chandler School, In Ken +
sington, 1t was proved, had no corridors
the cellar was filled with water, making II
me building too damp for safe occue Il
pancy' and the children wore Obliged to Il
IsaVe the school daily by an open OUT "
side hre-escape N' I,
On the day of the election Of John p, m
heyourn 10 per cent. of the children wara
attending part time" sessions. CT
The chief Of the Bureau Of Health d. IT
saIeu that many OF the city's school | p
houses are so dilap.dated and Insani
.ay that 1t Is better that the children o,
snou,a ~ . oe on the streets than subjected "
Citing this opinion. Doctor rr,,r,h.S r,
demanded that Il new schools be .rected %
snd that loan OF $4,000 be neeotistsS hi
Lor 'his purpose. No loan had hitherto 81
~ " uevoted exclusively 10 the schools. OF
.ua through the efforts OF Doctor Brum. III
,or a.. aua ms associates special loans al
purposes were made legal
URGED ACT OF ASSEMBLY, m
a 'oan was negotiated and steps wer. in
"'" at once toward the erection OF tn
"' needed school buildings. But Doctor re
'rumoaugh had not finished his hebt II. 81, 81
isea an act Of Assembly recurring c,oun- 10,
us 10 set aside one-third Of IN. to,.,
-Aa'.oh on the eity's real estate for ini in
' yHo'' purposes He won that point, too, Ior
'an the assistance OF the Public Edu- tel
'uon Association and other political in ior
ependent forces. OF
,h.ei en a,ter the passage of the new str
~. Gode which was largely the re-
mai. DoS'or Brumbaugh's activity. the nj
tIo.n 'eldent was not satisfied with con- vi
oI ~ Hnclis were no longer In con-
"a, y. Vi the schools, but a reactionarv
NJ HIn IN the school board showed ~
:. W pe almost as stubborn as IN. Ma
s .itauon's tools had been in leEislat-
-. modern school system into exist
re- ire s,uperintendent was placed in an PHI
aotay perilous position. He had bsen Wa
I,s oy the Board OF Education ana dat
s Inpioye he could be discharged bv Dis
il5sne sane oody. For the sake OF The tod
,a. OF Philadelphia he undsrtooL bef,
cr.. ~" employees would dare 10 do nut
n ms employer of ineficIencv by
,c,,r 'TT1slance' that was the action n, Ol
tois b.rumoaugh. Directly and frankly Sta
mo sHe reactionary element that thew arg
rss.I' no sincere and earnest attempt non
,raLIue the schools from their a. the
,dS 06e state, and urged a new loan y, tive
,ooI 10 accomplish under the new Rob
,om,i'ole Hoae what Councils had failed 10 OF
Iopr Isn under its political system. Dis
Al ~ was negotiated, but through and
-rv HiiICailty the amount was neces- com
nsy Itduced TO S2OOOOO0 When tbIs at
IA 6oo oSa oSo neen expended another loan nigh
No 'pp .ru1 was hoated, Schools are nov rum
ne pelled with the latter sum. w
n ta,oasrd or Education now levies its Con
IA con,, ana hoats all of its own loans To, .
a., n,pletely Independent Of counciis that
scbea, 'hese new privileges enioyed bv OF Il
sryoo.li board were obtained througb N.
ocist.s OF Doctor BrumbauRh ana biS dscii
S'eS IN public life