The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-01
SCHOOL PHOTOS ILLEGAL,
WALLSTEN TO MAYOR
Commissioner of Accounts Reports Scheme to Identify
Children at Profit Violates Board of
Education Bylaw.

A report which says that every
teacher in the public schools is made
a canvasscr for a private commercial
firm in selling TO school children strip
pictures of themselves at ten cents
apiece has been made to Mayor Mitchell
by Commissioned of Accounts Wallsteln
and WAS made public by the Mayor
yesterday. Mr.. Wallstein also says
that this bylaw Of the Board of Edu-
cation has apparently been violated:
collections OF o from pupils
for my purpose shall not he allowed
unless by permission OF the Board OF
Education. Canvassing for books oil
other publications shall not be allowed
In the schools"
He concludes that It would be a
mistake TO give official sanction TO u
private enterprise. the result of which
must inevitably have been 10 empha.
size the distinction between the chill
drcn who could n those who could
not AFFORD to pay the ten ents for their
pictures
Complaints having reached the Mayor
OF the photographing Of pupils. he had
Commissions Wallstein make an in
N~estigation. John W. Davis. director
of the bureau of compulsory education
testified. according TO the Nallstein re-
port. that the photographing of thu
children for the purpose of putting Their
likenesses on Identification cards would
help greatly In keeping children on the
streets and In school. In March oi
.kpril OF this year W. Foster Hall ri
, the Wilson Magazine Company. Phila.
delphia, asked permission to take tn,
pictures in this city.
NH. Halls proposition was" says Mr.
Wallstein, that the photographing was
TO be done without expense to the city
or the children. He explained that COM
p~ensation would come to his company
through the sale of photographs at IL
cents for four or five pictures OF each
child. which would he taken at one
exposure, the fifth picture being used
for the child's Identification card"
scheme Won Approval.
\ proposal ito take index photographs
for Identification purposes says Mr.
Wallstein. was approved by Mr.. Davis
the Board OF Education's committee OF
special schools and by the board OF
superintendents. There was no express
approval OF the sale Of photographs. to
the children. but Mr.. Davis told Mr.
Walistein that was part Of the plan
and DR.. Ira Vile. a member of the
special schools committee, old Mr.
Wallstein that he and his committee
knew and approved that part. The
matter was not submitted to the Board
Of Education. its approval being deemed
unnecessary.
Mr.. Davis on September 90 notified
| principals of the Identification card plan
saying In the notice: These pictures
will be taken without cost tn the pupils
or to the schools" The photographs
have been taken in thirty schools thus
far and sales of the strip pictures to
pupils have been made 10 about one
half of the children. Mr.. Davis told
Mr.. Wallstein. according TO the ~latter''
! report. that he was not responsible fol
the sale or the opportunity therefor
That was up to the principals. When
! they asked him about II he replied that
eli the Children wished to buy the
pictures there was no objection to it
Mr.. Davis also said that he did not
consider the Board of Edu"ation's by
law quoted above applicable. because