New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-25
Committee Seeking to Or
ganiZe Association for
Every School.
TEACHERS EXPECT
FEW PUPILS TO-DAY
Look for Not More than
Half Of Full Attendance
at Opening.

The formation OF n central fedora
ton Of parents associations Of the
six hundred public grade schools of
New York probably will be one of
the results Of the failure Of the pro-
tests lodged against the opening OF
the schools to-day by the League of
Parents Associations of the 18th
School District.
Plans for such an organization are
being worked out by a special com
mittee Of the 18th District League. OF
which David Rothschlld, head OF
contracting firm at 335 West Six
teenth Street. is chairman Other
members Of the committee are DR..
Irving D. Stcinhardt, Of ga West
Ninoty-nnth Street; Frederick II.
Pruschen. of 81 West ! 9th Street;
Mrs. Bernard Schif, Of 465 West End
Avenue; William b. d. Allis, OF Is
West Ninety-frst Street, and Fred
erick Klein, Of s14 West End Avenue.
1t was at first proposed to form
the central federation on delegate
basis, with representatives of each
Of the six hundred schools. This
system, it was found, would result in
a too unwieldy body, ant the plan
was adopted OF first organizing the
associations OF each district into dis
trict leagues, and then forming the
central organizar n, with delegates
from each league.
Schools Belong to the People
DR.. Steinharit said yesterday that
the principal function of the new
organization would be to protect the
interests Of the parents of school
children. and impress N the city
authorities the fact that "the schools
belong TO the people" Members Of
the 18th District League-the only
organization of the sort in the city
believe that had such an organization
existed when the fight to prevent the
opening of the pUoliC schools was
begun it would have been successful.
Alone and without the organized sup
port Of the pa Cnts of any other dis
trict. the league aucceeded in carrying
it's fight beyond the Department of
Health and the Board of Education TO
Mayor Mitchell.
Parents associations, or protective
organizations of some sort in which
parents are interested, exist n three
fourthS Of the graded schools of the
city. The first air. of the 18th Dis
trict organization is to hasten the
formation of such bodies until every
school has one. Members of the
league have volunteered to aid in this
organization work; in fact. for the
last month they have been busy or
ganizing the parents Of the 14th Dis
trict, and have completed this work
with the exception Of one school.
Once the organization OF the indi-
vidual schools has been completed the
league will then turn its attention to
organizing district leagues, to which
each school in the district will send
delegates These district leagues in
turn will organize the Central Fedora
tion of Parents Associations.
Parents Told of Objects.
A letter which is being sent out by
Mr.. Rothschild's committee to every
member Of a parents association in
this city says:
"The League Of Parents Associations
of the 18th School District, comprising
the six schools between Eighty-frst and
10th Streets, Central Park West and
the Hudson River, was formed recent
~ to deal with interests peculiar to
the schools of our district Strong
centralizing tendencies in our educa-
tional affairs in this city seem to make
such concerted action desirable to con-
serve results already obtained, as we'll
as others we hope {, obtain IN the
future.
But larger than the local interests
OF any district are he great educa-
tional questions which concern the
whole city While theoretically these
questions are handled by the Board OF
Education, il will be agreed that the
opinions of any board, whether APP
pointed or elected. will constantly need
to be inspired and reinforced by the
parents themselves. In, order TO pre-
sent these ideals practically and fore
IDLY. a federation Of parents assocla-
tons is not only desirable but Indis-
pensable. To form federation of the .
600 schools i'm the city on a delegate .
basis would result, we feel, IN an un-
wieldv body For this reason we are
suggesting the school district as a basis
for organization, and have ourselves .
come together on that basis.
ave are therefore taking the liberty
of suggesting a similar plan for other
associations. with the hope that the
larger federation will become a pos
siblity in the near future. II we can
IN any way help you either in promot-
ing d single association or a district
federation we shall be glad 20 render
any assistance within our power"
Many Pupils to Stay Away.
II is not believed that more than half
the usual number Of children will be
i'm attendance when the schools open
to-day. Despite the repeated assur-
ances Of Commissioner of Health
Emerson that the infantilc paralysis
epidemic has abated to such an extent
that there is no danger of further
widespread infection, many parents are
afraid 10 send their children TO school
for fear they might contract the disease
through contact with other children.
For the last two weeks the Board OF
II ..-.- ..o. -. b.or foirlt. do lpcoH with T.