New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-26
Plague Brings Only 10 Per
Cent Drop in This Years
Enrolment.
EAST SIDE SHOWS
BIGGEST INCREASE
Individual Inspection Of
Children and Military
Training Begun.

The infantile paralysis epidemic
failed TO have any considerable effect
IN reducing the attendance at the open
+ ing sessions Of the public, parochial
and private schools yesterday. Of
Gals Of the Board Of Education esti
mated that the total enrolment was
only about 10 per cent below what
would have been regarded as normal,
which ia, roughly, about 100000. Of
these 10000 about 100000 were kept
at home by their parents through fear
Of the epidemic. The other so, 900 APP
/ peared ready to attend the schools, but
were sent home By physicians and
nurses Of the Department Of Health
because they came from premises
where cases Of poliomyelits are under
quarantine, or because they had only
recently returned TO New York from
the country and failed 70 bring with
them the proper certificates.
One surprising feature Of the school
opening was the fact that on the lower
East Side, where the infsntile paralysis
| epidemic had caused the greatest ex-
element and reused the most fear, the
attendance was az least normal in prac-
/ tcally every school district, and many
/ schools reported a much larger attend
ance than had been expected. Mothers
Of that district appeared 70 have cast
aside their fears with the opening Of
the schools. In fact, many Of them
told school principals they considered
their children safe from any disease so
long as they we're in the good Ameri-
can schools
Because Of the magnitude OF com
pilatiOn exact figures on the attendance
will not be available until next Mon
day. when they will be issued from the
/ Office Of William O.. Wilcox, president
of the Board Of Education.
Innovations Mark Opening.
Several educational innovations
marked yesterdays opening. chief
among them being the inspection Of
every child by nurses and physicians Of
the Department Of Health, the inaugu-
ration of a system Of compulsory phys
zeal training for the first time in the
history of American education, and the
fact that the year marked the begin
ming Of compulsory military training
for boys more than sixteen years OF
age. the first time such a system has
ever been provided b. law in an Ameri-
can state.
The inspection Of the school chill
dren was under the direction Of DR..
John !. Cronin. director Of the bureau
Of child hygiene of the Health Depart
ment, with the assistance and cOOpera-
ton Of DR. Bertram Il. Waters, director
of the bureau of preventable diseases.
Dr. Cronin provided for the work of
inspection $50 nurses and physicians,
distributed ln the ratio of one 70 each
1850 children. Every child who en-
tered the schools yesterday was ques-
toned and inspected for signs of an
infectious disease, and none was per-
mitted 20 enter a class room unit. the
inspection had been completed.
Truancy Law Waived Three Weeks.
Spencer Phenix. secretary % Presi-
dent Wilcox, said yesterday no i'm
mediate effort would be made 70 com
pei the attendance Of the 100000 school
children whose parents have kept them
out Of school because of the paralysis
epidemic The board viii waive the
truancy laws for period of three
! weeks in consideration Of the fears Of
parents, but 20 the end Of that time
the proper legal steps will be taken 70
force The children 10 attend school
Il is probable that truant officers
VIII visit the home of each child miss
ing from schoo. and inform its parents
that il must attend school at the end Of
three weeks.
Although three new schools. with a
seating capacity of 1924. were opened
in The Bronx, and three others have
been devoted 70 the Gary plan, IL is
not believed there will be any appre-
ciable decrease IN the number OF part
time pupils.
Last June, when the schools closed,
there we're about $4,000 children in
The Bronx on part time, and about the
same number is expected this year.
The attendance in The Bronx, as well
as in other boroughs, is expected to be
larger than ever before. In Brooklyn
the Board of Education said yesterday
the attendance would be about 10000
greater than in Manhattan, which has
heretofore led the city.
The largest increase in the number
Of new pupils we're recorded by Public
school 81, at 222 Mott Street, in the
Italian section. where $500 children
had been registered yesterday, an in
IN -,uf. ..