New Britain herald., 1917-12-06
WARMER CLOTHING
ORDERED IN SCHOOL
Buildings Will Not Be Closed This
Winter by Coal Shortage
FUEL ECONOMY URGED.
JanitOl%s Instructed to Maintain Tenn
perature Of O5 to 81 DcgreeS-Shut-
tcndcnt Holmes.

down Strongly Opposed BY Super1n-
tendent Holmes.
About the first to be affected in New
Britain by the prevailing shortage of
coal Will be the public schools, but
rather than adopt any such extreme
measures as closing the schools dur
ing the cold winter months Superin-
tendent Stanley H. Holmes has re-
Quested all school janitors to exercise
great economy in the use of coal and
he has also advised the teachers and
pupils to wear clothing sufficiently
warm to keep them comfortable in
school rooms which are not heated
over g. degrees.
Opposed to Closing Schools.
There has been a statewide rumor
current IN this city, to the effect that
the United States Fuel Administration
Was about to request the closing of all
schOO1H In order to .curtail the coal
supply. This rumor intimated that
the schools might be closed during
the severe winter months. When
asked about this matter today Super
intendent Holmes, while he made no
attempt to deny that the coal situation
in reference to schools is acute, de-
clared that no information has been
received, by his office from Washing
ton relative to closing the schools.
Furthermore, the superintendent said
he would stfenuously oppose any such
plan because, he explained, to close
the schools during the term, to reopen
at some indeterminate date, would
tend to disintegrate the teaching staff.
1t would tend to increase the dclln-
QuencN of the pupils and, in short,
would reticct most disastrously on the
entire school system. 1t would be
practically impossible to keep the
teaching staffs intact and it would
likewise be impossible to secure teach
ers to work during the summer
months.
Il am heartily opposed to such a
plan, if you want to know my person 4
al opinion" superintendent Holmes !
said adding that especially in these
crucial times it is the patriotic duty of
every community to keep it's children
in school acquiring knowledge just as
long as is possible.
Miss Ella A. Fallon, supervisor of
primary grades, likewise opposed such
q plan. L think if this terrible war J
has got to hit the little children first
Il
Commenting further upon the coal
supply in the public schools, Super
intendent Holmes said that the supply
is not what it should be, but in every
school. with the exception OF the
Elihu Burritt school, there is suft1-
cient supply in the bins to last
through the most severe part Of the
winter with economics '~" Regard
ing the new Burritt school, the super
intendent admitted that the situation
is serious He said that over ten days
ago the school board advertised Tor
bids to supply this school, which ls
expected to open within few weeks !
but not a single coal dealer in the city
submitted a bid
Order to Teachers.
To curail the use Of coal in the |
schools. the janitors have been orr |
dered to keep the temperature be-
tween 65 and g. degrees at all times, |
and the teachers have been ordered |
to keep an hourly chart of the tenn |
perature Following is the-entire or |
der in reference to this matter that |
was sent out by superintendent !
Holmes and which is now in effect:
To All Teachers:
The attention of the janitors
and principals has been called to
the need for economy in the use
of, fuel. The supply of coal now
on hand will be insufficient to
carry the schools through the
winter and from present indica-
tions 1T will be impossible to Sc
cure any additional coal when the
present supply is exhausted. AS
a means of conserving the coal
supply, janitors have been asked
to keep the temperature ,6f the
Continued on Eleventh Page)