New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-02
The Anti-Gary Case
Mr.. Gilroy Explains and Defend, u.
Steel Trust Charo. -
To the Editor of The Tribune

columns signed by Mrs. Alice Fen,.p
charging me with having made two .s'
meots Of fact In a speech that r.s.
the Gary system at Morris Hich ,n,s
Tuesday evening, June 10. The fact.
ing the Tuesday speech were as follow Rs
The meeting was held as protes, -
the Gary system, under the suspic..
Bronx organization. and the ehairma,
meeting was the Rev. Dr. Zeiter ~ Ell
First Methodist Episcopal Church ". aI
nandez entered the hall in comna,v 20
Nr. Howard W. Nudd and Or. TsvI. rs|
trict superintendent of The Bronx -
troduced the Gary system into that -
These three took considerable notatio,.
ing the evening. / was the last srs.L.. 10
! had not proceeded far in my add,s,.
Mrs. Fernandez advanced toward Ia ~
form and challenged one of my states.
in her letter she says that this s,,..~
'rsde by me was that the United Stat. =.
Corporation financed the Gary plan p.s
Tie witnesses of the occurrence who,.
davts I possess deny that such s.,..'
was made by me. What | actually oil
that the Gary system had originated I, !.
town Of Gary, Ind, which was IT,
erected by the United States Steel co,,.N
tion TO house the workers in its plsn.,.
the school system in that city was on.,'.s
on the same business principles as N. =.
trust; that William Writ, the superip,s,s
was supported in his work by officer, a. =
Steel Corporation and that the entir. W.
was designed TO train the children Of 49,
workers TO be efficient cogs in the indur,.
machine, rather than TO afford them -
liberal education.
How the Trust Exercises Contnl
Moreover, have received informa,io, =.
. reliable source that the earlie,. ~
school was erected on property belo,e,,.q
the Gary Land Company. a subsidiary az.
/ United States Steel Corporation. Thu,
steel trust doesn't contribute money IA =
school system other than by taxes I b.
admit, but the control Of the corpo,,.-
over the activities Of the city coyer,,.
really directs the policies Of that Cow.
/ rlent and determines how the taxes sb,nl
expended. In order that the motives b,ls
this school system may be properly ma,
stood, shall quote a few statement, =.
tributed by the advocates of the Gary -,
70 the discussion Of the system.
In "McClure's Magazine" Of Sep,.-A..
/ 1913, Burton J. Hendrick, writing in fave, )
the Gary system discusses some Of n, =
/ fuences that control il. lie saws in b,
article; Like a good citizen, the Steel Ca.
/ loration erected n school building and ~,
/ ii a good, old, democratic, American r,n.
jefferson School" lie says that the sup,s,.
tendent, Mr.. Writ, however. was dissatl,sy
with this and Uniformed the leading eitl.,
several of them connected with the s.s
! Corporation. that they had made an q.
ceedingly bad beginning" Mr.. Hentsa
/ further states; again. the Steel Corpon
| ton strove to get the best possible retur,
out of its raw material Why not DO .,
same with its public schools? Here The n,
material is not steel and iron, but boys ~.
/ girls"
"a Wonderful City
In "The Hampton Magazine" Of july. M,
an article by Rita Childe Dorr appearsi !,
favor of the Gary scheme. Some o. q,
wonderful things mentioned in this ra,s
are as follows: "The Steel Corporation ssi
q wonderful city. II was willing 10 hi
fairly with its workers, but the steel ,rr
could never civiize the population. r,
Steel Corporation deals successfully with q
gineering problems. ~ iron. steel and chen,
Gals II requires % public .choo syss,
with a great man al the head Of il % cUip
the population" The most signifcan, r
marks made were as follows: "Mr. Wiz IA
had to defend his theory Of trade train
rore constantly and more vigorously IA
any Of his educational ideals. Parents q,
! plain that they do not wish their sons
/ become mere workmen; they want then
develop into lawyers and merchants. Ii'
fear that the brilliant careers will be blight
by bringing the children into contact vi
tools" There are many other startling 9
rouncements which indicate only too clear
the impress Of the steel trust upon the scss
system Of Gary which is now to be impor'
to New York, and IL is not necessary for L
steel trust to pay out OF its own funds forh
upkeep of these schools, since its power n
influence in the city Of its own erection ~
more potent even than the power Of Y
/ business in the City Of New York.
The Public Education Association
Mrs. Fernandez further criticises me !.
making the alleged statement tha. she y
ceived $1,000 a year from Mr. Rockefeller e
advancing the Gary plan. or course. v''l
not be guilty Of making such a ridits'H
statement, knowing full well that Mr.. Rod.
Teller is shrewd business man and does
throw his money away. What I did state "
: that Mrs. Fernandez was connected N
active capacity with an association iha, "
dominated by Rockefeller interests. Tbs
the Public Education Association Of the Cl0
Of New York, and in its report for SeptenN'
1911 10 1913. we find that the president
Charles p Rowland, vice president IS W.
lard D. Straight. the secretary is Mrs. SEW
Ter Van Rensselaer,. among the trustees y
Abraham Flexner ". r. Bryce, Chsflt'
Birmingham. and that Howard ". Nudd hr
self was acting as executive secretary. Nv
ard W Nudd. am informed, made say
ment to a prominent member Of ths ~ y.
munity that the Rockefeller Interests ~
contributed $4,000 70 this association. An0.'
the subscribers to the said association :.
TO be found the names OF many persons 81,
nected with the Rockefeller and steer ".j
interests, such as George " Perkins ~ '..
II. Schif. Eugene Outerbridge. Mrs j. ~
pont Morgan, Mrs. 3. II. Hartman fran' !.
Vanderlip and many others. On psE -
Of this report appears this statement 10 -.