New-York tribune., 1918-07-07

Ak A ||l|I|lIII |I!I|| ||| |,| e.
the parents, VINO otherwise spend their
evenings worrying about Mary's spell
ing and Johnnie's sums in subtraction.
| Those who accompanied the late ex-
Mayor Mitchell to Gary on his trip of
inspection were impressed with two
aspects of the schools there. The first
WAS the democratic plan of having the
whole school course of twelve years
carried out in one building-that is, the
eight years of elementary work and the
four years of high school work are
done under one roof. This eliminates the
snobbism existing between children of
the elementary and high school grades
and automatically reduces the tempta-
ton that causes some children to fore
go the years in the high school to take
up trade as soon as they leave the
elementary school. The second impress
sive feature was the physical breadth
and expansion of the Gary schools by
the Fairgrounds and auditoriums.
Experiment Worked
In IS Schools
The Impressions gained at Gary bore
almost immediate fruit, and despite
the warning Of experts that the svs
tenn should not be spread broadcast
throughout the schools of New York
until experiments had been mao.
thirty-five buildings were fitted out to
suit the new system. Teachers were
instructed, apparatus was installed
and new schedule of hours went into
effect.
Naturally, the arrangements, made
IN too great haste, perhaps, were not
entirely satisfactory. There was no
getting around the fact that the origi-
nal Gary plan provided grounds and
open places for the children to romp
IN or make gardens.
came the municipal campaign and
the school strikes, accompanied bv
rloelng. After the first walkouts Mayor
Mitchell made an address.
lt is very serious thing in this
city when Murphy will try to take the
school system of New York and drag
Vt down into politics by organizing
even the boys and girls at school into
movement for school strikes. and orr
ganizlng the parents of the children.
through q campaign of deliberate mis-
representation, into movements of nro-
test against the city administration.
even to the point Of organizing them
to come down to the City Hall"
Mitchel's Claims
And Hylan's
This pilgrimage, however. never fool,
place.
In answer to the charges Of Mr.
Mitchell, Judge Hylan prepared this
statement for The Tribune:
IAN attempt has been made bv Mr.
Mitchell and others to make politica1
Wv VI tne unfortunate and
misguided strikes of public school chill
dren, aided by their parents, by chare-
Ing that political parties have inspired
these outbreaks.
The parents are opposed to the
Mitchell administration because it had
neglected to build new schools and
because it has sought to cover nm Tho
bad effects Of such failure by extending
all over the city makeshift Cav,
plan. This opposition is we'll known
and it did not need any strikes 70
demonstrate it.
lin my opinion, these deplorable out
breaks, which are bound to develon IN
our children a disrespect for law and
order, are the unfortunate result of
the attitude of the Mitchell admins
tratlon toward the parenthood of onr
city. Can any fair-minded person es-
cape the conclusion that demonstra
tlons of children and adults, regrettaole
as they are, are but an outward ey-
preston OF the deep resentment felt
oy our citizens toward an administra.
ton which, in dealing with the most
sacred of all matters--the education
OF our young-has basely ignored the
opinion of the parents when voiced
with order and decorum in the meet
lngs OF the parents associations ?"
Thus spake Hylan when he was not
yet made Mayor. Now let US see if /
he has kept his campaign pledge.
Report Of President
OF Education Board
The following report was submitted
to Mayor Hylan by Arthur S. Somers,
president Of the Board of Education,
at it's annual meeting, May II, 1918, in !
which are stated certain facts in re-
gard to the elimination of the Gary
plan:
"When we organized there were
thirty-five schools operating under the
Gary plan. with provision for extend
ing it into seventy-one other schools
and in ten additions. This extension
work was Immediately stopped and the
funds availahle for a alterinr tho hu:ld~