Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-08
STRIKE AFFECTS
SCHOOL CHILDREN
Action Of BrickIayers Causes
4 24oo Pupils to Go on
Part Time
25o.ooo ATTEND TODAY

Strikes Of bricklayers and other
workmen seriously interfered with the
opening OF public schools in all sec
tions OF the city today.
In many instances schools equipped
to carry pupils on full day schedules
were compelled to make last minute
shifts and go on half time.
Appeals to the workmen in a num-
ber Of cases to finish their jobs were in
vain. They asserted they were bound
by union orders to quit work. Unfin-
ished work at the John II. Webster
school, Frankford avenue and Ontario
street, caused 1400 pupils TO be placed
on half time. When the teachers and
children reported today they found half
of the wall of one of the buildings torn
away.
District Superintendent John l..
Shroy and Miss Marian Shaw Peters.
supervising principal, shifted classes
from that part of the school undergoing
repair to other rooms, and to simplify
matters, placed all pupils on half time.
Unfinished repairs at the Alexander
Henry School, Paul and Unity streets,
F'rankford, made it necessary to place
1000 pupils of that school on half time.
Approximately 100000 childre n
dressed in Sunday best, gathered up
their pencils and brand new books.
kissed mothers good bye and trudged
off to answer the call of the school
bell in 245 public school houses.
Newcomers Are Welcomed
There were cordial greetings for the
boys and girls who were in school last
year, and little brothers and sisters as
well as newcomers to the city were in
troduced to the intricacies of school
life here. Thousands of mothers,
grownup brothers 'and sisters accom-
panied the little fellows to school for
the enrolment this morning and some
Of them remained to hear the opening
exercises.
There wasn't any delay in starting
The enrolment was taken and early
in the day the rooms were called to
order. From the elementary schools
patriotic songs were sung Then books
were taken out and lessons began. All
this week there will be only half day
sessions. Next week classes will begin
in all seriousness.
Many rooms were crowded almost to
overf1owing today until part time
schedules could be arranged in build
ings where the congestion of pupils was
too great to allow all to attend at the
same time. About fifteen rooms in four
school buildings where repair work is
uncompleted were not open and the
pupils were placed temporarily on part
time. These are in the Mcdaniel, Pat
ton, Webster and Hoffman schools. The
repairs were delayed by the brick
layers strike, but John ID. Cassell,
superintendent of buildings, says the
work will be completed soon.
More than $4,000 children will be on
part time schedule again this year, due
to lack Of school buildings and partly to
shortage Of teachers.
This shortage, as we'll as the increased
salary Of teachers, transfers and new
appointments will be discussed with
other business by the Board of Educa =
tion at its meeting tomorrow afternoon.
The, property committee will recon
mend to the board that two new schools
be built in the neighborhood of HOG
Island, Ninth and Oregon streets.
where the board already owns lot, and
Elmwood avenue, near Seventy first OF
Seventy second streets, are the suggest
ed locations for the new schools.