The New York herald., 1920-01-03
100000 MORE
APPROPRIATED FOR
BUILDING SCHOOLS
New Republican Members
Cause No Ripple in Proceed
ings of Estimate Board.

Henry II. Curran, Borough President
and It. II. La Guardia, President of the
Board OF Aldermen. took their places in
the first meeting Of the new Board of
Estimate yesterday without exciting any
OF the Tammany members. The meeting
proceeded with order and decorum. even
the Mayor and Controller Craig being In
perfect accord on the few matters of i'm
portance which were considered. The two
new Republican members were apparently
feeling their way and preferred to listen
and do little talking.
The main business Of the Board was the
adoption of resolution appropriatir- ss.-
vooV0 for the construction of new school
nuiidings. AT the meeting last Tuesday
sIWo,oO was appropriated. thus making a
total OF $l5,00000 which will be available
TOT new schools during the year. Mr.. Cur
ran requested that the matter lie over
TOR one week as he had just received the
detailed report OF the Controller on sites
His motion, however, did not prevail. and
ne and Mr.. La Guardia voted for the
appropriation, reserving the right not to
\5e bound to the sites as presented In the
report.
Causes for Delny.
There was much discussion regarding the
causes OF delay in the school building pro-
gramme. The Mayor and the Controller
placed the responsibility on the Board Of
Superintendents rather than the Board of
Education or the Board of Estimate. Con-
'troller Craig declared that the State Super
lntendent of Education was the individual
most responsible for the delay. The Con-
troller said he was the man who had power
over the school superintendents and that
the Board of Education had no such power
Aiming S. Prall, President Of the Board
OF Education. Commissioner Joseph Yeska
and c. B. j. Snyder. Superintendent of
Buildings Of the Board. appeared and were
questioned at length by members of the
Board OF Estimate in regard to the school
programme. Mr.. Snyder said the delay
in the construction programme had been
due to the scarcity Of labor. especially
brick layers. This situation had become
more acute in the last two weeks, he said
Controller Craig asked Mr.. Snyder II he
had enough men to do the work, and II
he thought the Board of Education could
spend the SIS. 10000 appropriation In 1920
The superintendent declared that at the
present price of building materials there
would be no trouble in using the appro-
priation.
The question of building high schools
with the elementary schools came up and
; twelve months there would be enough ele-
'Inentary schools built to give every child
in the city a seat. and then they would
have no place for the children who wanted
higher education. The Mayor declared
that the policy of the Board OF Estimate
vas to try to get enough elementary
schools so that every child would have
"a seat, and that he hoped that policy
would continue. The Mayor said when
they had Caught up on elementary
schools they could then talk about high
schools
For Julia Richman School.
Mr.. Yeska made another plea for a new
building for the Julia Richman High
School. but the Board would not consent
to.its being built under the appropriation.
unless enough elementary schools could be
erected to give every child a seat and
full time. In answer to questions Mr..
Yeska said that he did not think the
present building programme should In
clude high schools, unless the required
number of elementary schools were built,
but he declared that the business men of
The city were anxious to have high schools
built.
Controller Craig said that In some of
the schools there were empty seats, while
in others there were not seats enough and
tho children were on half time. Mr. Yeska
admitted that he did not know that such
condition existed, and suggested that it
might be "a mistake"
II don't think it's a mistake" replied
the Controller. II think it's n thick head
ed policy In my estimation you need
100000 more to provide seats for every
child. but we are giving you more now
than you can spend this year"
Mayor Hylan wanted to know II the
Board of-.Education could not induce the
superintendent Of Buildings to be more
active and make more progress.
1T Is not the superintendent fault"
said the Controller. ITS the fault Of the
Board OF Superintendents, who give in
structions to the Building Superintendent
as to plans. Why, they had plans pre-
pared for new training school for teach
crs that would make the Metropolitan
opera House look like thirty cents. When
superintendent Snyder and his staff are
distracted like this some one ought to be
nut on charges and thrown out, even in
This cold weather"