Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-19
TEACHERS CHARGES.
TRUE, SAYS CASSEL|
Boards Superintendent OF Build
ings Supports Complaints
of Insanitary Schools
FIFTY BEYOND REDEMPTION

spbstantiation of the charges made
h, members II the school teaching force
u answers to n QUESTIONABLE sent out
h, the Women Teachers Organization
tbat conditions in many of the schools
.,e unpleasant, insanitary and not con =
Auciye to the best results either from
teachers or pupils, was made today by
!Jobn Cassel, superintendent OF the de.
nortment of building Of the Board OF
Education. ,,,, At.
,bcsc conditions do exist in the schools,
nointed out that some of them could
kc remedied quite readily with a little
nionninq and organized effort, while
others would entail an expense far be
rond the present means OF the board or
the school district. :,
"There is no question:" said Mr..
casscl that outside Of the most mod
.rn buildings, such as the new high
srbools have conditions in most
Of the other buildings are very bad.
Classroom facilities, apparatus, general
construction. lighting ard sanitary con-
dtions. ventilation and the many other
needs and requirements of the modern
<chool are in many cases hopelessly in
adequate and in any event not as they
should be.
Teachers Charges True
THE charges made by the teachers
are absolutely true, and / believe that
the exhaustive survey now being made
BIZ the State Department Of Public In
,truction, supplemented by our own
survey and that Of the Board Of Medi-
col Inspectors, will bring revelations
A.. ho, thaN l>n,, G.
been made. They are known to us and
Il is our hope that they will be as strong
as possible. so that we may get the
necessary funds to remedy these condi-
tons.
"As the schools now stand, we should
have an appropriation of at least $780,
900 to $500, 900 to keep them in rea
sorably good condition. instead Of the
100000 or $500 900 which we now get
as our annual allotment.
Many of the school buildings, at
least fifty OF them, are beyond redemp-
tior No amount Of money spent on
them would make them fit for modern
school use. 4 building program that
would enable us to make the necessary
alterations in school buildings to meet
modern needs would run into many mil
lions OF dollars. AS an example, the
school at Seventh and Christian streets,
which originally cost S83, 900 to build.
stood the board 500, 900 for repairs.
'The question of ventilation il ono
that could be solved with reasonable
satisfaction at comparatively small cost,
1t would be possible. instead of now
alternately suffocating and freezing the
occupants of classrooms, to make
changes in the schOolrooms that would
put glass deflector over every radia-
TOR, assuring the necessary large vol |
ume OF fresh air, without entailing dis
comfort or danger from colds. DR.. f.. |
vernon Hill, of Chicago, probably the
greatest expert on ventilation in the |
country, has devised synthetic chart.
oy means OF which it is easily possible |
10 scientifically estimate the amount of |
ventilation necessary for a given room
WIN q given number of occupants and |
10 obtain II.
Dust. which is a great source of un-
WnolesomeneSs, can be allayed in two
Weys' have always advocated oiled
noors. 1t is true they might compel
the teachers to wear common sense
shoeS and to. dress simply, but that
would be quite possible. The oiling
would have to be done several times a
year, but it would save janitorial work
IN other ways. Washed air, which IL
IN use in some of the more modern
buildings, would solve the question of
Ihe room atmosphere, although il would
cost something to install the machinery
necessary to make this improvement.
OdOr Problem Is Nothing New
The question of odors is one that is
always with us. 1t is more largely un-
peasant than unwhoesOme. Possibly
iGmigatlon would be the thing, but fresh
ar; ar, sunshine and plain soap and water
VIII Ia 90 more than anything else.
, There il no question that most of the
buildings do need painting, both inside
ana outside. Whereas buildings should
De painted at least once in several years,
!ney are, on the whole. not painted more
than one sixth this often. This is i'm
portant, both from the standpoint of
ssuhitat!on: s comfort and pleasure.
walls and ceiling should be painted in
sarying light shades according to their
tize; ,,r location and lighting conditions.
Inc schools, as ruie, are well
iheateH. We have the coal and the heat
lus apparatus necessary to keep them
AZ thc proper temperature, but some
lines the human element, the janitor,
lails US. SO for that reason several
sschooiS were reported as cold yester-
uhy', Loose and i'll fitted windows and
MlnIow frames sometimes add to this
There are many conditions that
rtoGId be remedied in the schools IL we
naa the money to do it, As it is, we
must b" content for the present to