New-York tribune., 1921-09-13
Prall Admits
Hylaln Fails i'm
School Crisis
Observation-Disclosures
Says Educational Chief,
Whose Only Excuse for
Conditions Is The War
Mayors Pledge Not Kept
More Than 56,5OO Pupils
on Part Time, Witness
Tells Meyer Investigators

In careful examination of the pub
lie school situation as it exists to-day
by the Meyer Legislative Committee,
investigating the Hylan admin strstion,
1t was developed at Yesterdays session
of the committee that more than sc, 500
children will be forced to accept only
part-time education this year because
of inadequate school room
The figure was given to the commit
tee after deductions had been made
through the opening of some new
school buildings yesterday as part of
the Board Of Education's construction
program.
Aiming S. Prall, president of the
Board of Education. the one witness
questioned yesterday. admitted that
TINS program was entirely inadequate
but offered no reason other than the
war for the failure to suppy sufficient
educational facilities for the city's
children.
Hylan's Pledge in 1918
In this connection Elon r. Brown,
chief counsel to the committee, read
INTO the record a statement by Mayor
Hylan, found in the minutes of the
Board of Education, under date Of
January 2. 1918, upon his entrance as
Mayor of the city. "Thc people Of this
city" he said, "eIected new admins
tration to do three things for the
schools-eliminatc the Gary plan; build
more school houses so that every child
might be properly accommodated, and
reduce part time"
President Prall testified that there
has been practically no progress mads
IN the reduction of the number of part
time pupils and that the figure Of
$500 estimated as the number of part
time pupils for this year actually cx-
ceeds the figure Of January, 1918. when
President Prall further testified
that while the Gary system of educa-
ton was ordered to be eliminated by
the Mayor, he said the Ettinger system
now IN use is modification of the
Gary plan, and that much of the equip
ment of the latter method is still used
in many of the city's schools.
Mitchell Funds Used
1t also was brought out that of the
Sla ,224,OOO expended in the entire four
years of the present administration for
school purposes, about 100000 or
prlatlon made for schools during the
last year of the Mitchell adminstra-
ton. Delay in carrying out the Mitchell
program for which the 100000 was
appropriated by the present admins
tration is declared by Mr.. Brown to
nave cost the city $4,000 900 more, and
that even with this added sum the
board was unable TO go through with
ten improveme provided for under
m n n
explained that the present administra-
ton had had to rescind the Mitchell
program for various reasons.
1T was the intention of the committee
to begin the education investigation
with quiz of the Mayor who had
been invited to take the stand vester-
day. The Mayor, however, refused to
take the stand on the ground that he
had not been given ample notice and
! that he had other gagements. Will
liam B. Carswell, Assistant CORPORA
ticn Counsel, who has been advising
Mr.. Hylan in connection with his ap-
pearance before the committee, said
that the request had not reached the
Mayor until II a. H., remarking: "Does
the committee think the Mayor is on
tap?"
PralI's Previous Experience
M idll DcSdl MS testimony WIN
the information that he became mem
Der of the Board of Education in 1918,
and that he was elected president of
the board in 1919, although he had not
officially been interested in educational
matters before that time. He said he
was real estate man in Staten Island,
but at the present time was not en-
gagged in any kind Of business
He was then led through maze of
/ figures by Mr.. Brown, some of which
Mr.. Prall confirmed, but others of
which he said he could not testify to.
The question of double and duplicate
attendance came up, wherein the
pupils put four or five hours in school
but are not included in the regular
schedule. 1t was testified that about
225,000 pupils were on some irregular
schedule in June, 1921, but that OF
these, only s2,56a were on the extreme
part time list. Mr. Prall agreed that
the part-time condition was very un-
| desirable, but insisted the authorities
were doing the best they could with
the present facilities,
'The mart and double time rla c a q q