New-York tribune., 1921-09-13

are due to inadequate facilities. are
they not?" asked MIR. Brown.
"They are due to the fact that there
is not enough ROOM" said the school
head, "but ! am advised by the
superintendent of Schools that sch GLARS
on double and duplicate time receive
as much instruction as those attending
regular schedules"
"And as good instruction z" asked
Mr.. Brown.
"Thc superintendent deems it as
good" replied Mr.. Prall.
Part Time Not Desirable
Then you think the double-time sys-
TEN satisfactory 2" queried Mr.. Brown.
III would not say that" answered
Mr.. Prall, "but double-time is the best
that can be done under the circum-
stances. | do not regard part time as
desirable"
From the figures introduced by Mr..
Brown and MIR. Prall it appeared that
in December, 1917, the double and
duplicate attendance was 1924. In
January, 1918, it was 7l,143. In De-
cember, 1917, the High School part
time pupils numbered 34,143. In Jam
according to MI. Brown This figure
was nearer to 41O00, said Mr. Prall
In December, 1918, Mr.. Brown said,
the part-time public school pupils num-
bcred 1897. In the season of 1919
1920, Mr.. Brown continued, the part
time pupils had increased to 48 ,875
Mr.. Prall admitted that the number
of part time elementary school pupils
alone numbered 40,975 in January.
1918. In June. 1921, he said, they had
increased to $3.50. He had been in
formed by William l.. Ettinger, Super
lntendent of Schools, he added, that
the new schools opened yesterday will
reduce this figure by about 10000, leav-
ing about 56,569 children on part time
this year. as against 49,975 in 1918,
when the Mayor took office.
1t was then testified that the full
authorization for schools by the pres
ent administration up to June. 1921,
amounted to- S29,571 900, Of which only
SIS. .224 900 had been expended. This in
cluded the S10,000.00O appropriated by
the Mitchell administration for schools
and sites.
Meager Annual Expenditure
"This sl5,o0oo0O is only little over
$4,000, 900 year. commented Mr..
Brown, "and what it has produced
could have been put up if the S1O,O0O,-
600 authorization which you had in
1918 had been forthwith spent, instead
of postponing the construction"
Asked why the original Mitchell plan
had not been carried out, Mr.. Prall
said the appropria ton was tied down
to specific sites and buildings, some Of
which were not suitable. and that it
was thought better to revoke the en-
tire program.
Mr.. Prall said that fourteen new
elementary schools had been opened
this year, He offered this as a de-
fense of the criticism that the board
had opened no additional schools in
the years 1918 or 1920.
IN explaining that the Gary system
no loneer existed in the schools, Mr..
Prall declared it was a plan wherein
half the time of the children is de- e.
voted to trade subjects and recreational
and special subjects, while the other
half is devoted to classroom work"
When Mr.. Prall insisted at first that
the plan had been eliminated. Mr..
Brown said it was news to him, where
upon the school president said that the
so called Ettinger plan may have been
taken for the Gary plan in Mr.. Browns
figures. To this Senator Brown re-
piled: "One is tweedledum and the
other tweedledee'
School Payment Plan
Mr. Prall explained here that the
board could not have attempted to
build sufficient number of schools un-
der the -you-go plan of operat-
ing the crty government, declaring that
the taxpayers would not "stand for it,
Mr.. Prall said that early in 1918
plans had been made for new school
buildings and contract was let for
one new school when the Federal gov
ernmcnt put ban on all building.
II am talking about the city being
able to stand for a reasonable pro-
gram Of constructions" broke in Mr..
Brown. Here is 1918 to 1921, add two
more years, making six years. If YOU
had expended $5,00O,OO0 a year for six
years you would have expended more
than your entire authorization, and
you tell me that your present pro-
gram is inadequate.'
1T was then shown there was much
"red tape" and circumlocution in the
matter of school contracts, both Mr..
Brown and Mr.. Prall agreeing that
there should be revolution in the
method of letting out contracts for
school construction if any progress in
this direction is to be made. Mr.. Prall
said the present salary of school
teachers. averaging $2,740 year, was
adequate.
Mr.. Brown here introduced letter
from the Mayor to Mr.. Prall, in which
Mr.. Hylan charged Superintendent Et
finger and Auditor Cook of the Board
with interfering with the work of the
educational department. Mr.. Prall de-
MED that either Superintendent Ettin-
ger or Mr.. Cook hampered the work of
the board in any way, saying that the
Board of Education frequently differed
with the Mayor on many subjects.
There were some other indications that
the board and the Mayor were at log
gerheads, and that this contributed to
prevent constructive building pro-
gram being worked out for the relief
OF the present acute situation.
The hearings will be resumed at
10:30 o'clock this morning