Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-03-06
MANY SCHOLARS
HOUSED IN FIRE
TRAPS, REPORT
Data Collected in 429 Cities
Shows That Many Build
ingS Are Old, InSanitary
and Dangerous.


thousands Of school children
housed in fire traps and hundreds
Of thousands of them either on
halftime or IN makeshift buildings
is the condition in 429 cities OF the
United States, as disclosed in a re-
port made public today.
The report was issued by the ma
tional committee for chamber Of
commerce cooperation with the
public schools on survey conduct
ed by the American city bureau.
The committee was organized in
February, 1920, to inquire into
school conditions. It's executive
committee is headed by George ID.
Strayer of Teachers college, CO.
umbfa university, New York.
The evidence presented shows
clearly that there are tens OF
thousands of children now housed !
in old. insanitaTy, dangerous build |
ings," says Mr.. Strayer in his in
PRODUCTION to the report. Many of
these structures are best classified |
as ire-traps.' |
Data was received from 429 cit
les. The report says: These facts, |
obtained from rs per cent Of all
the cities reporting, show that in
these cities even excluding those !
housed in annexes where condi-
tons may be normal, there are
more than $4,000 children who
are either on half-time because OF
lack of building space or are
housed in portables, rented ibulld-
ings, attics. easements or corridors. !
1t would require an average of two |
thirty-room buildings in each of
these cities to properly house these
groups of children alone"
The report sets forth statisiCally
the inadequacy of playground
space. 1T is clear that in many cit
les are now housed in buildings in
which there is less space on the
playground than is supplied in the
classrooms in which they are
taught" says Mr.. Strayer in the
introduction.
Inadequate Fairgrounds.
Three million six hundred thou
sand children are represented in
this report on Fairgrounds, it is
land the study discloses that
ole- udll VI tlleli ,o"''"'V S''li"
ren--haVe each playground less
than SIX leet by SIX rect per pupll
and many OF them have no pay
ground at all.
"These tacts oil hmited pay
ground space says the report
present one OF the serious prop
lems confronting those who are
Interested IN the Wellare OIL AMER
lcan school chlluren. "hdleYer the
cost, adequate playground space
should be provided Tor those school
buildings ALREADY erected IN con-
Sested districts. Pupllc sentiment
must become so stfohs tnat i VIII
be considered a preach OF trust Tor
School authorltles TO ere rect, q school
puliullg on q sue , tilal WI y, iot a. az,
lord adequate playground sPace iol
an the pupllS housed III '''e pl'iio7
ms
fife IiaEaru III SCHOOLS.
On tRe supJect Oh llre haaar9 IN
sciIooIs' tue report states: ohlS
per cent VI 'lie Lolal huiIlpet ol
pullalnss are o. the tyPes OIL con
structloh usually CARED llreprool'
only d siiiall huiiipGr nave IRE
proollhg eleileIts 70 leS''e.l tle llle
navarro 70 the ehlluIell. AZ leas4 70
PEI SeilS VI 'lie W. poolesS types
VI pu.iuinSS a. " IVY oIg more
STORIES re-, anu uo hot nave life-es-
cape. llirty-hlne per cent Oh these
Two types are without IRE eHtln-
Z el9iieiS' ailu Tess tndll ~ per cent
Vi mem nave ~ uutoila Ia spfihkief
equipment III any part Oh the oulld-
IIIsS; Q sil - - per en- nave auto
mate lilallc Ilre alarms ..,l. oucn Iacts as
ehe ,, uei nl,,l' Tue existence p
a I, l Ieal o; menace ~ sne cHiluIen OF
these CUES Ohe-Hdll Oh present.
9aS SetlooiS were puliI prior to
10y!