New-York tribune., 1921-10-08
Foreiggn-Born
Mothers Brand
Part-'Iis11e Evil
Insist That Children Must
Receive Education Denied
Them. and Are ResoIutely
Against Hy Ian Makeshift
Demand ; Hrs. Each DAY
Full-Day instruction, Alone
viii Enable Youngsters
TO Get Proper Training


The cry Of the foreignlborn mothers
Y don't want my children to grow
UP in ignorance"--is behind all their
complaints Of part time aud overcrowd-
ed school buildings. These mothers
arc determined that their children shall
have the education which they them
selves were denied.
There is among them a particularly
determined group, those who grew UP in
this country within sight of the Amer
lean public school system, but not
part Of it. They are of the generation
whihc toiied as children in sweatshop
and factory before the agitation against
f., child labor. To-day they are enjoying
the prosperity which comes to thh sec
ond generation OF thrift. They own
their homes, out in the remote sections
Of the city, and are more than willing
20 pay taxes for schools.
Daughter lntcrprets Yearning
Such mother, out in Queens yes
! terday, had to talk to The Tribune's in
yestigator with her fifteen-year-
daughter as Interpreter, and this is
what she said about sending her chill
dren to schools
81 never had chance to learn, and
now iS looks as if my children would
have no chance, either. Children who
go to school only half a day and play
the rest Of the time can't learn like
children who study full day; and my
children need to go to school all they
can, for it isn't as if | had gone and
n ! 10 y
help them with their lessons. ! can't
help them much, but I don't want them
to grow up ignorant"
Mrs. S. Cowan, who lives at 2S East
Seventeenth Street, Bath Beach, has
been, in America since she was three
years old.
Eve pay taxes enough out here to
have seat FOR every child" said Mrs.
Cowan. "but most OF the children
under ten years arc on part time.
Public School 1862 has added an annex
but these arc cold and poorly ventj-
lated and unit for youngsters to go to
school in. They say they will need
more OF them before the term is ended.
We have been out here for fourteen
years and have seen this need grow,
and there was time enough to put up
more buildings We don't mind pay
ing the taxes
These mothers want FIVE hours
schooling each day FOR each child-no
less. 1t makes little difference whether
1t be morning or afternoon part time.
They find fault with either, for neither
is enough
Mrs. Rosa Amato, OF II Bay Seven
teenth Street. said:
"My boy comes home at 1880. AS
soon as he finishes his lunch he can
play all the afternoon. Later, lie will
have afternoon time, and that will be
the morning, but I would rather have
him go to school all day. I want him
to have good education, 80 he can
talk right and amount TO something"
Another mother whose boy goes to
school il The afternoon, said:
"Children who go to school only half
a day do not learn enough to keep them
interested. They do not like school az
they should. My little boy plays all the
morning, and then when it comes time
to 30 TO school he is all tired out. Chill
dren should go to school at regular times
when they are little, and then they will
do things st regular times when they
are big"
Mrs. Elizabeth Burgess Hughes, 4
writer and q mother, took up her pen in
behalf of the children of the foreign
born yesterday.
"Nell to do Americans take theiY
children out Of the public schools II
the facilities get too terrible, but the
foreign born people just have to take
what the city gives them" she SAID
Schools Better Than Arches
"Double sessions out to be abolish
ed. if they have TO build 100 buildings
Better let every other public bul6i ing
go-is there any building half so i'm
portant as a school? And yet one
would think they were the least i'm
portant of all.
"Think of all the money that has
/ been wasted putting up and pulling
down reviewing stands and arches!
Wasn't it $4,000 that was spent for
tfat hideous thing in Madison Square :?
Why wouldn't q new school building in
some Of the congested sections, where
children are now turned out in the
streets for half a day, be g better
monument for our soldiers than marble
columns and things like that?
Il don't see why the mothers OF New
York do not rise up and denland--jn
such terms that the politicians would
be afraid not to Hstcn--scboo ools for
their children"
Noxuk.>..,.x, rE.I1 q