New-York tribune., 1921-06-26
Brooklyn Prosecutor Ask
ed to Investigate Acqui-
sitions at Coney to See
if Law Was Violated
Shallow Named
By Comptroller
Sudden Selection of Prop.
erty After Surrender
of Lands Is Assailed

Comptroller Charles L. Craig yester-
day sent letter to District Attorney
Harry E. Lewis, of Kings County, sub
mitting to him for investigation the
proposed acquisition Of site for a
public school on Neptune Avenue,
Coney Island. "to determine whether
crime has been committed within
your county, either of malfeasance in
office or collusion or corruption in the
acquisition of property for public pur-
poses"
The Comptroller informed the Dis
trict Attorney that he would hold him
self in readiness to appear before him
at any time he might require. In the
letter the Comptroller reviewed the
actions Of Associate Superintendent
| Edward B. Shallow of the Board Of
Education and the records of that
board in selecting and rejecting sites
| for the new school. He charged that
false statements had been advanced
| by Shallow to explain the various
transactions and quoted letter from
| Shallow, far in advance of official ac-
ton, not before published, to show
| that the original site for the new
school had been abandoned The rea-
sons stated, according to the Comp
troller, were very unusual"
! Selection of Sites
| Comptroller Craig pointed out that
| six days after the Sinking Fund Com
mission had released the city's interest
in lands on Neptune Avenue TO private
owners the, Board of Education, on
| Dr. Shadows recommendation, selected
three alternative sites within the very
property which the city Just had
agreed to turn over to private own
ers. The Comptroller also disclosed
| in his letter that the Board OF Edu-
cation had made contracts up to Nav
! /, 1921, for only two out of eleven new
schools in Brooklyn, for which money
had been appropriated in 1919 and
1920.
In the foreword of his letter the
Comptroller reviewed the school build
Ing program and charged the Board of
Education with full responsibility for
the delay in constructing the schools
provided for.
Under date of December 26, 1920,
said the Comptroller, az presented a
! report to the Board Of Estimate in re-
latlon to new buildings and sites for
elementary schools, with recommends
tions that an appropriation of S15,oOO,-
zoo for such purposes then be made, in
addition to $10,o0o,00o appropriated
under the same act and at my in
stance on December 80, 1918.
The statutes place no duty upon
the Comptroller to arrange nro-
gram of school construction: but mas
much as neither the Board of Educa-
! tion nor any public officer had CON
cerned himself in the matter, I felt
that cut of simple justice to the school
children of the city q building and
site program should be presented in
proper form for action and appropria-
tions made to give effect to it. Upon
its receipt the Board of Estimate made
appropriations of $15,000,000, as therein
recommended, providing for the con-
struction of twenty-six new elementary
schools in the year 1920 in addition to
twenty-four new elementary schools
previously authorized and in process of
contract or construction, or a total of
Afty elementary schools. Eleven If
the new schools were to be constructed
in Brooklyn"
Brooklyn School Contracts
The Comptroller here points out that
in a period Of eighteen months the
Board of Education has actually con-
tracted for the construction Of only
two of the elementary schools in
Brooklyn, appropriations for which
have at all times during that period
been available. The Board of Educa-
tion, however, continued to submit pro
posals for new sites, the Comptroller
said, the items for which had not been
included in it's annual estimate as
required by the education law.
"The reason have outlined the fore
going conditions as an introduction to
the facts yet to be stated" said the
Comptroller, "is because of allegations
constantly made and circulated by the
Board of Education that the Comp
troller has in some way retarded
school construction in Brooklyn by not
acting upon the Mermaid Avenue site
in accordance with it's wishes"
The Comptroller then reviewed the
| circumstances surrounding the selec-
tion Of the Mermaid Avenue site aa
the original selection for the new
Coney Island school and its elimina-
tion later by DR.. Shallow to make way
for the Neptune Avenue site. The
Comptroller explained that he did not
act on the Mermaid Avenue site be-
cause "the selection of this site was
made irregularly and out of season.
and the further fact that the Board Of
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