New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-02
School Report
10 WhiteWasll
Hylan Scandal
Inspectors of Education De-
partment TO C. o I'M { o r t
Tammany With LenYent
Picture Of Conditions
Anxious to Solve Problem
Expected to Declare Expose
by Women's Organiza-
tions Was Exaggerated

A coat of whitewash Is about to be
applied to the forty schools which,
were the subject of joint report bv
associated organizations of women in
terested III civic matters concerning
their menacing condition to the health
of the school children. The coat of
whitewash, however, will be figurative.
not actual. 1t will be applied to re,
lieve the Mayor and other members Of
the Hearst HylanTammany admins
tration of the severe pain which the
report of the women upon the schools
occasioned in the region Of public
opinion.
Along the lines of the now famous
proposal that the Mayor investigate
his own administration, inspectors Of
the Department of Education were
women, to investigate conditions and
report back. 1t was said yesterday
that the report is already in, and
specifically asserts that things are not
nearly so bad as they were painted.
The report, it was said, has already
been submitted to Aiming S. Prali,
president of the Board of Education.
who probably will issue a statement
early next week.
requested from officials of the Depart
ment of Education the actual statistics
concerning the amounts of money ex-
pended each year for the repair of
school buildings during the last eight
years. In addition the actual amounts
appropriated also were requested.
Each day The Tribune has been in
formed very courteously that the fig
ures have not yet been completed, and
yesterday it was said that compilation
probably would take another ten days.
IN order to relieve the employees of
the department. of this arduous task.
the representative of The Tribune sug-
gested that if he were given a copy of
the yearly report of the board for
those years be might be able to compile
them himself. He was then informed
that no report had been issued during
the regime Of Mayor Hylan, for the
very good and specific reason that the
board had not received sufficient funds
to compile and print yearly report.
The object in seeking this informa-
ton was to present the actual facts,
and account for the big discrepancy
between the figures quoted by Mayor
Hylan in his own favor and those
quoted by critics of his administration.
Joseph F. Wingebach, principal Of
Public School 100, in Dumont Avenue,
stating that the fire alarm, which
sounded on the afternoon of June H.
resulted in fire drill as nearly perfect
as is humanity possible to conduct and
that the children were back in their
seats within fifteen minutes from the
time the alarm was sounded.
mo teacher or pupil" he said, "knew
at the time that the drill in question
was any other than the mere routine
fire dril.'
Mr.. Wingebach also stated that the
school is equipped with fire extinguish-
ers, any of which could have been put
to use if necessary. The Tribune in
reporting the incident was informed
that the captain of the nearby fire sta
ton after inspection had found the fire
hose absolutely useless. Mr.. Wingebach
states there is no fire hose in the
school and that to his knowledge no
fire captain called.