New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-03

''These figures show not only that
there has been far more part time in
the Hylan administration than in that
of Mayor Mitchell, but that the in
crease during the Hylan regime has
been startling. In three years the num-
Der has risen from 30,462 to 83,9o1, an
increase of 53,439 or over ITS per cent.
To these figures, moreover, should be
added 23,141 part-time pupils in the
nigh schools, gain of 19,14l over 3,998
last year, and 178,197 pupils on various
make-shift, double-session programs
in the elementary schools that are, if
anything, worse than part time.
During the first three years of the
Mitchell administration $4,000 sittings
were provided in comparison with 4,100
In the Hylan administration to date,
and even these latter sittings were
provided out of the $11 100000 bal
ance from the Mitchell administration.
It is estimated, however, that approx
mately 10000 additional sittings will
be available at the opening of the fall
term, but even these, many of which
have also been provided out of the
$11,250,000 left from the Mitchell adj
ministration, will hardly make Hylan's
record equal that of his predecessor.
"2. A year ago there were approx
mately 100000 children in the ele-
mentary schools in diversified claescs;
that is, classes having forty or,
children. The number of sucr' 49,
children has now risen to over a..
Of these, approximately 100000 are in
classes or fortyfive or more, $4,000
in classes of fifty or more and nearly
$4,000 in classes having fifty-fve or
more.
Means Faulty Instruction
"From an educational point of view
4 81 o1>
vious, when it is realized that reliable
educators look upon a class of thirty
five as the maximum number in which
satisfactory instruction can be given.
From the point of view of hygiene
and fire hazard these conditions are
even more disquieting, for there is
nothing so dangerous as the panic re-
sulting from overcrowding in case Of
fire.
ing worse, for the new seatings con-
templated are to be utilized in re-
ducing part time rather than the size
Of classes.
GAS result Of years of neglect,
the older public school buildings are
admittedly in deplorable state Of I'M
repair. The disclosures of these condi-
tions by the Public Education Associa-
ton during the past two and half
amplified by the findings of a dis
interested group of other civic and
aon-political organizations. Since
their publication the findings of this
report have been further elaborated
upon in independent Investigations by
the public press. The best testimony
to the effectiveness of these disclos-
ures, perhaps, has been the way in
which the Hearst papers have sought
n twist and utilJZa thQn N the
Mayors behalf. What has been done
by Hylan to remedy these conditions?
"To understand fully the answer to
this question it is essential to remem-
Der that according to reliable real
estate operators an annual expenditure
of from 21s to 3 per cent of the value
of the buildings and equipment would
be necessary to keep them in proper
condition on the assumption that they
Were satisfactory to begin with. That
would mean an appropriation of up
wards of 100000 annually for the
public schools, but, since these build
angs are not in good condition to begin
with, an additional sum of from
SS,000,000 to $10,000,000 is needed to
NIX them up satisfactorily.
Repair Funds Inadequate
and upkeep during the Mitchell and
Hyian administrations have been as
follows, according to the records of
the Department of Education:
1914 -. $1.s1so7s 1918 -. 1852. o51, o3
ls sis 49,. i,il5.5Is.o4 1920 -. 1881. 4So IS
isl7 -. 1907, 993.s9i
While in none of these years were
the expenditures adequate to meet the
needs of the schools, these figures
show not only that the largest sum
was spent in 1916 during the Mitchell
OF the depreciation in the value of the
dollar the practical effectiveness of the