New-York tribune., 1921-09-27
Write John, Boy.

&SaiISt ,ClttcSAVOut Woilo bSSoNoS va
the lack of seats. And this week
they are going to have to do like
wise, and the week after that, and
keep on doing it until their parents
take the government Of the City of
New York out of the hands of the
fatuous man who has controlled it
since the Tammany- Hearst election
of 1917.
1t occurs to US, all else having
failed to impress Poor John Hylan
with the seriousness of the wreck he
has wrought in the public school sys-
tenn, that perhaps something might
be accomplished if the De Witt Clin-
ton boys who are roosting OH win
dowsills and standing against walls
would write to the Mayor and tell
him the facts-tell him that this is
not propaganda"
Of course, such letters would not
produce any seats or desks, but is It
not possible that they might prevent
repetition of such outbursts from
the City Hall as have shamed this
great municipality in the sight Of all
the nation? That would be worth
while doing.
These citizens of tomorrow can't
vote yet, but they can write!
We advise the boys of De Witt
Clinton, however, and those attend
ing the other high schools of New
York where similar conditions pre-
vail who may act upon this sugges-
tion to be most respectful in ad-
dressing the Mayor. Let them re-
member that no matter how inept,
how fatuous he may be, he, never
theless, is chief magistrate of the
city, duly elected by the prescribed
and orderly processes ordained by
law. No opinion of the occupant of
that high Office should be permitted
to detract in any degree from the
respect due the office.
If we we're to be asked to help,
for instance, a De Witt Clinton boy
to indite such letter to the Mayor
we should suggest something like
this:
"My Dear Mr.. Mayor: We are
| roosting on the windowsills and
standing against the walls of the
classrooms in the De Witt Clinton
High School because there are not
enough seats. This is an unbear-
able situation. Can't you imagine
how impossible it is to follow our
teachers and get anywhere with the
things we are required to do when
we have to stand around for hours
on burning, tired feet writing ou1
notes against another students back
or, if we are lucky enough to get
onto a windowsill, on our owr
| knees?
"The reports about the intolerablc
school conditions that The Tribune
and the other newspapers of the
city-excepting Hearst's, of course
ARE printing are absolutely true
They are not propaganda, as yor
say, Mr.. Mayor.
Ode Witt Clinton High School has
a registration this year of 6,3333
The total seating capacity of the
main building and the two annexe;
is exactly 1880. 1t is not possible
is it, Mr.. Mayor, for 6,333 students
to sit in 1890 seats? We are prov
ing here every day that it isn't.
eve know you will probably MOI
pay any attention to this letter be
cause the writer is not a voter, bu
his father is, and so is his mother
and have talked this over will
them many times. They say I mus
keep ON going to school and finish
my education. | have told then
that l can't keep up with my classe.
If | have to do my work standing
against wall or roosting ON win
oowsill. When I say that, their onl,
answer is, We're going to take car,
of that, son, the very first thing il
the month of November
"Can you imagine what they mea,
by that, Mr.. Mayor?
~ know you can't give me a sea
in school, Mr.. Mayor, but you ca,
refrain from issuing any more proc
iamations. Please do"
On second thought it might not b,
bad idea to send copies of such ;
letter to Charles Francis Murph,
and William Randolph Hearst, Poo
Johns mentors. Mr.. Murphy live
at Good Ground. Mr.. Hearst live
on Riverside Drive.
Eurer,ice apH oxyn