New-York tribune., 1921-10-31
w omen Plan
Meeting,
On School Peril
Mothers To BE Informed of
Dangers From Fire and
Disease Facing Children
i'm Crowd ed Buildings
Indignant at City Officials
Insist the Feminine Voters
Should Hold Them Ac-
countab1e for Promises

Women who have come to appreciate
the deplorable conditions existing in
the schools Of the city yesterday
brought forward the suggestion for
mass meeting of mothers for the pur-
pose Of informing them of the dangers
to which their children are subjected In
schools run under the Hylan admins
tration.
Among those who have pointed out the
necessity for such meeting is Mrs
Ralph Trautman, who was q member
Of the 18th District School Board for
eight years.
"Why not call the mothers who have
talked to The Tribune together" Mrs
Trautman suggested, land get them to
tell their stories to other mothers, so
that all may unite to bring about the
election to the head of the city admin
istration of those men who will think
of the children al something other than
political footballs?
Must Awake to Dangers
"This is the time," Mrs. Trautman
continued. "for tho women Of New
York to>awaken to what this whole
school problem means. They ought to
get together and discuss it and under
stand it. Of course, the first and great
need is for moro schools. Overcrowd-
ing IS not only detrimental to study,
but is dangerous to health. I was in
terested in the first movement for hav-
ing children examincd-their eyes, ears
and teeth-and the possible carrying of
contagious diseases prevented.
"But think what would happen to-dav
il an epidemic were to break out
among the children Of the public
schools in these overcrowded build
ings, where q child takes a seat just
vacated by another child who may be
suffering from some very serious
trouble. The teachers know what that
means. They have to contend with
some of the things that result.
This is woman's problem. Women
understand the needs of the school bet
schools, for which ! felt a personal
responsibility, just as did in my own
home. If the place needed cleaning
up began to take the necessary steps
to get it done. just as l would if it
were my own home.
"You can't put children into unsani-
tary schools, with germ laden dust fly
ing about and expect them to be
healthy any more than you can if you
keep them in unsanitary homes.
Bay Example to Children
Indeed, we all know that the schools
have double responsibility. for often
they must teach sanitation to the child
that the child may teach it in the
home. 1t is shame then, and dis
grace to us as citizens, to ask children
to go to school day after day in the
dirty and ill-smelling buildings that
some of our schools are. What kind
of ideas in regard to sanitation must
they take home and what do their
fathers and mothers thing of US, for
we arc judged by our schools, and our
interest in them is tested in their
minds by the things that we do for
them.
A principal who has been contending
with one of the stupendous problems of
part time and double session with
surplus of nearly two thousand chill
dren to plan for, when asked for an
opinion on what women could do to
help in the present school crisis said:
What do you expect me to say about
it? | am kept busy trying to meet
situation that exists because the citi-
zens of New York permit it to exist.
If they disliked it enough it would not
go on for another year would never
have grown up at ALL They have been
asleep, that is all, and have been bun
coed by political catchwords.
Hold Officials to Promises
"Hylan was elected on a certain def
mite promise, but did the wcmen take
the trouble to find out whether he kept
that promise or whether he even knew
what it meant? If the mothers of the
city who understand the situation and
who care what is to happen to tho fu-
ture of the city would just stand be-
hind the schools and see that political
ances, then we would have better
schools and, by that came token, better
citizens"