The New York herald., 1921-09-19
FOURFOLD In 3 YEARS
175,000 on Makeshift Pro-
gramme and 100000 Put
in Crowded Classes.
FIRE MENACE UNCHECKED
$4,000 Spent in Cutting
Down $4,000,O0O Estimate of
Violations, Asserts Nudd.

Efforts of Mayor HyIan and his de-
tenders to calm the public concerning
the part time situation and the conges-
tion In the public schools are roundly
denounced by the Public Education AS
sociation, which terms the Mayors con-
tcntions fatuous and untrue. That the
school situation is much more serious
after three years of Hylan is definitely
| asserted by this organization interested
in promoting education.
In statement to THE NEW YORK
HERALD, Howard w. Nudd, director of
the association, asserts that the gravity
of the schools situation can no longer
be camouflaged or explained away for
political or any other reasons. The
Hylan record on the schools has been
uninterrupted neglect and stupidity Mr..
Nudd states. His statement continues :
THE astounding total of 12S,105 part
time pupils Is decisive refutation OF
Mayor Hylan's fatuous contention that
the crisis in the schools Is not serious
and of Mr.. Pralls misleading statement
before the Meyer comnittee that part
time had been reduced to $4,000. or some
1000 less than the number when Mr..
IIylan took office.
Quadrupled In Three Years.
"As a matter Of fact, there are now
more than four times as many children
on part time as there were in April,
1918. the first Hylan year, when the
number was slightly over 10000. Dur
ing the last year alone. despite the much
heralded new buildings opened week
ago. the number has increased nearly
40. 900. or over 45 per cent. Since June
last the increase has been over 10000
And yet the authorities have the ef-
frontery to stigmatize as false the ex-
tremely conservative statements of pub
lie spirited citizens who have dared to
tell the truth about the schools!
Moreover. the Mayor is seeking to
make the public believe that the prom
ised opening OF more new buildings this
year. seating 10000 pupils, will ma
terially reduce the amount of part time.
He neglects to state, however. that this
number scarcely equals the normal an
nual increase in register or that II Is
less than two-ffths of the phenomenal
increase of $4,000 in the high and ele-
mentary schools register this year,
which may. In whole or in part. be
duplicated next fall.
1T is obvious. therefore. that all
OF these new j. tings will be absorbed
by new pupils during the coming year
and that next September we shall
doubtless have far more part time than
at present What rea sonable citizen
can longer doubt the emptiness OF the
glowing promises of Cour years ago OF
reserved seat for every child or fail
to question the wisdom of pursuing fur
ther that will-o'-the-wisp?
but these part time figures tell only
a part of the story of congestion In the
schools. There are. in addition. up
ward OF 175.000 children on various
forms OF makeshift double session pro-
gramnes which the City Superintendent
has characterized as unsatisfactory and
which are, IL anything, worse than part
time. There are also nearly 100000
children in diversified classes-classes
having forty or more pupils--more than
half of whom are in classes OF forty
five or more and more than 10000 in
classes OF fifty or over.
Health and Safety mt stake.
TT does not require an unusual gift
OF imagination nor even modicum OF
technical skill to realize what this ap-
palling congestion means to the edUca-
| tional welfare and the health and safety
OF the children. 1t makes individual in
struction we'll nigh impossible and in
creases almost to the breaking point
| the nervous strain of teaching. which
even under normal conditions is Sc
we're.
"overcrowding Is one OF the greatest
| f1re hazards. as our factory laws and
our fire regulations governing theatres
! and other places OF public assembly well
testify. To ovcrcrowd our public school
! children In even the best of structures
would bc bad enough. but to crowd them
with smiling composure into buildings
which are old and decrepit and agains,
which our fire authorities have lodged
thousands of complaints I'm indefensible
even though, as apologists say. no live:
have yet been lost.
| There has been much effort &c
minimize this Are hazard, but the facts
speak for themselves. Violations which
would cost s4. 900 to remove, accord.
| ing 10 the Department OF Education It.
self. can hardly be called trivial or un.
4 important particularly when they In.
clude 100 sntiquated buildings with
wooden and unprotected stairwsys
nearly 200 with fire signals out of order
or not up to the standards of the Fire
| Department and scores with inadequat &c.
ly protected boiler and furnace rooms
or with obstructed Railways or i'm
proper exits. After repeatedly calling
4 Ofi1ctal attention 70 tneSe conulUonS anc
expressing In unmistakablc terms his
fear OF a catastrophy, the Superintend.
ent OF School Buildings has obtained al
the end OF four years scarcely one-six.
teenth OF what he says he needs, and
because of pressure in other directions
has been able to expend about $4,000
or less than a half OF 1 per cont oi
/ what is necessary to remove the viola.
tions cited by the Fire Department.
In spite OF this overwhelming rec
ord OF neglect and such other notorious
instances as the Generalization caused
by the rautilation OF the school budget
for the current year. We are brazenlS
told that the schools are not In bac
way, that we have had during the las
four years the best administration oi
the school system In the history of New
York! What an insult TO the intelli
gencc OF the community