New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-06
Lewis to Pusl,
Craig Charges
In School Site
District Attorney TO Seek
Further Facts ON Nep-
tune Avenue Deal After
Talk With Comptroller
.Ceriain Persons Called
H,Ian Provided 400 New
Seats for Pupils, as Com
pared to Mitcl,ef's 40. 900

District Attorney Harry Lewis of
sags County yesterday held two
hour conference with Comptroller
craig in connection with the dispute
over .he selection of school site on
Neptune Avenue. Coney Island. The
conference came as q result of a com
nanication addressed to District At
.orney Lewis by the Comptroller ask
ing the former to investigate the facts
to ascertain whether a crime had been
committed.
IN his letter Comptroller Craig
charged that six days after the Sinking
Fund Commission had released its in
terest in lands on Neptune Avenue the
Board of Education, upon the recon,
nendation of District Superintendent
Edward B. Shallow. had recommended
three alternate sites on the same prop
erty. The charge was the subject of a
controversy between the Comptroller
and Or. Shallow, and the latter has an
nounced his intention of instituting
libel proceedings against the Comp
troller.
At the conference yesterday there
were present. in addition to Comp
troller Craig and District Attorney
Lewis, Assistant District Attorney
Ralph Hemstreet and Charles KERR
gan, secretary to Mr.. Craig. After
he conference Mr.. Lewis said he would
ssk that certain things" be presented
TO hiza. and that certain persons"
visit him. Who those persons were
he declined to state, nor would he ex-
plain the nature of the things he de-
sired.
Il the question goes before the grand
jury, as requested by Comptroller
Craig, It probably will be laid before
the June grand jury, which was in
session at the time of the Comptroller's
request In that case the body will
have to be recalled.
der the Hylan administration shows
that out OF total of ffty-four sites
for new school buildings, additions and
Fairgrounds, presented to the Board Of
Estimate during its three and half
years regime only nine have been APP
proved
Another feature Of this situation is
tcc fact that out of the aine actually
approved, seven were approved after
me report OF the nine civic associa-
lions upon the wretched unsanitary
conditions existing in the schools had
been made public three weeks ago.
Despite the fact that Mayor Hyian
bitterly attacked the Mitchell admins
tration with regard to the public
schools and was himself elected partly
upon his promises to improve the IA
eilities OF the schools, only two new
sites had been approved before the
civic associations made their survey
and the report which has caused the
Mayor so much distress. The stats
tics show that during the hrst three
years CT the Mitchell administration
$1,000 rev seats were provided for
school children, as against the 400
so far provided by the Hylan admins
tration in the same period.
OF these nine sites approved by the
Hylan administration three were ap-
proved last Friday and included new
school for the Bronx. an addition to
Public School IS. Queens. and q port
able school for Richmond Four others
we're approved at the meeting of the
Board Of Estimate on June 81 las.