New-York tribune., 1921-06-18
Clubwomen Blame Hylan
for Shocking Condition
of Buildings Where
Pupils Crowd Glasses
Menace Revealed
In All Borouglls
Squalid Structures. With
Leaky Roofs, Called
Breeders of PestiIence


The most severe Indictment of
New York's public school manage
ment ever made was presented to
Aiming S. Prall, President of the
Board of Education, yesterday in
report fled by a committee repre-
senting forty women's clubs and civic
organizations.
Basing it's charge on specific data,
obtained after more than years
work 'in personal inspection of typi-
cal school buildings in each of the
five boroughs, the committee, which
was created by members of the local
wonan's department of the National
Civic Federation to prevent
threatened breakdown in the New
York public. school SYSTEM" alleges
that 1T would be criminal negligence
to permit continuance Of the over
crowded, insanitary and dilapidated
condition Of the buildings"
Shocking Conditions Revealed
Although contending that its sur
vey of the school system is without anv
political motive, the committee points
out that the schools are in a worse
condition to-day than at any previous
time in their history. The disclosures
confirm those made some months ago
BY The Tribune. showing that Mayor
Hylan's promises when he took Office
more than shree years ago to give spe-
'cial attention to relieving overcrowded
schools have not been fulfilled.
Filthy sanitary conditions, unwhole-
some plumbing in toilet rooms, leaking
roofs, rooms infested with flies from
neighborhood garbage cans, odors from
sewage, dangerous stairways, vermin,
DIRT and overcrowded classrooms lit by
artificial light are some of the obiec-
tionable features found by the commit
tee. The Julia Richman High School.
so West Thirteenth Street, for instance
IS described as "a fire-trap." The Girls
High School, in Brooklyp, is declared to
be SO insanltary as to be impossible"
The committee is convinced, as it
formed, that it would be criminal negii-
gence for the community to permit our
thousands of public school children to
receive indefinitely their training for
citizenship in Gilapidated and disrepu-
table structures that are daily deterior-
ating three times faster than they are
Icing repaired" says the report.
The purpose of the report is to
awaken public consciousness ito insist
upon the cessation of unfulfilled prom
lses and the adoption by our elected Of
hcials of prompt and effective measures
to meet the emergency"
PralI Seeks Relief
President Prall last night said that
ne had not yet read the report, but
said that the board had been working
or the improvement of the schools
Mrs. Rogers H. Bacon, chairman of
.he committee, presented the report to
President Prall. Some of the organ
lzations which participated in the III
were the Woman's Munici-
pal League, woman's department of
the National Civic Federation, Wom-
ans City Club, Council of Jewish
Women, Public Education Association,
League of Catholic Women, New York
State Federation of Wo,nen's Clubs,
The State Federation of Business and
Professional Women's clubs and the
Civitas Club, Brooklyn.
Of forty schools inspected thirty
seven were elementary, two high and
me for the deaf. Fifteen of the
buildings are in Manhattan, four in
he Bronx, fourteen in Brooklyn, FIVE
n Queens and two in Richmond.
Referring generally to the sanitary
condition of all the schools inspected,
he report says:
"Such remarks as old and terribly
nsanitary,' dark and evil smelling
Did, out Of repair and filthy twelve
oilets for 1900 boys old and in fear
'ul condition. illustrate the kind of
conditions which are all too prevalent
There are practically no basins or
,owels for teachers or pupils and
where there are any they are insult
icient in number. The toilets are
sually in dark Easements or in the
ard, with no connecting passageway
cold, clammy and only too frequently
epulsive to even those of less sensi-
i've tastes. Such conditions are char
cteristic OF sanitary standards of de-
AIDES ago. 1t is beyond belief that
hey should BE tolerated by either the
ckool or health authorities of to-day.
New School Unhealthy
FQne new School, +. y. AZ, the Bronx,
With excellent equipment, is on the
ist because of the unhealthy condition
reated by the presence of a huge city
arbage dump not 800 feet from the
chool. Phe odor and attendant flies
make conditions unspeakable at times
nd are ever a menace to the health OF
eachers and pupils"
Only fifteen out of thirty-eight
examined with reference to
heir need for repairs were found to
e satisfactory. On this point the re-
ort says:
"For example, P. S. 10, Manhattan,
as. had q leaky roof for two years:
:. s. Is, Manhattan, has had no repairs
q years--one stairway has been board
d up. by the principal. as it was so
ilapidated as to be unsafe. Doors are
ailing off the cupboards, which should
e locked--shere are no locks on any
oors or cupboards.
5. LIT, Manhattan, has had no
cal repairs in years, the ceilings are
sasing. the walls dirty and speeling.
:. 5. lS. Brooklyn, has one Suilding