New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-14
Hyla,n Buster
Used to Cloud
School Issue
False Cries of Gary Crowd"
Branded as Attempt to
Sn,irch Women Who Re.
vealed Bad Classroonls
Nudd Calls for Remedy
Public-Spirited Citizens Ask
Elimination of Politics i'm
Education Despite Mayor

Howard w. Nudd, director of the
Public Education Association, who has
been attacked by the Hearst Hylan-
Tammany administration because of
the report on school conditions in
New York made by non-partisan wo-
mems clubs, issued a statement yes-
terday in which he charged Mayor
Hylan with "shadow-boxing."
Mr.. Nudd said that the Mayors
charge that the Public Education AS
ISOLATION was engaged in an effort to
raise the Gary" issue was fal Sc, as
the women associated with the various
clubs making an investigation of school
conditions knew nothing of the Cary"
issue and cared less about it.
This is, contemplate effort to
save the face of Mayor Hylan by be-
smirching the good faith of disinter-
ested women" said Mr.. Nudd. "The
organizations to which these women
belong have for many years repre-
scented wide range of interests in
non political. civic work.
Plea Made to Save Schools
There is but one solution of the
school crisis and that is to take the
dragged them through that mire four
years ago and seems determined to
drag them in again this year, and along
with them great body of public
spirited citizens who dared to look the
facts in the face and ask for fulfill
ment of promises
Mr.. Nudd's statement continues
GAS we have repeatedly pointed out,
the list of schools comprising this re-
port was not secured from the Public
Education Association, but from the
City Superintendent of Schools, who
gave the organizations a written per-
init to visit them. While this associa-
ton was one of the organizations COM
prising the Plan and Program Commit
tee, it did not visit single school in
Guided in the report. Because of it's
own Investigations in 1919, which were,
then published widely in the press and
served as the occasion of public hear
ing before the Board of Education on
May T. 1919, and because it anticipated
just such misrepresentation as that
which has come to pass, the association
wished that no question could be val
idly raised as to the independent char
acter of this later study by different
organizations.
"Under such circumstances, if any
certainly those of the officials and their
agents who are seeking to discrdit the
character of these women whose sole
interest is in the welfare of the schools
Perhaps no better commentary could
&c made on the plight of the officials
than this effort to evade their rcsponsi-
bility by raising the old Gary buga-
boo. These womcn's organizations have
never had any connection with the
Gary issue, and the attitude of the
Public Education Association upon it
hes been repeatedly stated. Four years
ago Hylan repudiated the policy of his
predecessor and promised to solve the
school crisis by better program of his
own fabrication. Has he kept this
promise? Are the schools in better or
worse shape after four years of his
administration These are the only
questions. at issue. We have not and
are not seeking to raise the Gary
issue. All we want are wholesome con-
ditions for teachers and children to
work in and any program that will
achieve that result within the financial
ability Of the city will have our sup
port.
Startling Conditions Barred
"That the schools are in bad way
every one will admit. The official sta
tlstics of the Department of Education
show that part time in the elementary
schools has increased over 175 per
cent in the last three years, that part
time in the high schools has increased
from 1898. to %, 141 in the last year
and will be greater than that in the
fall; that congestion in diversified classes
has increased from 100000 to $4,000
in The last year, and that the old school
buildings are in a deplorable state of
unrepair. The official figures of the
Board of Education published last Sep
TEMPER in the form of a report from
the City Superintendent in support of
this years budget, copies ofwhich were
widely distributed to the press and to
civic organizations and citizens gener
ally show ON pages 81 and 100 that
the schools have Jared much poorer
in comparison with other city depart
nents during the Hylan administration
than during that of Mitchell.
"In the face Of such facts what are
intelligent citizens to think of Mayor
who seeks to becloud the issue with
cheap billingsgate and false cries of
Gary crowd ETC.? The public is not
interested in personalities, but in facts.
and those facts can be found where we
have found them, in the official pub
lished reports of the Board of Educa-
ton.
Eve have faith, however, in the com
mon sense of the community. We be-
lieve that the public cannot forever be
buncoed. Lincoln's old phrase still
stands true, that you can fool some
Of the people all the time and all of
the people some of the time, but not
all Of the people all of the time!
Let us have provided at the next
session Of the Legislature a degree of
financial independence for the schools
that will guarantee them an order
y. development independent of the
schemes of ambitious politicians"