New-York tribune., 1921-06-30
Hylan Crippled
City Schools by
Pairing Upkeep
DIR. Ettinger Shows Allow
ances for Maintenance
and Requirements Far Be
low Business Standards
Cuts Met Pleas for Aid
Conditions Menacing Health
of Thousands of Pupils
Ignored byAdministration

The Indifference of the Hylan admin
istration to the deplorable conditions
in the public schools of the city is viv-
idly portrayed by the moderate but
urgent plea of DR.. William l.. Ettinger,
Superintendent of SCHOOLS, in hts re-
port to the Board of Estimate in sup
port of this years budget foS the Board
Of Education.
The figures presented by DR.. Errsager
show that during the first two years ex
Mayor Hylan's administration the per-
centage of the amounts allowed for
maintenance and replacement Of school
building and equipment was or per
cent and OTIS per cent of the accumu-
lated cost. In connection with this
Dr. Ettinger said in his report:
Nts should not cost the Board of Edu-
cation more to repair its buildings than
any private industrial or business con-
cern. On the other hand, should it cost
the board any less? Business con-
Germs and industrial plants consider
2 to s per cent on the value of the
plant as moderate rate of expenditure
for upkeep."
Mayor Hylan was swept into Office
upon the glowing promises made in his
election campaign. Among them was
the solemn assurance that the schools
would be we'll cared for. In the first
year of his administration 81 ,000, ,S94 4S
was allowed for maintenance and re-
placements, and this was really appro-
priated by the Mitchell administration
However, If the lowest percentage al
lowed by business concerns had been
applied to the schools the amount
would have been s2,5o9, 1874.
Business Standards Ignored
In the second year of his term Mayor
Hylan kept his promise to redeem the
schools by allowing S926,939.24 for
maintenance and requirements. Had
he followed business precepts by allot-
ing per cent the figure would have
been s2,544.665.66.
After citing the figures in this re-
spect from 1904 DR.. Ettinger wrote
In his report as follows:
These data are very significant
They show that for years past New
York has not made proper financial
provisions for the upkeep of its school
buildings. While the plant has in
creased in size and in cost, the amount
OF money appropriated has actually
grown smaller and relatively reached
In 1919 tthe second year of Hylan}
point only about one-thlrd of what
1T was in 1904. This is in the face
OF the increasing cost of labor, mate
rial and equipment, and also in the
face of rapidly increasing usage of
plant and equipment"
Continuing in his report DR.. Ettinger
sounded the following warning, which
was promptly met by the Hylan ad-
rninistration with $4,000 ,00O cut in
the Board of Education's budget.
s Not only from consideration of
sound business, but more from regard
Tor the welfare of tho children in.
trusted to our care, must proper pro.
vision for this item be made. The san
itary conditions in our buildings should
be of the highest order, heating and
ventilating apparatus must be brought
to satisfactory degree of efficiency.
the lighting facilities should be above
criticism, the old school furniture
where necessary must be replaced, fl re
risks must be removed and the other
necessary repairs must be made to pro-
vide wholesome conditions that will
insure the safety, health, comfort and
happiness of our children"
Ettinger's Plea Disregarded
The Hearst Hylan- Tammany admin
istration ignored this plea, and cut
off $27,00o,000 from the, appropriations
asked, while increasing every other
city departments budget In the case
of the Board of Education they passed