The New York herald., 1921-06-18
OF 40 Buildings Examined
21 Are Found to Have
Worst Kind of SAM.
tary Conditions.
GAS ODOR Is ONE DANGER
9O-Year-Old Structure Not Re-
paired in Three Years
Mayor and Other City Of
ficers Get Report.

Several civic and non-political or
ganizations which combined to make
survey of the city's public schools
made public their report yesterday.
disclosing conditions in the forty
schools investigated which are char
acterized as intolerablJ beyond belief.
The report says that in more than a
majority of the schools visited the
sanitary arrangements and the fire
protection are wofully inadequate, no
provision is made for the teachers,
and the children are herded together
In rooms that are dingy, dirty and
unsanitary. Some of the principal
discoveries made by the investiga-
tors are:
Stairways were found dark, con-
ducing to panic in case of fire, and
fire signals missing or out of order.
The Julia Richman High School in
West Thirteenth street is condemned
as notorious fire trap"
Only ten schools of the forty have
good or adequate fire protection.
Lighting and ventilation in thir-
teen of thirty.seven buildings in
spected are poor and inadequate,
causing eye trouble among the pupils
Few of the schools have adequate
indoor play space.
Twenty-Five schools have no dress
Ing rooms for teachers.
Big Dangers TO Children.
The investigators declare that it
would be criminal negligence" to
permit the children of New York to
receive indefinitely their training for
citizenship in such dilapidated struc.
lures.
This study was undertaken when
the New York and New Jersey section
OF the woman's department of the
National Civic Federation called to-
gether in February, 1920, a group of
forty organizations interested in edu-
cational and civic problems. AS an
outgrowth of that conference a CON-
mittee was appointed to make a sur
vey of some of the city schools. Its
chairman is Mrs. Rogers H. Bacon of
the National Civic Federation.
Other members represented the
Woman's Municipal League, wom.
ems City Club. Civitas Club of Brook.
lyn, Council of Jewish Women, Public
Education Association, League OF
Catholic Women, New York State
Federation of Women's. Clubs, and
New York State Federation of Busi-
ness and Professional Women's Clubs.
In its inspection of Brooklyn
schools the committee also had the
cooperation of the Urban Club,
Brooklyn Women's Club, Kosmos
Club, Friday Afternoon Club, Chiro-
pean Club and Brooklyn Junior
League.
Forty Schools Represented.
The committees report covers some
OF the smallest as well as some OF the
largest school plants in the city. It
comprises thirty-seven elementary
schools, two high schools and the
School for the Deaf in Manhattan.
Fifteen OF the schools investigated
are in Manhattan borough. four in
the Bronx. fourteen in Brooklyn, five
in Queens and two in Richmond.
Copies of the completed report have
been sent to the president and MEM
bers of the Board of Education the
city Superintendent of Schools and to
the Mayor and all other members Of
the Board of Estimate and Apportion-
mcnt. In its letter enclosing the re-
port to Aiming s. Prall. president of
the Board of Education. the commit
tee says:
I'VE are interested solely in slim
ulating public opinion to a realization
OF the physical needs of the public
schools, for 1t is only through en-
lightened public support that the
schools can be adequately financed.
we trust that the Board of Educa-
ton will include in its budget for next
year request for sufficient funds TO
put all the school buildings into proper
physical condition at the earliest pos
slble date and also will determine as
accurately as possible and insist upon
receiving the fun sum needed 10 keep
them In flt condition thereafter The
welfare of the children and teachers,
which Is in your hands, makes this
imperative"
Under tho head of Sanitation" the
report says
Probably the most generally un-
Continued on Sirfh Pare