New Britain herald., 1921-03-09
CHILDREN ARE IN
 DANGER IS CHARGE
C. of C. National Committee Re. ports Of Fire Danger to Young


 sands of school children housed in
 fire traps and hundreds of thousands
 of them either on half time or in 1 makeshift buildings is the condition
 in 429 cities of the United States as
 disclosed in a report made public to- l day.
 l The report was issued by the na- i donal committee for chamber of 1 commerce cooperation with the pub l lie schools on a survey conducted by I the American City bureau.
 l The committee was organized in February, 1920, to inquire into school conditions. Its executive committee is headed by George D. Strayer of Teachers college, Columbia univer- sity, New York
 The evidence presented shows clearly that there are tens of thou sands of children now housed in old, insanitary, dangerous buildings" says MT. Strayer in his introduction to the report. Many of these structures are best classified as fire-traps.'' Data was received from 429 cities. The report says: These facts, ob- tained from 75 per cent of all the cities reporting, show that in these cities even excluding those housed in annexes where conditions may be normal, there are more than 453,000 children who are either on half-time because of lack of building space or are housed in portables, rented build ings, attics, basementS or corridors. It would require an average of two 30-room buildings in each of these cities to properly house these groups of children alone"
 The report sets forth statistically the inadequacy of playground space. "It is clear that in many cities chill 'dren are now housed in buildings in which there is less space on the play ground than is supplied in the class rooms in which they are taught" : says MT. Strayer in the introduction.
 Three million six hundred thou sand children are represented in this report on playgrounds,' it is stated, ''and the study discloses that one-half of them-1,so0. 0.000 children-have each a playground less than six by six feet per pupil and many of them have no playground at all.
 These facts of limited playground space" says the report. present one of the serious problems confronting those who are interested in the wei fare of American school children Whatever tho cost, adequate play
 
 those school buildings already erected in contested districts. Public senti- ment must become so strong that it will be considered breach of trust for school authorities to erect a school building on a site that will not afford adequate playground space TOT all the pupils housed in the building.
 On the subject of fire hazards in schools, the report states: Only i've per cent of the total number of build ings are of the type of constuction usually called fireproof. Only small number have fireproofing elements to lessen the fire hazard to the children 1 At least twenty-five per cent Of the 1 two poorest types of buildings are of l two or more stories and do not have l a fire-escape. Thirty-nine per cent of l these two types are without fire ex- l tinguishers, and less than ten per cent | of them have automatic sprinkler, equipment in any part of the buld- l ings. Only II per cent have auto | r,atic fire alarms. Such facts as these | demonstrate the existence of real menace to the children of these cities" One-half of present-day schools were built prior to 1897. Il
 The report directs attention to 'the large number of children between the ages of 13 and 16 years who leave the public schools" There is prob a bly, no more serious problem or one more difficult to solve now facing the people of this country" 1t says.
 According to the reports from 29o cities six per cent of the children have left school before their 18th year. 19 per cent before IA, 3S per cent before ] , and 64 per cent before they are Is years old.
 "1n the geographical groups" the report continues. "the highest per rent Of these children remain in the western cities Next in order are the Great Plains cities, then the south crn, the Great Lakes, and lowest of all are the eastern cities. In this last group only 29 per cent of the chil- dren l s years of age. and 56 per cent of those from 14 to 16 years, inclus- i've. are in school"
 Attention is directed to ga notable falling off in attendance" at evening during the last six years. a period of unusually high wages"