The New York herald., 1922-10-16
LAYS SCHOOL Crush
TOBOARD POLITICS
Senator Meyer Renews His
Fight on Red Tape in
Education.
PROBLEM FACES CITY
Wants 1t Handled Just as
Miller Treated Transit
Exigency.
PUBLIC PAYS FOR DELAY
Addition of 100000 to One
Contract Blamed Upon
Dilatory Tactics.
PUBLIC PAYS FOR DELAY

The city never can catch up on its
adequate sittings for the youth of the
metropolis as long as the Board of
Education is mixed in politics and Is
subservient to the political Board of
Estimate. in the opinion of Senator
Schuyler NJ Meyer. who was chairman
of the committee that spent months
Investigating the public schools.
The situation which has developed
since the opening of schools this au
tumn ard the increased shortage in
seats prove the contention made by
the committee in it's report to the
Legislature that the trouble is due to
the red tape tied around the building
operations, the Senator said.
Schools here must be treated as
transit has been treated by Gov. Miller,
Mr.. Meyer said, and he announced his
intention of again introducing his bill
providing for non-political Board OF
Education. Mayor Hylan opposed the
measure last year.
Schools Next Problem.
with our transit problem we'll on the
way to solution. thanks to Gov. Miller,
the city's next great problem is the lack
of school buildings" the Senator said.
He took up the history of the five build
'ings opened this year: p S. SO. in East
109th street. with 1880 sittngs. took
five years to complete No go, in The
Bronx, with 1928 sittngs, required four
years; Newtown High School. with 1 1,O7O
seats. six years. NO. 81, in Queens, with
504 sittings, five and one-half years
No. So. in The Bronx. three and one-half
years ft
AS an illustration Of the backing and
filling" done by the two city boards in
dealing with a school building contract
the Senator gave a record Of p. S. 81,
showing the many delays he charged
were due to red tape and divided al
thority He said
with such a system of referring and
recommending, appropriating and re-
approprating, approving and selecting.
ad infinitum. we will never catch up. In
October. 1921, there were S99,475 chill
dren on register in the day elementary
and high schools of whom 1854 were
on part time and 195,750 on double ses-
sion.
Vast Increase shown.
children on register in the day elemen-
tary and high schools, of whom 14s,OOD
were on part time and 19S0cO were on
double session. In other words, there
is an increase of part time of over 3s 900
and of double session $3.50. The total
sittings of the five new schools and
all the additions to old schools opened
in 1922 are only 22.970. SO that in the la st
year the Hylan administration has not
completed enough new schools and ad-
ditions to old schools to even keep pace
with the normal increase in the school
attendance. let alone reduce the part
time attendance.
The history of the Newtown High
School shows that on September 80. 1919.
the Board of Education recommended
the award of a contract for $7S1 900, but
that month later. upon the insstence
of Comptroller Craig that the price was
too high. the Board of Estimate re-
quested the Board Of Education to re-
advertise the contract. which the Board
of Education did. After the usual de-
lays, three months later. on January %.
1920. the Board of Estimate approved
a new contract for $794,000. but after
two weeks the successful bidder threw
up the contract, so that new bids had
to be advertised for
$50 finally on May 49, 1920. the Board
of Estimate had to increase the ar
preparation and the contract was finally
awarded at S9S6.700. This little byplay
by the Board of Estimate not only de-
layed the award of the contract for the
school but 1t cost the city over s2o0, ,0O0
Shortly after our report was sub
mitted this year to the Legislature and
Charter Revision Commission Hylan
announced s50.000O00 building program
The record of the last year shows 1t
was nothing but the usual smoke
screen"