New-York tribune., 1922-11-25

lloH is more ScnoolS. he believes we
have not enough schools mainly because
Of the almost endless red tape in which
their erection has been involved If he
has his way, there is to be some clean
sweeping on this score in the immediate
future.
Says Board Inherited Emergency
Mr.. Ryan holds that the part-timc
situation is not q new thing, and at
tributes the present crisis to the lack OF
a progressive building program during
previous city administrations. He lays
blame also at the doors of previous
Boards of Education for their lack of
foresight in failing to reserve property
Tor school purposes.
One should consider, too, he thinks,
that the number of new school buildings
required annually to keep pace with the
present school growth is in itself a
prodigious problem and that to correct
the mistakes of the past and catch UP
with the shortage Is wellnigh q super
human task. He will, nevertheless, he
says, make such recommendations to the
Board of Education as will accelerate
school construction and place the situa-
tion in a measure of control.
Mr.. Ryan entities his discussion:
What Ais the SchooIs?' 1t follows:
The present furore over part-time
instruction in the schools Of New York
CITY IS by no means an innovation In
educational history. We can bark back
to ten or fifteen years ago and find the
question on irritating problem at that
time. 1t has been the basis of political
issues. 1t has been a subject for criti-
elsm OF various municipal administra-
tions. 1t has been the object Of sur
veys. 1t has been the cause of changes
in school administration. There is,
therefore. no reason why the present
determined attempt to root it out sys-
tematically should be interpreted as a
public criticism of our school system
or the failure of the present city ad-
n1fnistration to live UP to it's pledges.
AS matter of fact, the current study
OF the situation has proved that the
present city government has accom-
plished more than any two former ad-
ministrations in the matter OF afford
ing seating facilities for our school
children.
Part Time Due to Many Causes
"Part time is not alone attributable
to failure to build sufficient schools.
The growth in the school population
each year is so great that even in nor
nal annual increases it requires the
erection of twenty elementary schools
and five high and special schools. The
present part-time situation is in vary
ing degrees due to the following
causes:
Il. The lack of progressive build
ing program during previous city ad-
ministrations.
"2. The cessation of building almost
entirely during the period when the
Gary plan was being foisted on the
city.
"3. The fluid character of our pop,
ulation, which takes children from one
district where school housing is ample
TO another where seatings are scant.
This shifting of population often leaves
vacant rooms in some schools and adds
TO the part-time difficulties in others.
"a. The lack of foresight of past
boards of education in reserving prop
erty for school purposes This lack
OF possession of sites in favorable To-
cations retards building programs.
%. Sudden congestion in certain To-
.calities due to completed transit lines
and completed subways have assembled
huge populations in various districts
almost overnight. This abnormal
growth precludes the possibility of pre-
pairing school buildings in time.
e. The embargo on erecting school
buildings during the World War. The
present city administration immedi-
ately after its inauguration formulated
most comprehensive building pro-
gram. Money was generously appro-
priated. Every encouragement was Of
fered to accelerate the erection OF
schools, The World War, however, in
tervened and the necessity of divertinp
labor and materials for martial pur-
poses caused an embargo to be placed
oil school buildings. This caused a
serious delay in the progress Of our
building program.
Labor Troubles Play Big Part
''T. Strikes, walk outs and labor difl-
cult!es which caused lack of skilled
and unskilled labor in building trades
after the war. Subsequent to the war,
the building program was seriously
hampered by the failure of contractors
to complete schools owing to labor
turnovcrs, competition for skilled
labor by other cities and inflated wages
offered by other building enterprises.
All these not ONLY increased building
costs, but caused incessant delays.
S. Changes in school organization
have contributed to the part-time per.
pleXities. The organization of junior
high schools, the establishment of spe-
ciai classes for handicapped children,
the expansion of high school registra-
tlon have through the necessarily re-
duced number of children in these
classes absorbed space that might helm
reduce part time
-. The failure to change boundaries
OF school districts in order to re-alIo-
cate children in the upper classes has
in minor degree swelled the roster
OF part-time pupils
10. Above all, the public must real
ize that the normal increase in regis-
tration of our colossa. school system
is 50 hugo as to require the erection
OF school buildings that would house
the entire school population of some
other cities. To keep pace with pres
ent school growth is sufficiently
prodigious task, but to correct the mis-
takes of the past and catch up with the
part-time evil is considered almost he.
yond human ability by thinking people.
IN order TO accomplish this apparently
insurmountable task, the present sys.
tenn CT erecting schools must be SO
modified as TO save every minute Of
time possible.
Contrary % general belief, the pres.
ent operation OF constructing schools
- not q mere matter of providing
suuos, selecting sites and preparing
plans. The suryey of tire Bureau Of
Construction and Maintenance lust
completed shows that after months of
work in the central office the project
must be supervised and approved by
other departments before plans and
specifications ere pat out fer estimate.
Tortcous Path to New Buildings
aln order n ahax1 .phaS a saxf..4