The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-01-26


get work." said one carpenter who
was in line to pay his dues at the
Office Of Local No. 1, Of the Carpen-
ters' Union.
Edward Ryan, president Of the
Building Trades Council of Chicago
said, II believe that every building
in Chicago should be made safe and
fireproof. But first of all common
humanity demands that all public
schools should be made safe. They
should be the safest buildings in the
city. That is the first thing that
should be done. They should also
be made sanitary"
All building trades workers who
had seen the DAILY WORKER said
that they were glad that it had
started its campaign for safe schools
because it could not be accused Of a
selfish interest in demanding new
buildings.
Students Aid Campaign.
with the DAILY WORKER cam
paign against fire trap public schools
hardly under way, pupils who are
attending such schools have already
manifested an interest in it.
Students from the Medill High
School, West 14th Place and Throop
St., report that their school, altho a
comparatively modern building, is in
many ways unsafe and unsanitary.
The school which is in the heart of
the west side ghetto serves the dis
trict from Harrison to 18th streets,
and from Western Avenue to Halsted
Street. The main building was erect
ed in 1895 and additions made in
1897 and 1907. 1t is three story
brick affair without fire escapes. The
lighting is far from good. All day
artificial light is required in most OF
the rooms.
"Fireproof" Laws Ignored.
The interior is not fireproof as is
required by city ordinances. The
lunch rooms are used as study rooms
on occasion and when used as lunch
rooms are not clean. Numerous stu
dents complain that they have seen
reaches in the lunch rooms and that
they are so numerous that they crawl
on the tables and trays. In the wash
rooms, which are seldom clean, there
is often no water.
The school has been poorly heated
most of this winter. Recently the
conditions in the school became so
bad that few Of the more ubafraid
students called meeting to outline
program of action that would re-
suit in better conditions. The call to
the meeting set down as the demands
of the students, more light, better
wash room facilities, more heat, clean
lunch rooms, more lockers so that
two students would not be forced ia
use one locker as they are at present,
The meeting was not held because the
principle of the school managed to be
in the room at the time of the meet
ing and the students were not willing
to proceed under official scrutiny,
The demands, however, were brought
to his attention, but nothing has been
done about them up until now.
All the pupils attending Medill are
the children of foreign-born factory
and needle trades workers and the
students who came to the DAILY
WORKER Office to tell their story be-
lieve that the poor conditions in their
school are the result Of the indiffer-
ence of the school-authorities to the
poor and foreign-born workers who
have no way Of making their protests
felt.
Story of the Brown School
The Brown School, at Warren ave-
81 l. d. n
of the oldest school buildings in Chi
Icago. The building is so old that
parents Of children attending the
school have repeatedly written to the
president of the Board of Education
demanding that the school be put in
proper condition to safeguard the
lives Of the pupils.
All the president did about the
complaints was to send an inspector
to the school who pronounced it safe,
The School Is housed in two build
ings, the Oldest Of which was erected
in 1857 and the newer one in 1870
The two buildings are connected by
a one-story frame shanty. In order
TO get from one building to another
| it is necessary to pass thru two class
rooms and dark narrow hallway.
In both buildings the stairways
are narrow winding affairs. The land
ings are dark.
Fire Escape IL Farce.
Tho two fire escapes instead Of be.
ing a safety device are menace to
life. They are merely tubes stand.
ing on end with slides inside down
which the pupils are supposed tc
come. The door at the bottom Il
supposed to open when q weight
strikes It, but II is doubtful II the DO.
dy Of school child would be heavy
enough to open them. II the door,
failed to open nothing could stop the