The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-01-30

The investigation is being {
sonal direction. Inspectors fro
and the building commissioner
work with an Inspector from
the engineers office of the
board of education. These
three inspectors make their re-
ports directly to Mr.. Burns.
A week ago when the bureau
of fire prevention made their
yearly report to the Mayor they
said that list of public schools
which are menace to life
would be sent him. In spite Of the
| fact that two inspectors have been
working on the preparation of the
list for a week it is not yet ready.
Is this list being held up until the
board of education white washes it.
self?
New Architect Appointed
It will be recalled that the board
of education appointed new archi-
tect, who will have charge of the
engineering department, and the de-
partment which handles the repair
and remodeling of old school build
! ings. This appointment followed
within few days the statement of
the chief engineer of the board that
more than fifty public schools are
unsafe and unfit for use.
Has the board Of education ap-
pointed a new architect and given
him control of the engineering de-
partment in order to have some one
to stand between the public and the
man who declared fifty or more
school buildings unfit for use?
Visit FaIlon School
One of the schools visited by the
inspectors Monday was the FaIIon
school, at Wallace and Root Sts., in
the district "behind the yards" The
Fallon school has classes for crippled
children and is not an ordinary
school. Special attention has been
paid there to the needs Of crippled
children. The fire inspectors found
every thing ""all right"
That they should find every thing
call right" is not surprising since
the Fallon school has been devoting
itself to special problems. Mr..
Burns did not say what other schools
were visited by the inspectors but
did say they found every thing call
right in the schools they did visit.
| Yesterday the DAILY WORKER
investigator visited the Moseley
school, at S. Michigan Ave. and oath
st. In that school more than a
thousand children are accommodated
in "a rooms with 1892 seats. Twelve
divisions of the school are on the
double shift system. The first class
attends from 500 a. m. to 1915 and
the second from 1890 till 400 p. m.
Built in 1856
The school, three story building,
the original part of which was erect
ed in 1856 does not have either fire
escapes or sprinkler system. The
FIRE extinguishers are of the Oldest
style and few in number.
The pupils are mostly Negro chill
dren. The discipline seems to be
very lax.
/ The stairs are Of the winding mar
row sort found in most of the older
school buildings. There is nothing
fire proof about the building. In
many of the class rooms low parti-
ton few feet from the wall serves
as a cloak room.
i The assembly room is an ordinary
class room. The chairs used are not
fastened to the floor. The gymnasium
lis also an ordinary class room with
Every little gym equipment.
There are classes for subnormal.
anaemic and tubercular children
The rest room for the tubercular
children is an ordinary class room
with army cots and in no way adapt
ed Tor the special use to which it is
put.
i Lunch Room Inadequate.
The lunch room serves more than
200 children day and is small and
inadequate. The boys toilet is in
the basement and the equipment Is
OF the oldest sort. The place is
dark and damp. Because the bows
play room in the basement is darker
and dirtier on cold and wet DAYS
many Of the boys hang around the
toilet, using 1t as a play room.
Many Of the younger children's
class rooms are on the third floor.
Since there is no fire escape this is
especially dangerous. The principal,
Leona Thorne, said that she could
not see the good Of fire escapes as
many of the children would not knew
how to use them. She herself was
not sure she could use one, she
added.
| In contrast to the building used
as school by the children of work.
ers is the Standard Club, across
Michigan avenue. It is housed in a
large stone building with FIRE es-
capes on four sides. It is equipped
with elevators and magnificent
gymnasium that Is used about
49, - - u u