Evening star., 1935-01-26
SCHOOL ENGINEERS
ADVOCATE CHANGE
Would Separate Operation
of Buildings From Edu-
cationaI Branch.

Reorganization of the operation and
maintenance of public school build
ings to separate them from the edu-
cational department Of the Board of
Education was urged by operating
engineers yesterday as means TO
remove the menace Of boiler explo-
sions, which stand as threat to the
safety of school children.
At a special hearing at the Franklin
School Building the engineers Of
local No. 102, International Union Of
Operating Engineers. filed briefs sup
porting their assertions that too much
of their time is taken up with tasks
that should be performed by teachers
or laborers.
If the engineer custodian does not
cheerfully and promptly jeopardize
life and limb of the pupils by leaving
dered, his efficiency rating is lowered
by the principal" the brief stated.
Extra Duties Cited.
Among the extra duties complained
of by the engineers are maintaining
order in corridors, wedding gardens,
cutting grass, winding clocks, sweeping
corridors and class rooms, busting,
sweeping walks and yards, watering
lawns and running errands for the
principals. These extra tasks, the
engineers said, prevent them from at
tending the boilers between z am. and
3 pm, when the buildings are filled
with children.
Another complaint was that the en-
gineers are compelled by the principals
to erect model houses, shops, stores,
ETC., which are later displayed to the
public as the work of pupils.
The engineers insist" their formal
statement said, that diversion of at
tention from the steam plant to these
petty side issues is dangerous, and
that while no school boiler explosion
with fatal results has yet been traced
to this source, it is quite likely to
come This danger, indeed, has been
recognized by the school superin-
tendent, Frank w. Ballou, and he
wrote a sharp letter to officers, prin-
cipals, engineers and engineer jani-
tors when an inspector found both
engineer and assistant absent from
their high-pressure steam plant"
Delays in making needed repairs as
recommended by the engineers also
was made a matter of complaint. A
valve missing in the w. B. Powell
School, it was said, makes it neces-
sary to heat the entire building to
obtain hot water. A hole in a cor
ridor floor of the Truesdale School,
a. i
unrepaired in December, 1884. Re-
quests for drains to run of water in
Easements after rains remain un-
fulfilled after two years.
The Board of Education authorized
a committee to take up four recon-
mendations made by the engineers
who asserted they have tried to CO.
operate with the school management,
and have been rebuffed.
List of Recommendations.
Their recommendations follow:
81. Complete separation Of the
operation and maintenance of build.
ings and equipment, and Of employees
engaged in that work, from the edu-
cational department of the Board of
Education.
"2. The operation and maintenance
of buildings and equipment be put in
one department, under qualified OFF,
cial, who shall supervise operations,
repairs, issuance of supplies, ETC. All
employees in this work would be in this
department.
"3. Replacement of custodians with
licensed engineer -custodians.
"a. Revision Of rules to carry the
earlier recommendations into effect.
The committee will be composed OF
Jere j. Crane, assistant superintend-
ent in charge of business affairs:
william McQueeney, superintendent Of
buildings and grounds; . principal
yet to be named and a representative
Of the engineers.