New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-07

which that administration has undergone within q
q few years past Instead Of being shared, as for
merly, between two Independent and rival systems
acting at once az a check and q stimulus upon each
other, one selfperpetuating, the other elective,
thus bringing to bear upon the oversight aud ad
ysncement Of the schools, the peculiar qualities TO
be expected from both these system, the elective
system has within the period We have named, Ell
trey swallowed up the other, go that the manage
ment Of the Public Schools is not snly vested
exclusively in elective officers but in elective officers
chosen by detached constituencies, and scarcely to
be regarded, in any Just sense, as forming parts Of
IN organized whole.
At the same time, with this change e system
there is to be observed no les. noticeable change
in the persons by whom that ysem is administered.
The old, experienced proved and devoted friends Of
popular education, to whose Tsinteresied and IN
firing labors our system Of public schools is mainly
indebted for it's existence and eSpansOn-we speak
not here exclusively by any means OF the active
members of the old Public School Society, but no
less so Of those by whom the system of Ward
Schools was brought into existence-haVe in
great measure disappeared from the scene. Tdey
have been superseded from year to year by new
men, as to very many Of whom the public have yet
to learn that they possess any qualifications for
the discharge Of the serious and delicate duties
which they have thus taken upon themselves.
The first result under tbs new system of man.
sgement to which We propose TO call the attention
Of the public is the rapid increase Of expenditures.
For the year ls52, during which year the double
system, TO which we have above referred was in
operation, about half the pupils being still under
the charge Of the Public School Society, and the
other half under the charge Of the Board of Educa
ton and the school officers Of the Wards the entire
expense Of both systems, according 10 the Report
for that year of the Board of Education, was
Si34,57i. During the year 1853, in August of
which year TOOK place the consolidation of the two
old systems and the commencement Of the present
one. the total cost of the Public Schools was
S5I3,9O2 In lisa, the first complete year Of the
new system, the cost rose to S77G,913 This
amount far exceeded the estimate of the preced-
ing year. upon which the school money for 1854
had been assessed and after urgent and repeated
sppeas from the Board of Education to the
Common Council 70 rrelief against the stoppase
of payment with which they were threatened, an
advance was made 10 tie Board of $4,000, in
anticipation, as the vote of he Common Coun-
Gil expressed IT, "of the appropriation of $50.
In 1870, The expenditures reached the sum of
S9l7. rl3, 10 part of which, however, went to
make up the extra expenditure eff the preceding
YEAR In the earlier part of the year the Board OF
Education would seem 70 have shaped their appr)-
preparations with view 10 repayns out oil the
wears money the advance OF the year before; but
finding that the Controller instead Of holding back
the sI95, coo advanced the year before had mad
vertently or otherwise placed the whole years ap-
preparation at their disposal, they fastened to I'M
prove the opportunity TO 60 on and spend IT.
The estimate for l-05 had indeed been proposed
before the deficit in the previous years money was
known, and OF course It contained no provision for
meeting that deficit, which WAS the reason since
given by the Controller for no. holding back from
Il the previous years advance. An amount OF
$l60 Coo was, however, put into tie estimate for
l>j6 expressly e. cover the defcenc es Of the two
previous years. But the Board of $50, were 10
ess inclined to .pend money than their predeces.
so1s They took the ground that they had right
to appropriated IL the service Of the year s the
MONEY raised for ths, year. aud that the deficit OF
1854 was charge properly belonging 10 the year
l>-A, for which the Common Council or other
| thorites ought 20 have provided 81 the tine BY
supplementary school levy, since even wiki this
addition the estimate for that years service would
| fall within tie amount for VII "a tie Board of Id
ucston bad night 10 call. Upon this assumption
of Their right 10 appropriate 10 the service Of ESQ
al The school money raised BY the ,ax.evy OF le56,
! 'bc Board proceeded 10 graduate their eHpend.-
lures. But the Controller insisted upon holding
back $4,000 cut of ihs; years money 10 rem-
| burse the advance OF IS5+; the consequence Of
which was that when the ,eschers wsuted paj ment
| for the month Of December, l~iI, the Board hal
70 money on hsnd with Hhith 10 Psy them, and
were a second time saved from bankruptcy by the
consent Of he Controller 80 slow them - oysrdraw
| 20 the ex.tIt Of some So 0Vo, 10 be reimbursed
cu: Of the school money Of the cuTren. yea'. By
means Of this oyerdIslf, the expenditures Of The
year have ben Carried to abou; SEQ OO0 70 which
however, is to be added appropriations q the
extent Of Sll5.CCO made by the Board OF Edaca-
ti'n but not yet payable.
The school levy for the current year amounts u
| ST. ICO,5lO. being the utmost sum for winch tie
Beard urt ei the existing law, has right to naAe
| ,enmptcry cal; but OF tbs sum, only S9S.il0 c.u
% Appropriated t. toe service Of tie peseat yeaf.