New-York daily tribune., 1858-11-19

Among the officers to be chosen at the coming
election are twenty two School Commissioners,
members of the Board of Education. one from
each Ward constituting one half of the Board.
We can give no greater emphasis to our demand
that the new men shall be men ofgreater ability or
of greater honesty than the old, than BY recit-
ing here the requisiton which the Board has just
made upon the City Treasury for the school ex.
penditures Of 1859
The single item of salaries of teachers and jani-
tors in the Ward and Primary Schools is set down
at $6CO,O0O. Much Of this money is well spent
Probably the conscience of the Board is easier on
this portion of the expenditures than on any other
But let us take few figures. Let Us take tho cost
Of tuition in that male department which, accord.
ug to the City Superintendent's Report, is the
best-taught male department in the city, as
standard Of cost, with similar standards from the
best-tsught Female and Primary departments, and
We find that an average Of 10000 children-a
larger average than may fairly be counted upon for
lo59-can be taught for $4sO,C0O. Here, then,
may be effected saving Of $l2O, 900 by raising tho
quality of the tuition all the city to the highest
grade Ow known to the system. People who are
not scqusinted with the management of school
affairs in the city, will be apt to wonder why this
is not done. We can give no answer which would
be complimentary to the managers
The next item is the incidental expenses Of the
schools: $4,000. Of this about $4,000 is paid
for fuel More than half the sum might be saved
by discarding the old, expensive and dangerous
modes Of heating and substituting the best hot
| water apparatus The remainder Is used by the
Ward Boards of School Officers, and great
portion of it would never be called for were it not
necessary for them to spend money enough to keep
up their dignity. At least One-half Of the whole
| item would be saved under proper system.
The Free Academy calls for 100000. There
will be about 200 boys in the Free Academy next
year. Of these 700, 500 can be taught much bet
ter in the Ward Schools, at an expense OF $50 .
piece making $40 600; while the 200 who are pur.
suing q collegiate course, may be taught in q
real college, (Coiumbia) for $4,000 more. Here
is $40, ,OOO wasted in bungling attempt to oom-
pete with largely endowed institutions.
For the support Of Normal Schools $50 900 is
to be set apart OF the two principal Schools,
the daily Normal School has already been pro-
nounced worthless BY the Board, which in Com
mit,ee of the Whole, nearly two months ago, re-
commended it's abolition. The Board has, however,
not seen fit to act upon the report The Sat-
ur,lay Normal School, still under the control
Of Mr.. Hazetine, is only less bad. Were
Soth shut up to-day the Ward Schools would be
gamers rather than losers.
The ragement Of the Evening S:hools, for
which $7c 900 is asked has hitherto been SO grossly
bad as TO excite the remonstrances even OF those
who manage the Day Schools. We need waste no
words on thesn. Everybody who knows anything
about them must have become disgusted with the
apportioning Of the city among the members OF the
Evening School Committee, snd their bargaining
in the appointment Of teachers. We have no doubt
that the leading principals II day schoos 10 the
city would undertake to provide better evening
tuition than is now offered to the ignorant adults
of the city for $4,000. As matters so COW, they
ale seldom consulted.
For books, stationery and other supplies, Me
round sum Of $lc0, 900 is demanded. This is an
advance Of Sl5, 900 upon 1853, and beside this, the
estimates for the Free Academy, ETening Schools
and Normal Schools have been considerably to-
creased in order to cover the supplies used D.
them. 1. viii no. be diffcalt TO see where the