New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-01-21
4 MAMMOTH PRINTING JOB.
Fron Our Own Correspondent

1t will, no doubt, be generally Eememoereu "
st least that portion Of The readers OF HE IRiB.
USE who take sn setive interest IN edncsuohal
matters that at or near the close Of the SESSION oil
1857, commission was created by set OF Leglsla-
ture 10 investigate the subject of Public Schools in
the City Of New .Yorb, and report to the Governor
what alterations fs1y, in existing laws are neces-
sary to secure their more perfect establishment,
government, regulation and economy.
The Commissioners made brief Report, dated
December 30, 1-57, which was transmitted 70 the
Assembly by Governor King. on the 9TH day oi
February, l-5-. This Report, which covers nine
teen printed pages, j. mainly devoted 70 descrlp-
| tiOn or statement of the system, and sometimes
want of system, on which the schools Of the city
sre conducted; the number OF schools, school OIL
fcers, teachers &c, the annual expense. how the
money is expended, and showing generally the mo-
dus operandi Of conducting the business of public
education in the great City Of New-fork.
The Commissioners in this Report concluded that
reform was necessary. bat they had not then sufi
GENTLY considered the matter to state distinctly
what measures OF reform, IN the shape oil addi-
tional legislation were desirable. aud asked time
for further consideration. which was granted BY
! continuing the Commission for another year.
Although the Report was of very little, II any,
practical value, the printing of 1t was perhaps
well enough as : compliment IN the Commissioners
who performed their services grAtultousy, As tue
printing of the regular number 600 copies OF the
report proper would not have involved an outlay OF
more than $50 sos but, in the body OF the Report
were references 10 various printed documents having
reference more or less directly to the question of
public schools These documents were sen. IN with
the Report by the Commissioners that the Legs
lsturo, or any Committee having the subject of
schools in charge, might have them for reference.
| am not willing to believe that the respectable
and intelligent gentlemen who composed that
Commission (Mesers. T. Il. Stillman, T. X. lllou,
T. A. Adams, Charles Tracy and Charles Motif
ever intended those documents should form part
of their Report, much less be printed as such. In
deed, in concluding their Report, they say: The
undersigned for additional information, refer to
the accompanying books AM documents num-
bered from / to %, inclusive
Now mark the result: All these "books and
documents" were sent TO the public printer and
printed along with the Report, making ponderous
volume Of 1872 pages and OF this document l,oOO
copies were prnted-thst Is, the usual number OF
zoo copies 5000 for the use of the Assembly and
| 900 for the use Of the Commissioners-costing
the State the snug little sum, under the contract
with the Public Printer, u ,IO3, not TO men-
ton the odd cents.
The printing of this book IS clearly swinde,
an inexcusable robbery of State Treasury that j.
nearly empty. BY whose procurement, by whose
action or failure to act VAS the order gwen PRINT
Did the Commissioner ask for thousand copies OF
that 300 page volume / do not believe they
did. Did the Assembly of lo5S want 3,-OO copies
of il To distribute for the enlightenment OF their
constituents and have they received and DIS
tributed that number doubt if ten members of
that Assembly knew that such document was to
BE- printed, and il would be quite safe 70 offer
large premium for any person who has read IT.
In order that the readers Of TIE TRIBUNE may
see that do not exagerate, will briefly glance at
the contents of this remarkable document. IL con-
tains az have said, l. 1872 pages, including blanks,
of which one page is devoted 10 Gov. Kings Mes
sage transmitting the Report; ~ Ia the Report IT.
self: To A list OF documents embodied In the
book; 20 TO schedules showing the number OF
scholars on register in Public Schools, the number
who have attended school on the second Wednes
day Of each month salaries paid teachers, &c;
Ia memorial 10 the Legislature asking that the
city may spend all the money raised by tax for
school purposes within its limits; 100 TO the Eff
teenth Annual Report of the Board of Education,
Dec 80, l-j6; II pages To Schedule No. | show
ing the length Of time each school has been kept
open and the average attendance, and the whole
number taught in the several schools, as appears
from the annual returns for the year ending Jan !,
l-j7: 3 pages 10 Schedule No. 2, showing the
revenues and expenses of the Free Academy from
Jan. /, lc56, To Dec. 81, l-d6; to Schedule No.
g. showing expenses incurred for teachers salaries,
books and stationery, repairs and supplies, fuel,
&C., in the Ward Schools Of each Ward, and the
value of supplies from the depository and repairs
BY the shop for the year ending Dec 81, ESQ; )
to Schedule No. 4, an account BY years, schools,
Wards, DC, of the work done by the shop; 33 to
the Address of And. II. Green 0n his reelection as
President of the Board of Education, delivered
Feb. 4, 1857; 9 To a circular Of And. III. Green,
President of the Board of Education, relative to
payment OF salaries of teachers and other bills, TO
school officers and others 90 to minutes of meet
iDgs of the Board of Education, May to May 20;
10 the Report Of the Executive Committee on
Daily Normal Schools; - 10 another of the same
sorts 30 to the Report OF the Committee on Sup
plies; to another Report of the Executive Com
mittee on Normal School; 10 10 Report Of Com
mittee on Annual AppOrtiOnment of School Moneys
for lsj7, showing who got the money; % to
catalogue of officers and students Of the Free
Academy for lc.J6-1-yery rare and interesting,
and including directory of the Board of Educa-
ton, with name residence and place of business,
very convenient ~ Members of the Legislature
having business transactions with said gentlemen;
20 TO the Ninth Annual Register of the Free Acade
my for l-57--, very much Like the catalogue con-
tanning much the same information, which Is in
many instances stated in precisely the same words;
and also another list Of the Board of Education,
with residences and places OF business; o. pages to
the Ninth Annual Report Of the Free Academy to
the Board of Regents; II pages TO the Report
Of the Principal of the Free Academy to the
Executive Committee of the Free Academy; II
To the Merit Roll OF the Free Academy Second
Academic Term, July, ls57; 80 TO the reports Of
Committees of Board of Education on Free Acad-
envy for Girls; 10 Report of Special Committee
who visited Albany in o57, in relation to proposed
Legislation in regard to school matters in New
York; Is To record Of case in Supreme Court, the
People in relation 10 the Board Of Education agt.
Azarish c. Flsgg Controller, &c, opinion Of