The New York herald., 1869-05-20
TEE BROOKLYN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.
Investigation Of the Supply System OF the
B0nrd of Education.

Investigation Of the Supply System OF the
Bonrd Of Education.
Last evening the committee appointed to investi.
gate the system under which supplies, books &C.,
are furnished under authority OF the Board OF Educa
tion met at the depot In Red Hook lane There
were present Messrs Kinsella, Rhodes and Rowe
these gentlemen comprising said committee. The
investigation IL being held for the purpose OF In.
quring as TO the charges heretofore made that the
purchases made by the supply committee were In ex.
cess OF usual rates OF cost OF the articles or the
value thereof that the present practice was
contempt OF resolutions passed by the Board requ-
ing said committee ITO advertise In the public
papers or TO send copy OF the list OF articles needed
10 at least six OF the wholesale dealers IN these ar
tcles located In this city and the city OF New York,
for estimates, and TO contract with such parties for
q supply may be deemed best for the Interest OF
the public, and TO report said contracts to the
Board" This matter OF expenditure for sup
plies IA one OF vast interest to the taxpayers
OF Brooklyn, inasmuch as II involves an expendi-
ture annually OF upwards OF 100000. The testi-
mony ELECTED upon the two previous sessions OF the
Investigating Committee IL OF q nature well calcu-
lated to create public dissatisfaction with the Board
for the laxty which It has displayed In the transac
tion OF business In the matter OF outlay OF money.
The first witness examined last evening was Mr.
Payson OF the POLYTECHNIC Institute. He received
wooIrsifr Hindsworth, Boston, and sold by the
Appetons 10 the Board. IL appeared that the Board
pays 81 90 dozen, while the regular price list
he made the discovery that the Board
were paying more for states than ne was. he being
In the store business. The 6xp states were sold 10
the scholars at the schools at thirteen cents piece
lie selling them at retail for twelve cents each
at his store In East New York. Ito had told Or. j. g.
Thorne, President OF the Board ABOUT IT, and since
then he understood the price had been reduced for
scholars 20 twelve cents. lie could buy cheaper by
the case, the same IA tho Board buys them He
could buy some books, two three at q time, as
cheap as the Board could buy big lots Mr. Peter
Roget principal OF School No. 10, for the past
twenty-five years, testified IN reference TO the efforts
made In regard TO uniform book system
IN the schools the chief point OF his testimony being
that no knew publishers OF books used by the Board
who did not furnish them TO the Board. The Secre.
tary OF the Board Mr.. George stewart testified that
Robert Patten and Johnson furnished the furniture
used In the schools: that their estimates were based
up on specifications furnished BY Mr. Leonard Su.
perintendent OF Repairs that no one else competed
with Patten or Johnson, Of New York; bills
were presented to the Sch0olhouse Committee,
certified 10 bv Mr. Leonard and then paid without
ever being presented In the Board. bill an high
as $4,000 has been paid In this way; an effort had
been made to get other bids and bids had been sent
IN. but without any result.
Thomas Kelly testified that he furnished the Board
with wood at present; several years ago wnen pro-
posals were advert sed for he had bid for the con:
tract and was 'very badly beaten" but tnat ne mao
never been beaten since he began supplying 10 UT
der.v
The committee adjourned until Friday evening
next Of nvc p. n.