New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-03-24
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
REPLY To IAN TX-COMAnssIoNER.

an the av OF character TO lose, they are naturally reck
lass IN regard to the truths OF the assertions the MAKE
40 long as thew can succeed in shaking the confidence of
eho ools an the management Of the schools Trained IN
MI the hold tricks and desperate expedents which have
made them worthy managers Of the Ring they are play
ing a bold game to secure control of the expenditure
of the 100000 which their in other departments
m the city expenses led them look upon as their
right The article which appeared in the columns Of your
paoer IL win be seen from the following analysis is s
sus OF bold and deliberate msstaements evidently In
tended to mislead 1t is 10 full hedged specimen OF the
kind OF morality Of organization which thus seeks 70
complete its ownership Of the city government Areaoy
its partial mastery has rendered byword andero
nroaob throughout the civilized world What would 1t
not become II the education of children should pass
into its hands,
Frst. in regard TO the total expenses 1t was unan-
sweraby shown the recent address Of tho President OF
the Board that the expenses Of 1862 when compared with
those Of 1850 were as follows 1869, Ssi5o0Oo; 1860
Sa7sOOO; excess Of 1865 1890 H,s72OO0 That the
increase in the attendance OF pupils within this interval
70 per cent. That the addition Of this proper
tionInent the expenses Of 1850 would nave
raised outlay to g. $4,000 This would leave OUT al
theedects OF the upon prices Who does not kno"
what these have beeni VINO would not be glad TO afm
that his expenditures not been increased more than
90 per cent since the breaking out Of the wari Add %
per cent to the 100000 The Board has never asked ior
As 600 although by law entitled 20 draw for nearly
g. for 1862 This deliberately called extravagant
and unlimited expenditure, ana not one hln gwen 'HS
the increase has just causes.
Salaries Of teachers cost Of supplies are dismissed as
itens OF necessity though doubtless extravagant in
amount" Yet no better than the writer OF the
article referred to- that the salaries Of our teachers we're
disgacefuy low before the and that the enormous
taxation and pecuahOn In rngrdden city even now
while these teachers yet directly subjected to the
extortions which aet the ring departments Of the City
Government leaves little enough Of their hardearned
ealaries for their real support
1t is also asserted that 1000 expended for the mere
clerical duties 1t must be remembered that there are in
these schools during the year at least onefourth OF
million pupils with average attendance of nearly half
that number There several classes Of supernend-
ents necessary The superintendent OF Schools and his five
assistants and clerk, whose positions well known
10 be require very nearly $4,000 OF tne
with his assistants the Engineer OF the Board ana ote
remainder the duties Of these officers call for constant
labor aud in clerical The Finance Depart
nent the Depository and the other duties which are
"merely clerical" each must have Responsible heaa
these there the Inspector Of Fuel and the Janor OF
the Ha-all of these are included IN the $4,000 HOW
consist in paying salaries and keeping record OF the
proceedings OF the Commissioners who meet Twice |
month";" How fair is this statement Of the exComms
eioner" who certainly knows the truth. whatever he
may such For what purpose was such an aSse
The item of $4,000 for incidental OF ward
schoolss then attacked In precisely the same spirit Inc
eXCcmmissioner says IN thIs e0uneStIon, a. 0os
that fund under the direction OF the managers
d
St s NOT remarkable that those who have managed IT,
coming from the humblest positions without means are
unavoidable impressions made by such statement II be
evedi What are the faeIsi the cheI SIa o
1868 Puel $4,000; gas for evening schools trustees,
Fis o repairs Of All kinds $1,000 furniture $1,000
supplies for trustees room, S0; the expenses OF ne an
nus cleaning of all the schools s2CS; printing o OF
and salaries Of clerks Of local zeal Boards Boards
smaITitems and for draft which is always made before
the chose Of the year from some other sGGonn o
teachers salaries. What shall We say OF a man ~ho
public statement leading every one who knows no
better to think that tins large Of $o0O annually
the community should be that it Is only exCom-
missioner The amount Of 10000 estimated TINS year ISf
worthy OF suspicion the impression being gwen that
sSreesble TO make known Now the fact that the
expended 1865 for incidental expenses was
press charges cleaning printing and binding necessarily
large em repairs to the hall Of the Board advertising
&C. &C. There is also included in the amount the ex
2enses OF snS that While the cost is Compare
lively large 1t is unwarranted by law The statute
(sec S0 that the Commissioners shall receive their
tusl and reasonable expenses while attending 70 the aa
fngs OF the Board at O'clock in the afternoon the mem
bers obliged TO forego the comfort OF dinner az their
homes would be compelled TO purchase refreshments
II the simple provision OF OF tea or coffee ana Few
their seTvices are rendered gratuitously simply
temptbe make this trivial expense matter OF objec
ton.
The statement that not authorized by law, it will
be seen, not true. We wonder whether the e1Comms
siOner partaking Of ms coffee and sandwiches
duly CONSCIOUS of the abuse IN which he was parci
The impression is sought to made that the proceed
ings OF the Board kept secret whereas everything IS
done them the widest publicity. The meetings OF
the Board are open the public, journal Of
proceedings is publicly read, printed and circulated
and reporters for the various daily papers always in
attendance and take such minutes OF the proceedings
they deem proper II IS true, these proceedings
formerly published IN ful IN The Lender and 1ronscrtpt
bat the expense OF such publication was oOnsdefaDie
ard as the other papers published the proceedings g-
tuOusy, as matter OF puohc interest TINS was dlscoh
The impression given that the members Of the
Board through intermediate agent-MessrS BurntOn
Bros-derive q profit from the furnishing OF DOCKS ana
other supplies. such result Is Impossible MessIs.
BurntOn Bros obtain the supply OF no article unless
awarded 10 them the Oioes bidders In competition
with other contractors and the fact that by means OF
such competition the contracts are awarded 10 various
persons Messrs Burnton Bros having only part Of |
Them Among the others are such respectable firms as
lvison. Phinney. Brakeman Co, A :. Barnes q Co.
Harper BrOs D. Appleton Co. Clark d Maynard, shell
BurntOn agent these par
intermediate they supply arti-
cles the and IN precisely the same way.
Is true that the BurntOns not publishers bat the
goods supplied by them Board az as low price
the publishers themselves would supply them a fact
The truth OF which VIII be attesed By any Of the publish
en referred 10.
With regard TO 1.-THE principal book copyrighted by
one OF The superintendent. the statement
Sgeration, and designed 20 create evidently false
impression IL Is true OF tie Assistant supentend-
ens years edited grammar then and still IN
use N the schools; but he had any copyright inter
est 10 ~ nor derived any emolument whatever from It's
Circulation The same officer was the author OF small
textbook for which there a very limited demand and
ch was IA use IN the schools previous 20 his election.
nis eO2A mas Deen retained on the list by the Board
during The last Is years
Two 81 the other superintendent are also the authors
OF works on practical education which the thought
proper 70 place the list reference books for the
WITHOUT their express requistiOD.
Win regard " the supplying Of pianos the imputaon