The New York herald., 1870-05-19
PUBLIC EDUCATION.
Meeting OF the School Commissioners Spring
and Summer Attendance at the Schools
Corporal Punishment The Bible in tho
Board-Vaca ions-vagrant Chill
dren and sectarian Schools
Miscellaneous Matters.

miscellaneous MaLterE'
The Board OF Commissioners or CDminu schools
met yesterday afternoon IN stated ses ION, with the
Prestdcn Mr. II. L. Larsem IRE, In tho chair.
large number OF the ust al style OF communications
from ,ees In relation to excCsing teachers for
ab ence, were received ana appropriately referred
Among the commm cations was one from The local
boald Of the Eighteenth ward in relation to the
salary Of May McManon who was accidentally
ell on the 9th inst. In Primary School No. 20 by
falling down stas. Commits ioner Lewis offered a
resolution au horzlng the President and Clerk to
draw warrant In favor OF Miss McMahon's mother
Tor The full amount of the balance OF salary due Miss
Mcmahon for the year 1870.
The Clerk, In response TO q resolution offered by
Mr.. Wood and adopted by the Board, reported the
aver ge attendance at the schools Tor the last two
weeks In the months OF Ap II and July for the years
1868 and 1869. The report showed as foows:-1S6S
Apri', 79,079; July, 53,90l-decrease In July, 25l7s
or about 80 per cent 1899, April, $1,000; july
67,4o4-decrease IN July, 1902, or 2oas Per cent.
The report was ordered on hle on motion Of Com
missioner Wood
APPOINTMENTS OF TEACHERS
were confirmed as 70 lows:-william F. Cahlll to tie
vice principal OF Grammar School No 3l in the
Seventh ward; John ]. Delaney to be principal of
Grammar School No. II, IN the Seventh ward; Hugh
Carlisle and Charles f. 0lney to be principal and
vice principal respectively OF Grammar School No.
26 in the Twentieth ward; and Miss Annie M. MUIR
ray and Mary E. Dlmond to be respectively prlnci-
pal ana vice principal OF the Primary Depa rtment
Grammar School No. 20, In the Twentieth ward
The subject OF
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
was brought up by report from the Committee on
Bylaws, Qualifications ard III ecti1ns Ihs pe'i
tons from the tea hers and resolution offered hy Mr.
Wood at the previous meeting asking a repeal OF
port showed thai from the tine OF the wise King OF
IL aeA the tendency hal been 10 abolish corporal
punishment. m and that the prohibitory bylaw hal
be adopted In Difference to the prevailing public
setinenr'n iavor OF doing away with this relic OF
Comm ssioner Wood moved TO amend the report
Dy inse uig he res0 ution. presented by him the
last meeting and in support Of his doctrine OF the
advlsabiy and necessity Of corporal punishment he
THE BIBLE,
especially from Prov rbs to show that by sparing
the rod the child was sp lied, and much more that
effect. lie ald OF course, It might be sald that SOL
omons own son was not the best boy IN the world,
written In SolOmon's old age, in the bitterness OF
his heart, when ne saw what great good might have
Wood, as usual was exec dinghy apt ana happy In
his quotations and argument, but his earnest style
aided by
PROVERBS POETRY AND PETITIONS
failed to make the necessary Impression. Commits
sloners Snyth and Sanis spoke IN favor OF the adop
the mater to the commit &c, with power to report
some proper means Of punishment and reward Mr..
Gross wan ed to be right on the record and hoped
vote would be taken on Mr. Woods motion. He d |
been instrumental in having the present bylaw !
iopted and he wished 20 be consistent Mr Bells
mOtion was then put to the voe and was adop ed. |
Messrs. Lewis ana Gross vut ng In the negative. |
The TIT on ,be sub ect was quite spicy, but not
so. y rhaps, than that which arose another re-
port from The same committee in relation to
THE SUMNER VACATIONS
The committee In their report leferred to the ex-
pendture In he way OF unearned salaries that would
be occasioned by closing the schools two weeks |
Seger Se a. M If Mood sn ana 70 the danger to
long TO the working classes ana Who would be |
thrown on the streets TWO weeks longer In the way
OF temptation and danger. Thus 1t was admitted |
mat a PROLONGED vacation would probably lie the
cost of educating the pupils. Then the report wound
up by agree ny to have the byiws amended SO as to
have the vacation commence the Friday before |
the last week IN July and end ON the second Monday
IN September. Comm1s ;oner Wood in opposing the |
adoption OF the report read quotations from letters
nom ducational officers in New Haven, st. Louis
ana fhcagS ev IRON % D6 od sanitary "a KS
OF the old collegiate school, OF the Dutch Church In
taHor tals clfy 'ee o:aest sehog Y Ssw York all in
CLOSING THE SCHOOLS EARLY IN JULY
and not reopenng until September. Commissioner !
Smyth rcpied to ar Wool ra.her sharply. but said
tAat II they were egisla Ing only for the female |
teachers ne would be Wiling TO give them three
months.
Commissioner Wood showed the inconsistency OF |
the committee In stating that giving two weeks |
extra vacation wond have bad effect on the |
they agree TO give an extra week, or about ty per
cent 80 that taeir mora might be damaged fifty |
per cent with impunity. He contended that the |
children would b. much better in the warm
weather out In that room. Win the high arch OF
heaven for u roof than lii the O. and badly venti-
lated schOolroOms. All Mr.. woods eloquent and
elegant ;dress was thrown away but not entirely
without effect; Tor although his amenument was
voted down, the amendment giving one week extra
was adopted. Those who voted in favor OF Mr..
Woods proposition were-COmmissioners Lewis,
Duryea, Wood and Sherwood; against it-COmmis-
si5ners Rlennan Sands. Bell, Gross, Smyth and Lar
femOre.
The special committee in relation to providing
some means for bringing
vAGRANT CHILDREN
to attend schools reported tat the number OF such
chi dren roaming the streets had been estimated at
from 10 900 to 000 but carefully prepared
showed now only 5000 scattered throughout the en-
tire length Of the island, and p such way as to |
render IL impossible to provide any school accommo-
dation for them. The great falling or In the number
OF vagrant children was accounted for by the fact
that the provision In the tax levy OF last year making
allowance for /
DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS,
those schools other than schools for edu-
eating children free, had enabled parties to take
care of large number of these children who had
previously been uncared for. THIS argument should
have been adduced before the late legislature and 1t
might have opened the country members eyes
II tie more and that wise provision the tax levy
might have been continued. The report was or
eled lrluted, after which tho Board adjourned