New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-11-10

~ which they paid for all repairs. Now they are allowed
mpy the amount Of their printing and other Board
penses The repairs probably cost more than before,
hut a. now arranged, there Il chance for Ring"
ront As minor repairs neglected under the present
svsteu great expense will be eventually brought upon
the city on this account Another evil arising In
ton with repairs is the costly substitution Of new kinds
of heaters for those previously In which Just
good. The charge is made that school officers cause
to be badly managed. that friends OF theirs
may he allowed 70 put In other kinds.
As the decrease OF attendance he said that one cause
this found such acts as that of Father Farley
Of St. James's Church. who recently commanded
his people from the pulpit to send their
chldrEn to hts school instead Of TO the
city schools consequence OF this il the dcmoralLa
ton OF teachers and pupis The former who have been
In the habit Of visiting parents to induce them TO send
either parents children on the subject for fear OF
citing the Of the priest The children seeing the
the teachers and attempt determine their
own conduct II u easy for child to do this IN many
others when such Catholic children are punished they
% oSn RS that S repeSSp sS oh
In regard to the silence OF the Commissioners concern
said that in some Wards no Sppontment can be made
without the consent Of the Alderman Of the district or
some other politician Thus competent persons are set
aside, and political friends appointed Teachers thus
selected plume themselves upon the fact ana CONSIDER
the latter by the politicians NINE out OF
ten promotions are made for causes other than merit
he she has certificate from the Grinding Commit
tee" The evening school teachers all selected by
pals to act clerks of the local boards and by this
means they received from $50 to 300 year Now
has appointed many similar officers at salaries from
81 800 each Again. principals and jamtors have
delivered to the be sold that anitOrs have
no paper with which to Rnde fires and yet t9e %
buildngp they are ostenSby let to the lowest bidder
but certain who IN the secret bid low enough 70
get understanding that they
that certain alterations IN the plans needed
which will add 10 the cost in order to insure an extra
leading manufacturer, who has long taken active
interest in the public schools gave same Important dc
tails relative to their abuses He mentioned the Of
local trustee who attended to the repairs In hs ward
although trustees are mot allowed that privilege. In
this case the bills which were quite e1orhitant,
made out in the name Of the foreman Of the trustees
local Board refused TO sign them, apd required them
to he cut down. This condition OF things has ex'
tee on ~ Furniture pcTformGd some mason work for
the Ward. and the bills presented in the namc
OF his brotherinlaw who is not mason They came in
the night OF the Board meeting and the Chairman
certified them thus Endorsing his own bills and jobs
never called together The expenditures Of the local
boards have been largely conducted III this way. When
MI Miller was superintendent things were even worse
than at present in this respect The new Supcrntend
emit Mr. Kddle is he wellmeaning man, out tied
The manufacturer gave some startling facts about a
schoolhouse in his Ward. Tho whole building except
two front wings was constructed before the war fer
$4,000 including the cost VI the foundations Of the wings
which we're not completed because there we're not chill
dren enough 10 demand much room. When the in
Of population made the finishing Of these wings
the Central Board refused to report favor
Of the building for several years. At last
gested 10 Superintendent Miller that the work might he
done by the shop connected with the Central Board
This suggestion was readily accedcd TO, and the work
was performed Immediately at an expense Of 5000
The of material and labor Of course higher than
before the war, but $4,000 would have been an ample
price.
AS to the appointment OF teachers, he said IL Mr. Bell
other Commissioner intimatCs that he desires
candidate appointed the selection is pretty certain to
be made There is mu fraud i'll the matter OF changing
school fixtures, such heaters No complaint had ever
been made Of lack of In the two schools OF his ward
until last year, when new janitOr was appointed
There was immediately clamOr concerning cold rooms
and furnaces proposed The chief peculation
however. he said, is III small temt though painting
sometimes furnishes good chance. There Ia serious
evil in the lack Of system in the Of books, each de-
partment having different series Another great defect
found In the nOnprOmotOn Of teachers. Under the old
system, vacancies regularly filed by the promotion
OF competent undeTeachers This is rarely done now
but, the contrary, continually Tiled by
persons quite lacking in ability and experience. As to
sectaran influence this gentleman said that inter-
mediate school opened in his ward in June, 1870,
which cost the city S25OO and for the months Of Janu
AIRY and February following the statistics showed an in
crease Of only SO children This was on account OF Cath
Ollie Influence. The of this building therefore,
away well the salaries OF II extra Teachers