The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-12-20
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Conference Between the Boards Of Ap-
pOrtiOnment and Education.
ESTIMATES FOR 1878.
Corporation COunsels Opinion Against That
of the Commissioners Of Accounts.

1
| Two important issues relative to the Board OF
| Education a department OF the city government
came up consideration yesterday before the Board
OF Apportionment. meeting oil the Inter body was
held in the Mayors oicc. at which school Commits
sioners wickham, Dowd, Walker. Bcardsiey, Wood
and Mr. /. d. Herman Clerk oil tho Board Of Educa-
tion were present The provisional estimates OF the
Board OF Education ask Tor tho sum OF $3,949, 800
| while the Board Of Apportionment has reduced the
amount to $3.50 900. The principal portion Of yes
terdays taken up discussing tho various
items of these estimates.
Mayor ELY opened tho discussion by asking Mr.
! Wood President Of the Board Ui Educaton, whether
the 81 700. oe0 appropriated last year for salaries
| would probably be expended in 1878.
| President Woop answered In the Affirmative, and
considered that additional might be required
| Tor that object. The department was compelled 10
deduct three and hall per cent from last years sal
| aries THIS had tho effect of demoraizlng to some
| extent the public school teachers.
| Mayor ELY also wished to know II Mr.. Wood did not
| CONSIDER sucn reduction vicious system TO adopt
Would 1t not nave been better make reductions In
| other quarters, such tho discharge of certain
| officials 7
President WooD did not consider u feasible to
| duce in any other direction. There officials
who could be dispensed WITH The salaries OF the teach
| crs were low they possibly could be. The
| lowest was $500 and the highost SIS, 000 making
average to each teacher Of $Sl7 per annum. Mr.
Wood then went to explain the great necessity Of
giving liberal appropriation for providing additional
sch COL odations. Many thousands OF children
were IN tho that could not be taken care OF
| As TO Ventilation, he considered that the tenement
houses required more attention IN this respect than
Il Comptroller KKLLY-The point want to get from
| you IS this:-Do you take the position That the
amount OF your estimates cannot DO reduced IN any
4 way?
President wooD said he was controlled by the opin-
ions oil large majority Of his colleagues IN The Board
| OF Education vino had voted upon these estimates
1t piece OF impudence on his part to set
an indivaua opinion against them. II they were to
carry on the pubic schools efficiently they should
havo The amount Of money which the estimates called
MANAGEMENT or THE SCHOOLS.
| Comptroller Kelly Thought that Mr.. Wood and
| associates would Understand That there
tiou as lar as tue Board Of Apportonmcnt was con-
cerneu affect any way the efficiency OF the pub
lie schools The responsibilities attached TO the ex-
pendllure of the money rested with the Comptroller
| aud his colleagues In the Board OF Apportiohment
He (slr Kelly understood It wis Nr. Woods idea 10
| get us many schools possible. Was there no way
that some OF the schools could be consolidated IN tho
wards the funds thus saved 10 be used IN other
| President WooD said there schools in
the lower part Of the city than were actually re-
not to De- Their dIscontinuance would not nep, be-
! cause the school buildings could not De moved.
| Mayor ELy-lt two schools could be consolidated OF
course the cost OF running one would not be as much
as II Two IN existence
|
could Dc consolidated The gentleman then read INST
| OF tho SCHOOLS IN the different wards.
| Comptroller kELLY-Have you got the average at
tendance the sc.oolsf
President woop gave, IRON pamphlet, the statis
tics TO he attendance Tor 1870 ipe next subject
O! interest teatcu upon by the gent eman that in
| relation to the appointment Of teachers. Mr. Wood
| considered that tho Board Of Educaion should have
Auuuething 10 say these appoin as tue
luN now stands trustees had sole power IN Tho
matter The Board Should at least have veto power
in the appoiu and transfer OF teachers He was
under the impression that the trustees favored their
relatives friends IN this connection AZ the expense
OF the schools.
| TEACHING THE HIGHER BRANCHES
! Comptroller kEILY-Do you THINK u Is advanta-
frenchq
President woop remarked that If he had his way he
would not have either French German taught in
lie schools The practice tcnded TO snon-American-
izen children. He would substitute Latin Tor these
also stated that the teaching OF German cost $45 s5s
in 1875 and $40 3s4 IN 1875
Comptroller kELLY-Wnat is the average age AT
winch children leave the public scnoolsy
President W ooD-Between twelve and thirteen.
some further discussion took place, during which
President Wood stated he favor Ut abolish
log the nautical scnoo under charge OIL the Board.
Ii was provided for by state law, while II was an IN
stitut0u that spoulu pe conroeu soevpy ING oniteo
ras COMMISSIONERS OF ACCOUNTS CHARGES.
| Alter the estimates hau been mus considered OK
Mayor and School CON missioner Wckham called Mt
tention the charges recently made against tie
Boara Education the commissioners oil Accounts,
| LINDSAY I. Howe and j. II. Mooney, that the depart
ment had illegally drawn from The city during the
| Dust
| MIR WicKham, stated that the Commissioners Of Ac-
counls received, three months ago. iron the Cor
poration Counsel, an opinion expicltly settling iortn
that their position this matter decidedly
wrong. Notwithstanding such opinion they had come
in with charges lew days since and spread them
before The pubic. Why the matter should be brought
before the Board OF Apporlonment was consequently
u matter OF surprise, 10 say the least They tho
school Conmissioners), were present 10 DC heard III
relation 10 the statements
the CORPORATION coUSsELs OPINION.
While Mr Wicklam was speaking Mayor Ely
| euru co
Whitney the subject. The latter sent o; his
op,nion which had occn gwen u the Commissioners
oil Accounts ihree months ago. Mr.. Whitney stated
that Limitation oil $40 per pupil taught, found IN
IN. acl a. Is5l has been suppiunted by the general
system iound IN the charter OF 1873, ny winch fuli
discretion over the subject Of appropriation mas ueen
conferred upon the Loard OF Apportionmenl" In
substantiatou oil ihs ground, assumed Wy the Cor
poratIon Counsel, the opinion staies-'Ihe Board Of
Apportionment is a new power. unlike any existing
tbority and discharges the junction WINCH Tor iitty
eight years. the Legislature had reserved to
itself, and Its grant Of this power TO determine
the amount requr red pay the expenses Of
conducting the public business OF tho city and county
New York III each department and branch thereof,
and the Board of Education is without limitation.
There Board may allow 10 each and every dc
par picascs, uI1ess us action 10
controlled by the unmistakabic provision OF some
previous law or there has been no repeal Or modhcn
tivn OF this law since lS13L"
The opinlon con Iudes uy saying :-"You inform me
that the limit now largely exceeded, and ask
whether the excessive expenditure may De restrained
| under the law 1851. answer only that II the
act referred 10 were in force aud the Board oi Eauca
ton hao any authority over the matter the unit OF
$40 per capita would necessarily have TO be observed:
but al the matter under the control Of the
Board oil ApportIonment, that legislative RESTRICTION
can only serve guide 10 the Board OF Apportion-
mcnt Tor their Discretionary CONSIDERATION but does
not bind that Board"
| TINS ooMprnoLLRR's POSITION.
After the reading OF tails OPINION Comptroller Kelly.
| In addressing school Commissioner Dowd, remarked
that lest IL might be INFERRED lie any way I'M
friendly to the public schools no wished 10 say tnat
he was thoroughly opposed 10 any attempt which
might be mace TO impair the efficiency OF those praise
nv m
burdens oil taxpayers oil THIS city were very heavy
at present. ana they would mold somebody responsible.
He wished the estimates OF all the DEPART
mems as much as ne could at hout injury to tncir
effectiveness and he OF opiuiO that this course
nj. ut be adopted with tho Department oil Education
| as well as with the others.
The Board then adJou rned.
| REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCA-