The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-16
BOARD OF EDUCATION.


DISCOVERY.
At a meeting of the Board of Education. yesterday
afternoon, Commissioners Wheeler offered resolu-
ton asking that committee of three be appointed
by the Chair to prepare and present to the Lesisla
ture of the State of New York act authorizing aud
directing the Comptroller of the city of New York to
borrow. on the credit of the city, the sum OF
$10OOOo0 to be expended under the direction of the
Board Of Education during the 1879 and 1880 in
the purchase of sites and the erection OF add-
tional school buildings in the city OF New York. The
resolution was ordered printed in the minutes aud
laid over.
VENTILATION SCHOOL BUILDINGS.
The President then made the following remarks on
the subject of ventilation:-
GENTLEMEN-There is q subject OF great importance
to which desire to call the special attention of the
Board and that is the ventilation of the 40 build
ings occupied by common schools. A good and
reasonably cheap system of automatic ventilstion
would seem to be almost as unattanable matter as
the squarng of the circle. The attempts to 90 that
have been innumerable. and have the attempts to
put theories regarding ventilation into practical.
and. at the. same time. economical working. 1t is
well to know just what we want We want
an abundant supply OF fresh air without
draughts, and we want at the same time
school children. The more crowded the schools, Of
course the more difficult to solve becomes the prob
lem of thorough ventilation The press and through
it the public has recently been greatly excited on tho
subject OF school ventilation, and while, as is usually
the i'll these spasmodic excitements, there has
been some exaggcraton, yet so much smoke cannot
exist without good deal OF real ire and we owe to
the children and parents of New York to spare no ef
fort part to have that fire cxtinguisheu and the
relative smoke dispersed.
In order that this subject of ventilation may be
properly dealt with. have determined to appoint
committee ON the matter, which Will bring to bear
upon it OF the best talent and greatest energy
in the Board, and hope that the Board will supply
the committee, when appointed, with the necessary
sincws OF war to carry on their investigations thor
oughly and successfully
FINANCIAL REPORT FOR 1870.
The Committee on Finance handed in their report
the year 1875 1t stated that 100000 had been
appropriated for that year by the Board of Estimate
and Apportionment and that of this 49, 096 0o 81
had been expended. The amount paid for sites and
new buildings. for alterations aud repairs on old
buildings for heating apparatus and furniture
ss2.461; s2,253.lT0 40 were paid in salaries TO the
teachers in the grammar anc primary schools. and
S 0S5 70 to the professors and Others i'll the Normal
College and Training Department. 70 the jaIritors
was paid the OK l00.579 rs. 1t $40 .02 30 to
support the evening schools and S35 083 II to support
the coored schools s. were paid III salaries to
the City superintendent and his assistants $37 800 Is
to the officers clerks and janors OF the Board OF Ed
ucation, and S42is7 IL to the boards OF trustees;
$4,000 70 Was the amount expended on the nautical
school; fuel for all the schools and the hall OF the
Board cost $50. 100 ~. while s3576 II expended
FOE TO VENTILATION.
The question OF ventilation coming UP again Com
missioner Watson sprang from his seat and said that
the President wrong his standpoint, and that
the newspapers that advocated better ventilation had
been influenced by MEN with patents. who bribed
That he for one, would not be dictated to by
newspaper scribblers "Am to take their clamor
for my knowledge." said he, shaking his fist in
the direction OF the reporters table. When asked
by the reporters for the names OF the who had
received tendollar bills he replied angrily, that
he did not come to the Board of Education tor the
purpose of answering the questions OF reporters.
Several OF the commissioners came to the reporters
table after the meeting had adjourned and expressed
their annoyance at Mr. Watson's remarks, denouncing
them violent and unbecoming in commissioner.
ami begged that the reporters would not judge of the
temper of Board by this exhibition OF rage the
part OF one Of its lnelnDers.
resolution Appropriating $3.50 for teachers
salaries tor two months was adopted
STANDING COsianrTEES.
The following standing committees for 1879 were
financo--Co Dowd, vermilye, Kelly
Beartsiee and Bell.
Observation-Disclosures HalSteu, Kelly, Place,
Jellife and Dorne.ly.
Buildings-Commissioners Watson. ver,nilye.
Cohen, Manierre and Donnelly.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES fraud, West Wetmore
Katzenberg and Manierre
Observation-Disclosures Cohen West. fraud.
Observation-Disclosures West. Beardslee, Walker,
Watson and Douneily.
Sites and New Observation-Disclosures Jellife.
fraud. Wctniore, Manicrre and Katzenberg.
Course of Study and School Books--Commission-
ers Walker, Place, fraud, Wheeler and Watson.
School Commissioners Moriarty, Cohen
Jcliffe, Dowd end Nuremberg.
Normal Collcge--Comnissioner Manierre, Hal
sted, Place Bell and Donnelly.
Even ny Observation-Disclosures Beardslee, Wick
ham. LeIl, Place and Hastcd
Colored Observation-Disclosures Ketzenberg, West,
Manierro, Cohen and Vermilye.
Warming aud Vcntilation-Commissoners Wick
Nautical School--Commssioncrs Wetmore, Dowd
Bell, Wickham and Watson.
Annual Report-Commissioner Wheeler, Walker.
Moriarty, Watson aud katzcnberg.
Nomination of Observation-Disclosures Place.
Halsted. Bcardslee. Wickham. Moriarty, Kelly, West
Wheeler and rr nd.
Salaries and Economy-Commissioner Kelly Hal
sted, Vermilye. Wetnore, Walker, WicxEam, Bell
JelGe and Beardsee.
SMALLER BOARD OF EDUCATION NEEDED.
New YORK, Jan. II, 1879.
To THE EDrroI or THE HsgAID:-
wish to say word In relation to the new school
bill just introduced in the Senate by Mr.. Goebel.
This bill provides for the appointment of three adj
ditional commissioners of common schools for the
city and county of New York, thus increasing the
Board OF Education to twenty -four members. This
is decidedly impractcable movement. and would
be highly detrimental to school interests. The
Board is now too largo. aud much OF it's inefii-
cheney is due to this cause--wrangng and conse-
quent inaction. due largely to not being posted in
school work. small board of eight commissioners
would be moro efficient and their councils har-
monious; school interests would thereby be moro
efficiently conserved. This would give one commits
sioncr to each district who would be Obliged TO
side in the district AMI thus be within convenient
distance OF parents aud teachers who might desire to
consult him. The members OF the present
Board are unequally distributed. 1t appears
from the statement OF Trustee Limbcck. OF the
Eleventh ward that there is In uptown ward nine
coDns sioners. lie further says that 1t is safe to
say that fifteen COMMISSIONERS live in school dis
trict. How can the interests OF the schools bo
properly cared for under these circums anccsy
believe IL we had paid commission OF iivc doing
away with local boards and these officers devotilig
their entire time 70 their duties, ample means tor
sanitary improvements and school room for the
thousands OF children in the street could DO
provided within the present annual appropriation
| of moneys Tor school purposes. This nlove would
reach the root OF the evil and radical of the
evils attending school msmanagcmeiit would be
| effected.
President Wood, of the Board of Education, liz on
record approving of this project. you will per-
| ceiyo from the following incidcnt:-
November IL. 1877. by special appointment Drs.
| Frank II. Hamilton and II. u. 81. John Roosa, now
President of the State Medical Society had inter.
view with the president in his Office ut tho Board of