New-York tribune., 1881-12-17
EXPENSES OF FREE SCHOOLS.
ARGUMENTS WHY THE DEMAND OF THE BOARD of
EDUCATION SHOULD NOT DE CUT DOWN
The Board OF Estmate and AppOruObmeht

EDUC.TIoy SHOULD NOT DE CUT DOWN.
The Board of Estimate and Apportionment
s,ardav took nm ,be estimates OF the Board of Educa-
tiop. The Commissioners originally asked iof
SO. .s36,925 This cut down by the Boar" VI h7''
Il ate and Apportionment to $3500OOo Conih'sSion'r
VIM Wood protested yesterday against such s"e' inS
reduction In the last four years Sl,l27OOO hau Deci
srcken from the estimates asked for The greater part
OF this large sum was intended to DO pu' luto ~"
school buildings which very much heeiei. %
partInent was now two or three years Dei'iuu !" %
accommodations Commissioner DOWd went o'oi ~
figures and asserted that S3OoiOOO ot the to'li a'
for could not be cut down except - reduction Oh 'ne
already reduced salaries OF the teachers lhls lci'
S652 900 cut of which the proposed reduction must
Unless teachers salaries were lowered not single sco
building could be erected ne kt year, ahd feW repair"
be made. Commissioner Beardslee said that Ihrso a."
dnn e. the schools and consequent expense H"' ~ w
lowed the annexation OF the par OF WescheS'e
County Nevertheless, the amount annually NOtod W
the Department OF Education had been decreaS'' ho
Voa ecdediy opposed to further reduction Of teachers
salaries.
Controller Camnbel declared that he was OF the orln'
10 that the children Of this city should have I "n
sufficient educatlon he believed, up to the pre'o'
time. that 50 900 sufficient to secure nS o ~
coming year He compared tbs cort Of education IN 'us
CITY with that in Brooklyn and Philadelphia. The s'hoo
system IN Brooklyn was admitted to be good yet inc
cost for each scholar just onehaf what II was in
this city. In Philadelphia, where no compia'h' wac
made Of the system, the cost for each scholar was o
trile more than Onc-half the cost here lie was ""'
that in Brooaiyn books furnished only to the poor
est scholars, while they rce horo But INC c"'' o
books here was only about 81 for each pupil
Commissioner Dowd asked the Board to remember
that the Board OF Education had been saddcd Dy ui'
Legislature with corporate schools nautica' hc"oo
trlancy laws etc. and all these reduced the apPr"l
alton. 49,
Mayor Grace said he sure the members oil INC
Board Of Estimate and Apportoumcnt were unanimous
in wishing tn see the children Of tins city provided WIN
perdcd school accommodations He had voted WIN nis
colleagues 10 appropriate $35O0OOO for the b"aIu VI
Education, hut would enlcaypI to gave inl "eisn' "
the arguments OF the Commissioners whoh t-' D'ai'
met to pass upon the estimates hnally' Cohlr"ii''
Campbell was in favor Of higher education Tor tne
masses hut he wished to know where the line was 70 DC
drawn He did not tlink each child should have cor COZ.
lepe education free Some 81 the CoWllssuh'I' th"7''
each child should have that advantage II ne wahe
John Savage, Clerk or tue Marine Co1il eN II,ie Or
items asked for in that department l"llcc ,
terburg argued strongly IN favor OF the ein Gp'iU&p &
atimg $4,000 for five stenOCraphers al F-OVO !Ja
each Still another delegation IRON the Annexed al,,r -.
appeared and asked for an additional apPr"Pfa''on o
the repair Of roads and bridges. a., r,rd
stephen A. walker, the president of the sIIi noaI
view Of tlc situation, and Is inclined TO
think that the Board Of Estimate and Aprortl9nmsne
will vet give the appropriation hTked lof ~ tn1
C'nmissIo1rrs When b. was asked Thursday WHal
would he the result IL the condi ionsl appropriation ol
- II
Bo rd o Education would have t. stop putting np 'chl
houses where they very mucn needed OWING ~, w.
T%eif1a and Ninotccntn wards thcr imperative
demand ,or Enlarged school facilities. This was ttuo
also hc sald. Ithcr Wards .-... -,
"Cinnoi re- nriIon- made In some departments OF
the school system, as to leave surplus 70 "e
pended IN ibis direction" ,.,,.,.,,
Material reductions cannot be made without m%ahnE %
radical changes IN the stem, whc s now "a We Ihiah'
AS the people want A. There - IN ontrr' thine s"'
times against what Is termed the higher c.dcal"n'
tecuing OF special branches such French German or
drawing. But this u what the people aPleA l" Wl, @
Take drawing. Tue ar1ment Is greatly ~ I-n", ",
OF s beiug iaIned tn the pubtc schools Is not
artistic drawing that Is IA Ig nor Is IL @ @ nit
iniusria and Is % great vain, ~ trans ic Cy ,r m
the u.nd. Tho fact that the cos ot cducd''nE cur pu
p- /. greater per capita than IN BrooSiyn' cleveland
to his OIe Is thai 1t COSTS more 10 Nv ~ %
YORK tnan In any city IN the country except N'H-OI
with only his clothes on hs back supplied with
con pete outfit Of school mIienal , a.,
Have the salaries Of Janit"rs been renuceu 10 'A'
Yes. they cannot be reduced any lower. We have
reached the limit Jauitors are paid under resuhT
systen in which the apaCe be cleaned, number OF
rooms and other factors are taken mo &c
count one man. who paid Sl 500 has 20 employ Tour
assistants 20 that his d"rs not amount to
than ~ 80 day. AZ f'r onr school supplies We
gel th. m at much less than Wholesale rhtea"
Does not the oyercrowding Ia some OF the primary
schools arise from the atteudAnoe OF children unaer
age r. ,..,,,,... ,,.r ,b,,,,,,, f., the scbools nm
der the lcsai age o. live years II legal
rd To siI il would adord relief IN o the schools.
but believe IL would be inpOsslhlc To ST hiu to uht
effect throngh the legislature II "ouu nc "Ppo'cu ny
"Cannot some Of the schoobudines in the lower
Wards be sold and the schools consolidated v
That is o problem. There several schools that
might be closed, owing 10 the small aitcuoanc' but the
board OF Education would be oicd ~ all probability ia
tasug such elton Ivy local boards OF trustees The
Commissioners have not as nuch power as ~ soneteh
supp,sed; III fact. tncir power is very imltrd'
itWrcnce d. Herman. tine secretary of the Board. IN
speaking OF the consolidation of downtown schools sHd
thAt even schools were close together WA,
moi practicable to consolidate them. as neither bnlding
would be large enough to accommodate ali The PupS ol
DOtI.