New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-11
THE DEBATE IN THE BOARD.


than two hours twenty Commissioners carried on
an excited debate over resolutions raising the sala
res of six professors and all the tutors the Normal
College Members who opposed the resolutions
were called Young and inexperienced, while those
fayorng the higher salaries were accused OF exray-
aganoe The resolutions were not adopted, the vote
on them being tie
One OF the objections raised against paying higher
salaries was that there were thousands of children
unable to gain admttance to any school now be-
cause the Board of Estimate and Apportionment
would not grant sufficient money for new school
buildings. This had resulted in over-crowding many
of the shcoOs to the great injury of the scholars.
SHARP WORDS FROM THE MAYOR.
A TRIBUNE reporter asked Mayor Edison yeSter-
day if he considered half million dollars sufficient
for new sites and buildings. "The provisional es-
innate already made by the Board of Estimate and
Apportionment may be changed by the action of
the Aldermen and later on by our Board" he re-
piled. while the Board of Education asked for
$3.50. 900 for new sites and new buildings, it does
not seem that there is union among the Commits
sioners in regard to the expenditure Of 50 much
DO Won approve the high salaries paid by. the
Board to its employees who are not IN the sehoolS1
II viii say this regarding the system OF the Board
of Education If it IS carried on long in its present
fashion there is nothing snTer than that 1t Will
break down Of its own weight"
MR. DOWD FAvORS REASONABLE ECONOMY.
"Do you think the Board of Estimate has allowed
enough for the Board of Education7" asked the re-
porter of William Dowd. who was School Commits
sioner when he was appointed a member of the
Aqueduct Commission and has given much study
to the subject
al do" replied MI Dowd. 81 know that 800
600 is sufficient for the current expenses of the De
partment and half million dollars is enough TO in
vest next year in sites and buildings"
R,tit isS said that there Or fifteen tlOuS-
and children without school accommodations" sug-
gested the reporter.
"And there are a good many fairy stories told
about the number of children refused admission to
the schools. child may go to two OF three or half
q dozen schools before vacancy is found, and he
is counted every time"
"Would you favor the purchase and holding of
sites as has been suggestedf"
81 don't think the Board of Education is called
upon to speculate in real estate Real estate is not
going higher just now. But there is job in the
request for the large appropriation of $S50000 1t
simply results from the lack OF business prin-
cipleS.' .-..,.-. Ill.
where the attendance IS small :"
"There is one of the weak parts in the Depart
ment. The Board lacks the ability to compel the
children to 60 where there is roou+ for them. Some
of the schools draw pupil: from all over the island
This ought TO be stopped.
"Whcn left the Board was member OF the
Committee on Consolidation and We had then in
Yestgated the attendance and condition Of several
schools in the Sixth Seventh and Fourteenth Wards
and found that three four Of them could be
consolidated not only bcnciittng the tax payers by
having the vacated school buildings and sites sold
but also benetitting the scholars. Some OF the
teachers IN these small schools teach children III
two three grades. IhCTe are two schools within
a stones throw of the Board Of EducatiOn that are
only or two blocks apart, each Of them half full
The Legislature should give the Board authority !
TO close these schools and transfer the teachers and
fessors the Normal College and the College Of the
City of New-YOrk?n
"Mr. Wood says, Raise the salaries Of the Normal
College instructions Why not lower the sala res OF
the City College instructors
:" What is Your opinion of the system Of high
salaries paid TO certain men?
"That to use popular saving. il will soon burst
wide OPEN Great injustice will be done the teach
ers There will be general Teadjustment and the
lowest extreme will be reached, beginning Njth the
teachers"
PRESIDENT WALKERS OPINIOEs.
Stephen A. Walker, who has been the president of
the Board of Education nearly four years said that
the Board was open 10 no charges Of extravaganza,
and if the final estimate for 1884 should include the
iron-clad stipulation that the whole amount asked
for sites and buildings should be expended for those
purposes, one of two things would follow. The
Board would be obliged to appeal to the Legislature
for power TO devote some of the uneXpended bal
ances of former years else TO reduce all the sal
aries He said that there should be five new build
ings. When one of the buildings now gong up was
completed the children at present in Primary School
No. @ would be transferred to the new building.
@No. g." added Mr. Walker, has been deemed
unsafe by some members of the Board, but con-
slider il as safe as = barn. OF course it is not
model school building. There are 1000 or 1900
children in the Twenty -second Ward who are
either out of school or are over-crowded too much
for health and safety. so in the Twelfth and the
Nineteenth Wards. In the Twelfth Ward there are !
probably 1000 children not in school,
C00ld not some of the downtown schools be |
closed, the buildings and sites sold and the prn-
cpals and teachers transferred to uptown schoOsf
That seems an easy thing 20 do but it is next TO |
an lnpOSslblllty. In the first place il requires the
Joint action Of the local trustees and the Board of
Education TO close "a school. and then il needs a |
twO-thiIds ora three-quarteTs vote. We have to |
contend against the feeling IN the local board, |
against the influence of the teachers be removed
and against the thousands of graduates who pro-
test against the closing of the school that they at
tended when young. In some wards with small |
attendance there are far too many principals and |
teachers employed, bl t the Board Of Education is
What do you think Of the criticisms of the
Board OF Health inspectors on the sanitary condi-
Every now and then there is a complaint about
the ventilation etc, but on on the whole / think
the schools are in good condition. Not perfect OF
course. IN some There are Too many children, par
ticularly up town. Below Forty MANY
schools, which relieves the public schools Bat after
all the talk about bad air, many of the children
nave nuch better AR IN the schools than al home"
i" DO you approve the high salaries paid President
Hunter, the City Superintendent his assistants and
clerks and others employed in the Board ~
Their duties are responsible. DIR. Hunter with !
his nearly 1000 pupils, holds peculiar position.
and he is above the average college president as
man"
4 :" Are the teachers salaries satisfactorily
I" If were an autoerat could improve them but
the Board has really little power in fixing salaries
We can all0t a certain amount which the trustees
have authority under limitations TO Distribute
Mr.. WOOD DESIRES HIGH SALARIES.
Seated in his library in West Eighteenth.st the
reporter found William Wood the chairman Of the