The evening world., 1888-09-13
MONEY FOR FREE LECTURES.
IMPORTANT DEBATE On THE PROVISION
BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Members Of the Board Praise " The
Evening WORLDS" Bill and the Matter
Set for Action Next Week.
There were fifteen members Of the Board
Of Education present at yesterdays regular
meeting Of the Board.
The most important matter considered by
the Board was the report Of the Committee
on Evening Schools, which had on hand the
formation Of a plan for carrying out the pro-
visions Of The EVENING WORLD bill for free
lectures to the ~workingmen and working
women Of the city.
The committee placed the matter in the
hands of a SUBJ committee composed Of Com
missioners Guggenheimer, O'Brien and Miss
Grace E. Dodge.
These three spent much time during the
summer on the work, and their findings were
unanimously adoped by the whole commit
tee, as Chairman Seligman stated in submit
ting the report.
The report stated that the committee had
asked the Board of Estimate and Apportion-
ment to set aside 50. 200 for the purposes set
forth in the bill, and that the Board of Esti-
mate and A~pportionment, having some doubt
of their power to raise a fund not specified in
any law, submitted the matter to Corporation
Counsel Beekman.
The opinion of Mr.. Beekman was incor-
porated in tho report. II was to the effect
that the Board had no such power, but that
it might, on the request Of the Board of Edu-
cation, transfer any unexpended balance in
anY existing educational fund to another
fund.
There was an ~unexpended balance in the
teachers salaries fund Of 1887 Of S12, 2s7.6
Therefore, the Board Of Estimate and Appor-
tionment had considered q resolution pro-
viding for q transfer of %. 200 to q fund to be
entitled Public Instruction-for free lee
lures to w%orkingmen and workingwomen,"
but as no request had been made by the
Board of Education for such q transfer the
resolution was laid over" pending the &C
ton of the Board of Education.
The committee asked for immediate consid-
GRAFTON, and Gommissi9ner seligman urged
that as The EVENING WORLD bill provides
for the beginning of the lecture season on
Oct. l there must be no time lost.
Commissioner Wood objected to immediate
considera ion of the report, asking that, the
matter lie over a week 80 that the members
of the Board might see the report in the
printed minutes and have time to consider.
He said:
upon US outside of this Board by some Jews
paper. I think that working man and women
with o great deal to do during the day to earn
their living would hardly be inclined to at
tend these lectures in the evening"
President Simmons read the proceedings
of the June meeting of the Board. when the
Board unanimously authorized the commit
tee to ask the Board of Estimate for the APP
preparation. and COMMISSIONS Miles O'Brien
called attention to the fact that MIR. Wood
had voted yea on the resolution.
Commissioner Cole thought the matter
could wait a week. II believe 1t the bust
ness of this Board to look after the education
of the children" he said. This seems to
be a plan to educate the adults" He wanted
at least to consider the plans proposed by the
committee.
Mr.. O'Brien explained that the plans in
detail were not incorporated in the report.
The committee had made none in detail.
. In a general way we can say that the bill
Oct. l to March 81 in each of twenty-fo
public schools. but we do not dropose to go
into the thing headlong. We propose to ex-
pertinent, as we did in manual training, lax
lous wards, and wards populated by the
working people. We have carefully investi-
gated and believe the lectures will prove of
great benefit to the working people. l should
nineteenth century workingmen and work
lngwomen who would appreciate and enjoy
lectures by the brightestminds in our midst"
Mr.. Webb urged that the matter be de-
layed.
COMMISSIONS Selgman, arguing for imme-
diate action, said:
ITO begin Oct. 1 gives us but scant time
TO prepare. The committee has its choice be-
tween upwards OF fifty competent lecturers
who have offered their services or have signi-
fed their will ngness to lecture on the sub
j. cts designated in the law, some Of them
offering their services gratis. There was Just
such opposition to the evening schools at the
beginning. Commissioners urged that work
ing people would not give up their evenings,
but there were 200 applicants the first n ght,
and at the close Of the first season there were
over nine hundred pupils. If the trial Of the
lecture scheme in three or four wards proved
it to be a non success then the whole plan
would be abandoned"
But Commissioner Galloway put in his plea
for a postponement of action, and when the
matter was put to q vote only Commissioner
Selgman. 0'Brien and Miss Dodge voted for
immediate action.
After the meeting nearly all the Commits.
sioners said they we're heartily in favor OF
the plan proposed in The EVENING WORLD
bill, but did not like to act in haste.
The appropriation will no doubt be asked
for formally at the meeting next Wednesday,
and the people who earn their bread by the
sweat of their brows will have an opportunity
to listen to instructive and entertaining lee
lures next month.
Miss Barr,a Reception.