Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-09-27
A POLITICAL FARCE.
IIleiit.

We clip from a New York daily the
following report of a meeting of the
Board of Estimate and Apportionment
held last week:
There was an unusually large crowd
in the Mayor Office yesterday when
the Board Of Estimate and Apportion-
ment met, for it was known that the
matter of the inadequate school accom-
modations would come up. The mem.
bers of the Board had hardly taken their
seats when the Mayor turned to School
Commissioners O'Bren and Tamsen and
said
Gentlemen, yesterday sent letter
to your Board asking for certain infor-
nation in regard to the public schools
of this city, which information | have
not yet received. Now, | want TO put
myself right once and for all upon this
question. Last year when your repre-
sentatives appeared before this Board,
they went away saying that we had
given them sufficient money and that no
children would be wanting in school
accommodations the coming year.
When you came before us asking for
money to build new department office
building at Fifty ninth street and Madi-
son avenue we we're again assured that
all the children would be provided for,
and when we provided money to rent
and fit up the Hebrew Orphan Asylum
building as school, again the same
assurance was given,
Now. greatly to my surprise and
sorrow, | hear complaints on all sides
upon this very subject, and | want to
ask you if you can tell us what is to be
done to secure proper accommodation
for these children"
THE Board of Education il not to
blame, answered Commissioner 0 Bren.
''rhe fault rests with the Trustees of the
schools, upon whom the Board depends
| for information. These trustees have
recently been asked to explain why
| these short accommodations exist"
The Mayor-This Board has given you
all the money you asked for. If you
have not adequate room say so now and
let us remedy that at once.
Commissioner O'Brien-We recognize
the lherality of this Board, but we can
not accomplish impossbilties. We have
| done the best we could.
The Mayor-Well, If there is any way
that we can help you, say SO and we
will do it now These children must
be cared for.
Comptroller Meyers-Such state of
affairs is very surprising when it is con
sidered that the Finance Department
still has Sl,650, 600 to the credit of the
Board of Education for building pur-
poses Why do they not use that
money?
Commissioner Tamsen--We have new
er received money SO literally as last
year, that is true, and we will now try
TO make use of it.
Mayor Grant-Well, if you find YOU
cannot build schools fast enough shall
favor renting buildings. The children
must be cared for. Twill call meeting
whenever you say.
The Board then allowed $4,000 for
teachers salaries in the evening high
schools, $4,000 for a school site in East
Thirteenth street and $241, 900 for ad-
ditions to school sites in Horatio street.
West Forty sixth, Fifty fourth and
Eighty second streets and East Eightleth
street.
On the application of the Mayor and
Board of Aldermen of this city, the
Building Department has granted per
NIT TO erect a new school house at the
corner of Christie and Hester streets. 1t
will be no feet front by % feet deep and
will be five stories high. to be built of
| stone and brick. The estimated cost is
| $250.0O0.
Is not this on its face a political farce
of the most ludicrous sort?
In the early part of last February the
School Conferences body composed of
nearly all the labor organizations of this
city-held a mass meeting at which a
careful statement was submitted. show.
ing that over one hundred thousand