New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-17
ON THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
DEFECTS IN THE SYSTEM POINTED OUT
ADDRESSES AND SUGGESTIONS MADE by PRO
FEssoR BUTLER MP. oIJN AND

ADDRESSES AND SUGGESTIONS MADE BY PRO
FEssoR BUTLER. MP. oI.iN AND
DR. RAiNsFoRD.
The people who attended the meeting OF the
Nineteenth Century Club at Sherrys last night
were to be treated to interesting addresses Oh
our Schools" by Professor Nicholas Murray But
Ter Stephen Henry On and the Rev. Dr. W. .
Rainsford |; was concluslyey shown that
the present New-York public school system II
full OF defects AS Mr.. Oln pointed out the
schools OF this city governed on the old village
idea and the present ward boundaries represent
the district school idea OF public education. This
point was brought out with great emphasis In the
reports OF the various committees Of the Reform
Club which. Immediately after the November
election. appointed committees 10 make a thorough
investigation OF all the departments of municipal
administration The report OF the committee on
public schools showed that there was urgent need
OF special legislation in the matter Of public edu-
cation. Mr. Olln told how the several school dis
trct authorities in New-York City. until prevented
by special legislation within few years. butt
their schools along the border lines OF their dis
trcts. to entice pupils from adjoining dis
trcts them. thereby securing an Increase In the
appropriations from the general fund.
Professor Butler declared that 1t necessary
to develope and affection for the schools in
OF the people before the public school
system could reach It's highest level. The public
had grown UP In the last nfiy years under the pc
cular conditions OF the city's growth. He said the
tendency was to have the school become the slave OF
It's own machinery. and II was just this machinery
which was killing the schools lie showed how COM
pllcated and cumbersome this machinery had be-
come and how ltj school officers under the names
of commissioners. trustees and inspectors stood be-
tween the schools and the public. He said that In
the Thirty-second Ward. where there was not n
single schoo.house the board OF Ave school trustees
was maintained. that three other words each had
two schools less. with the usual board OF fve
school trustees: while In the Nineteenth ana TWEEN
teth wards each having twelve schools and In
the Twelfth Ward with twenty schools. there were
no more trustees than In the nrs-named ward.
As A rule Professor Butler said h. was not in
favor Of going the Legislature TO correct all city
Ills but In the OF the public schools ~ believed
that legislation wisely applied could vastly I'M m
favor OF establishing high schools and declared that
no common school system could be enectlye unless
supplemented by hlsh-school Sours'. ~. s ,PP
strongly In favor Of enarging The manual training
10 the appointment Of teachers. promotions, etc,
should be left entirely in the hands OF educational
Dr R,lnsforI said that the schools must TT the
needs Of the children. New York. he declared; was
EXCEPTION OF Chicago the population was the most
difficult To educate in the whole civilized Worli In
four ordinary city blocks could be- found l2Vl peo-
ple and the school system had To contend win all
ihc evils resulting from this Growdins lie was
la, the schools should be sna and more nuner
ous He also said that the classes are too large
and that instead OF having one teacher To sixty
pupils. was generally the case now. there should
be- only twenty-five pupils 10 one teacher. He was
also opposed 800 teachers being under only one
Superintendent
Ijr Rainsforl dwclt on the 'payless' side OF the
pupils NE He was In favor OF having public school
buildings utilized night In some way FOR the ben
eff Of the people He showed how the churches
we're rapidly abandoning the lower part OF the cry
leaving the great 81 poor people to their tene-
nent houses ana cheeress lives. He thought this
,he civ an! said that the best and beautiful
school buildings should not be at I'm the best parts
of tho city only but that care should be taken to
have them In the poores; parts.
Dr Ransfori also strongly advocated having
women In the Board OF Education and In other gov
| ernng bodies. He thought that special cnort
should De- made 70 get "A much larger number OF
schools below Fourteenth-st. and said that II the
| valuable franchises which the city had given away
or gold for song corporations were recalled and
properly disposed OF. there would be millions more
Of dollars In the city treasury each year for new