New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-01
NETWORKS SCHOOL SYSTEM
yr,R1xG ON THE TWO TENDING BILLS.
THE COMMITTEE or SEVENTY
STRONG SUPPORT, BIT No A'i''N
.,... , r,,r tolNT COMMITTEE


STRONG SUPPORT. BIT No A'i''N 10
TAKEN By THE JOINT COMMITTEE
Albany. Jan 81 (SpecaD.-Senator cantor s'e"o-
i,y comes into greater promlne"0e " ''' ,,
.cr,s,ivo NJ the Committee of Seventy IN Albany
ST.. ,a. ho,oro the Join; committees of the
80 ara Assembly on Educational Affairs he
annesr.d AS chief advocate OF tha' ORGANIZATION
hin rcoreanzing the Board OF Euu'a''on oi 'e"
yorx Citv He explained that' under author'y
OF the Legislature. Mayor ""'u! "du "ppo',''o' a
arornisson 70 revise the school laws. but the bill
49,, 1, had reached Albany too late last
& ., y. acted upon subcommittee of the
Eon,oo,,,oe Of Seventy had approved this years
~, ia the Seventy had Endorsed this action.
c.or cantor introduced the measure in the
So and Mr. Pavey in the Assembly.
c,onhen A. DIN spoke first being introduced TO
ha,rman of the joint committee. Senator Par
s nv Senator Cantor. Mr.. DIN explained that
80, cnIy the Committee of Seventy but the City
Ciub Good Government Club r and the Woman's
Association for Improving the Public Schools were
IN favor of the Cantor bill. one amendment was
,roposed. which was intended to leave the Com
,,,ssioners Of Education subject to any Power OF
Removal bill which might be adopted. MIR. DIN
declared that there was an unquestoned demand
for a revision of the school laws of New-York
civ The present system had been adopted In
1872 and had been only slightly amended in 1851
7, had grown sadly Anticipated. There were
,wentv-four wards. each with a set of trustees;
one ward had no schools, another had $1,000 pupils
and spent $780, a year. The Cantor bill had been
drawn with great delberation and after long and
,oso examination of the school system and its
ohuses Tie bill of Assemblyman Bell had few
unnorters and all public bodies which had passed
on ,he question had voted in favor OF the Com
mitiee of Seventy's measure.
Henry l. Sprague. who has had experience
school trustee and as commissioner. spoke next.
The cantor bill ne said. would preserve all that was
ID uh hat
was bad with as little friction possible. The fire.
ouent conflicts between the trustees and the Board
az Educatlon were referred to- and the cumbersome
nature OF the present arrangement was dweit upon
The trustees. Mr.. Sprague declared were often will
ing workers but were seldom educators. and the
schools suffered The speaker told OF an incident at
Chrystie-st. school A commissioner found the
Mace so badly lighted that gas had to be burned all
day He tried for six months in vain to get the
trustees to apply for money to remedy this evil
Nothing could be done until the trustees took the
initiative.
Mrs Edward Hewitt spoke briefly for the
Woman's Association for Improving the Public
Schools. saying:
The women feel themselves to be the voice of the
children. They have ORGANIZED TO advance the IN, m
facts they ind it unbearabe that nothing should be
done for the children thousands OF children on he
We ask that this bill be adopted
John A. Eust!s. a school trustee. also took the
ground that the present system was Wretcheoly PAD
The Board Of Education. ne said. had degenerated
sadly recent years.
Professor Nicholas Murray Butler from the point
OF view of teacher pleaded for the Cantor bill as
diyorcing with simplicity and directness. the bust
ness from the educational features OF the schooi
system.
An attack on the Committee OF Seventy Dill was
made By Gilbert II. Crawford an cx-memoer OF
the Board of Education who advocated the pan
YIN.
the Senate by Senator Robertson. This measure
provides for highly paid board of five Commits
soners while the other bill retains the feature
ri ,wsnty-one Commissioners, who shall serve
,-,tuitous.y. Mr.. Crawford had stacks OF figures
20 fling before the committee and Insisted that
every one must admit that paid school board was
an inevitable necessity. He said that Commission
ers Holt, Mac:ay. Hnbbe, Van Arsdale and Hunt
Frederick W. Devoe was $50 inclined 10 support ~,
mh 81 ,se M Stephen Walker
was for some years president Of the Board OF lou
eaSn IN "h a urged ,rs need OF pS' 0oa'
John L. \. Hunt ex-president Of the Board Of
Education. made long statement; In which ne
sought TO prove that any child in Network City
VINO was willing 70 wax half ml,e could d, hn
see what bearing this had on the question a, issue
Which the schools iabored were due to the fact that
tees Mr. Hunt contended were carae;e men ana IN
no wise TO blame for the abuses. mere Wa no
justification Tor stripping theH VI PN"N''' O."
The Committee OF Seventy proposed to DO
II is understood that Mr.. Hunt would not 1e
svsres 10 accepting a Commssionershlp at SVD
a wear in case Mr.. Bells measure should become
a law and MIR. Crawford Is said to have his eye
on The most of counsel TO the board provided for
al a fat salary in the bill. which he so strongly
favors. . . -
board were extremely negligent in attending 10
their duties and the remedy was 10 have paid
board. -,
Mr. DIN answered briefly the objections to the
Committee Of Seventy's bill and the hearing was
adjourned. .
Senator Parsons directed that there should be
a further hearing week from next Tuesday.