New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-19

THE LAST HEARING ON THE COM
PROMISE SCHOOL BILL.
MATTHEW J. ELGAs AND OTHERS A""'N
AGAINST THE MEASURE BEFORE THE MAYOR
1900 ox,vpr MEETINGS. HELD.


MATTHEW j. ELGAs AND OTHERS ARGUE
AGAINST THE MEASURE BEFORE THE MAYOR
TWO OVERFLOW MEETINGS HELD.
Msvor strongs third hearing on the Compromise
School bAl took place yesterday, II was espe. -,
to permit the school-teachers OF tne GU! '" ~
hAard. and the AIdermanic Chamber In the e,.y
Hall. was crowded with the instructors Oh '"o
public-school children. So many OF 'hen, .a"
that the chamber would not hold them. ana over
now meetings held in the adjacent courtroom,
to denounce this latest effort TO reiorni III. -
system Teachers who could not De hearu II. wv
ofY)cial hearing aired their views in Parts anu "
of the City Court. The City Hail looked ii"e az -"
town theatre during a matinee. and the ~o"e''
.sachar. embraced the opportunity to appear In
their new spring hats and attire Tor warm "e".
pres,dent Robert Maclay OF the Board OF Euu
cation: Mrs Edward Lauterbach. ware OF tne ple''
dent of the Republican County Committee '.noo.
Superintendent John Jasper Commissioners nun.
and Holt, and others who had been prominent
!, ~. rrsvious hearings were again on hand
,heer rang through the building when Mayor Strone
,nneared and took his usual place behind the ch,ei
clerks desk When he opened the hearing 'ne
Mayor said that this one was simply TOT '"e e'"'0
teachers and their chosen spokesme"'
MR.. ELGAs OPENS THE DISCUSSION
Matthew j. Egas principal OF Grammar
School No Co. was the first speaker lie sao 'ns'
position to the Compromise bill. after the aoe a s"
ment made against 1t by President Maclay last
wsdnesday afternoon. He argued tnat the. 'eae"e's
being first graduates OF the system 'Heil a'o
tbenso f the Normal and City colleges surely tie'
should know more about the system IMAM '"oso
who had never entered the school except on COM
mencement days and on other FESTIVE occasions
There was too much theorizng by those OUTSIDE
the system Mr. Elgas said and too htte KNOW
edge as to the practical needs OF the schoois inc
trustee system was all right and there was pen''
Of work outside Of that OF the pedagoglcai oe
partnents that the trustees should atteho TO- vi
course there were flaws In the system but tnev
could only be remedied Slowly anu 'nio"e''i "
luton, not revolution. =
The hue and cry raised by those favorhg 'he p'''
that political influence had done much to despoii the
system Of its best features was all nonsense MT
Egas said for he had yet to learn where except ~
isolated instances any such influence had been used
and then the defect speedily remedieo. Inc
present. system ne said. undoubtedly faliioie,
but who would prophesy as to what Ills the ne"
and untried system would Work! 10 concentrate
the bowers In one man was fraught with more oa"-
gers TO the system of schools than anything ever
vet attempted In the matter Of public education ne
.aid and this Capitalization would create a Pooh
Bah much to be feared. II he were not man Oh
the strongest and purest personal characer III the
trustees fable at present. the same conoiuoh
would undoubtedly exist under the new order
OPPONENTS ACCUSED OF IGNORANCE.
Mr.. Elgas pointed out the gross ignorance Of those
who spoke in favor Of the bill when they charsea
that the trustees were responsible for 1.-The system
Of examining and urging revision OF the curr'cu-
lum The trustees he said had absolutely nothing
% do with such matters. Such duties devolved upon
the Commissioners Mr.. Elgas also pointed out that
to delegate to twenty or twenty-five superihtehu-
ents the work of 100 trustees now In ONCE showed
the fallacy Of that provision OF the Compromise DILL
~
an arraigpment OF the Commissioners rather thah
the trustees. Mr. Hewtt's argument that the pres
ent bill was defective. Mr.. Elgas contended. was
quite we'll taken but he suggested that 10 depend
upon future legislation TO remedy the defects point
ed out would be unwise and inexpedient He said
further that there should be Capitalization OF
power Of the different localities. and that this was
accomplished under the present system Mr. Elgas
closed by saying that II the principals anc teachers
were not qualified to speak on school matters
surely those were not who knew nothing OF the
practical workings Of the system except what they
learned by a superficial examination
Mr.. Elgas was vigorously applauded. and when
he finished the crowd present was so great that
a second meeting had TO be held in one OF the
City Court rooms where Mrs Edward Lauterbach
presided. 1t was estimated that more than five
thousand people had been present up to date at
the hearings and Of that number four-ffths were
women
THE GOVERNORS CHIvALRY.
Miss Mary E Tate the next speaker. She Is
q tall woman with a convincing manner and a
silver tongue OF the speakers of the lay. she was
received with the greatest enthusiasm, for she
seemed to strike the keynote OF the situation when
abe declared that Governor Morton treated the
fair sex chivairously in urging the Legislature to
pass the bill on partisan lines. but. she said.
.'vbat was more appropriate now than that our
cause should be championed by our non-partisan
Mayorn- Miss Tate spoke I'm behalf OF the female
principals. !.
She brought down the house when she referred TO
the fact that 1t Xas-urged by those faynring the
ban that the Mayors action should be Influenced
that the Governor be Influenced by the opinion OF
our Mayor. who should know the needs OF our
city" s,rono n,.a sya,r.. the
bill She said that In the first place such revolu,
ton should never be attempted until It was proved
that the present system was intolerabiy bad Inc
trustees. she urged. were checks upon the system
they were the necessary adjunct made necessary
Ills that would surely follow II the trustee system
were abolished Miss Tate then told OF the mgr
comm enda lions laced upon the work OF the schoo
children at the Chicago Exposition. and urged tina
the consensus Of opinion OF all those who saw tht
chiIdren's work-of all those qualified TO pass
fndSment-was that the work Of the children Of
the New-York public schools was OF the highes
superior all other schools. AND 10 then
we're awarded the highest prizes IN consequence
An ATrKaaPr To- UPSET A GRAND SYSTEM
Miss Tate said that the teachers opposition L
thu hill was not due as had been said selfish mo
tives. "Oh. no." che said. at is not that; 1t II