The sun., 1896-02-07
FOR rURLIC SCHOOL REFORM.
Committee "r Prominent Citizen. Formed
TO Get kId of the Trustee System.

Committee or Prominent CIt,zen. Forme d
TO Get Kid of the Trustee System.
A movement was begun last night for the
abolition of the School Trustee system in New
York. At its head are ex- Mayor Abrain 5. Hewitt,
Elihu Root. Stephen II. Olin. j. Kennedy Tod,
aud Prof. Nicholas Murray Butler. These gem
tleinen sent call on Jan. 81 to about 800
men in this city who, thcy believe, are
sufficiently interested in the cause Of education
to aid in preventing legi. lation detrimental to
the interests of public education and in further.
ing bills of an opposite nature. Over a hundred
men wrote in response to the call stating their
willingness to serve on committee to en-
gage IN active work for the objects
stated. meeting was held last evening at
the City Club. ST. Fifth avenue, and the com.
mittee was organized under the name Of the
Citizens Committee on Public School Reform
Mr.. Hewitt was elected President, Mr.. John c.
Clark Secretary, and Mr.. J. Kennedy Tod
Treasurer.
The work OF the committee Is to be directed
toward securing tn" passage Of n bill which will
embody substantially the provisions of the
Committee Of Seventy bill Of 1895. The chief
object is TO secure the abolition Of the Board
OF Trustees which. the organizers OF
the committee claim. is more In
furious to the public school system than any
other thing connected with 1t. Tho Pavey bill
aboishng ward school trustees is greatly ia
vOred with the committee. but the committee
fears that It's reference to the Cities Committee
has killed It. 1t will Try to help Senator Pavcy
on the c"mrnittee arc henry Mitchell NC Nc
port Howard var ii iays"a a' Wds, % 4. A FrisseIi nsen
l@ssph l-arocquss, Francis I;yndc ,s!e'son;
Trask john Kennedy wIllam Jay sfntfr sshief.
felip. e. Grant Lnfarge H l.. sprague, Nor
Valentine Mott, William B. IiornboweT, John
mond Kelly. J. West Roosevelt. W. ii, Draper,
H. d.; o F.; A. cd cQudintard, ); b. L3rd G; L: After
The platform Of the committee Is as follows:
The public school system of the city OF New
York avowedly needs rev sion and reHi justment.
amended. has not been revised codifed for
nearly half u century. 1t is antiqueted and ill.,
we endorse the public school bill passed by
tho Assembly in 1895; and which WAS In sub
,tan,e nna the PHI framed BY ths Sommi.sion ap
I'VE strongly oppose the passage Of the So
before the Senate. on the ground that It not
only retains but multiplies. the evils of the
CARDS the only principles on which genuine
school reform can be obtai ined:
"y"r t the p",,ngs by the present Legs
substantial portion of The reform sought by the
Committee Of Seventy's hill Of 1898, but believe
that no reform !. worthy Of the name that does
not inc ude the abolition Of the system OF local
or ward trustee government"
Speeches In support OF the stand taken by the
committee and rcciting evils Of the trustee sys-
TEN were made by Mr. Hewitt aud Mr. James
B Reynolds, school trustee of the Tenth ward.
The platform WAS then unanimously adopted.
On motion OF j. Augustus Johnson. the commit
tee was authorized to ask the cooperation OF
other organizations interested in educational
work
The President. Secretary and Treasurer, and
Prof. Nicholas Murray Butler. w. bayard Cut
ting, James Is. Reynolds. Henry W Taft. and ".
mittee to act with full power In urging upon
the Legislature tho passage OF acts In accord
ance with the committees ideas OF necessary
educatio ionai legislation Some Of these GENTLE
men, 1t is expected. will soon start for the cap
itAl.