New-York tribune., 1897-01-08
MACLAY'S FUTILE EFFORT.
HE FAILS TO INDUCE THE SCHOOL
BOARD TO DISCUSS THE CHARTER.
THE COMMISSIONERS MEET PURSUANT TO HIS
CALL AND ADJOURN IN CONFUSION. WITH
OUT ACTING ON THE CHAPTER


Certain members Of the Board Of Education !
OF this city are greatly agitated over what they !
declare to be the many unwise provisions
embodied in Chapter is of the proposed Greater
New-York charter. which relates to the admin
istration Of pubc-school affairs throughout the
greater city. Notwithstanding this fact, the
School Commissioners refused TO take any ac- /
ton in the matter Wednesday afternoon
when special meeting of the Board was called
by President Maclay for the express purpose OF
discussing the chapter, in the hope that the
views Of the School Commissioners might ne
formulated and the same embodied in report
TO the Greater New-York Commission on Mon
day next the day set for a hearing on the
educational chapter.
Various opinions are expressed by the mem
bers Of the Board to why those present at the
meeting Wednesday afternoon adjourned with
out taking any action in the only matter when
had induced President Macay to call the special
meeting. Some allege that. the Commls-
sioners held many separate and distinct
views regarding the wisdom OF certain sections
Of the proposed chapter, no good could come OF
the discussion. Others ntimated that. owing
to the feeling In the Board over the election of
the president to be chosen next Wednesday,
many OF the Commissioners unwilling to
a
ter which promised to lead TO a heated debat,
between what have been termed the progressive
and non progressive factions in the Board each
Of which is supporting different candidate for
the presidency The reform element in the
Board favors Commissioner Hubbell for this
office while Mr. Maclay is tho candidate OF the
other element for reelection. one Of the COM
missioners intmated yesterday that. as the
election would be close. each faction propapN
feared 10 discussion which would Lead
10 a revival Of old differences among those who
favored the present Pavey-Page Law and those
who advocated the extension Of the old trustee
system, advanced in the defeated strauss
bill as such discussion might lead 10 prejudice
cne or the other of the candidates in the eyes of
certain members Of the Board who have not
announced their preference in favor of either.
PRESIDENT MACLAY's ANXIETY.
It all came about in this way. President
Macay was at Fortress Monroe. Va, enjoying
his Christmas vacation. when the New orh
newspapers reached him. telling Of the report OF
the Committee on Draft Of the Greater New
York Commission on the Department OF Educa-
tion as outlined by Seth Low. ;he chairman OF
the sub Committee on Education. and also stat
ing that s r. butcher and General stewart L.
Woodford other members of the 5ub-commi'tee
had also written report disagreeing wi'h MT
Low on some points President Maclay' fearing
that he might be open to censure, II ne diu not
at once return TO New-Yorll and call special
meeting of the Board Of Education 10 DISCUSS the
chapter. hurriedly returned to the city on Mon
dav and the same day sent 20 dll the Commis-
sioners copies OF the chapter and notices OF
snacial meeting TO be held at the hall or the
Board of Education at No. 146 Grand-st., on
Wednesday afternoon.
When the meeting was called 10 order nearly
ali of the old members OF the Board were al
their desks and Commissioner Speyer ana
Eustis Of the newly elected members were pres
ont No sooner had Commissioner Little pre-
sentee a resolution callirG for the discussion "i
the chapter in which he declared tha' py sucH
action the Board should not be considered 10
have committed itself unalteraby TO any dehhl'e
no,ic,. than if becar.e evident that there was
vast diversity of opinion among those preseh,
&c 90 ,,-bathcr or not il best for the boarI
., discrss the chapter at all. Some contendec
that II the Charter Commission desired any
criticism on its work from the Schooi cVillllIiS
sioners either favorable or ahNerSt. ini.. t .'',a
tion to that effect should have been sent 20 tnein
others declared that they wore not suInclchliS
familiar with the provisions of the Chap.e. ~
discuss il intelligently; while nov lev IL. ~ | III
thev could not agree on any deilni'" Poil'S sli'i
,hat 70 discuss the chapter would only be thhV
thrown away.
NOW THE MEETING BROKE Up.
Among those who favored at least consid-
arat,on ~ the matter which should not De con-
struad to commit the Board 10 any derlni'e
nolicv were Commissioners Charles buIh'e'
uubbeu and Henry w. Taft. Finally MT Mac
lav apparently persuaded the Commissioners ~
listen al least to the reading or certain secNo'i'
-, Tho cbanter and Arthur McMun, the clerk
! -. poard arose to perform this duty. He
hd road only a few lines when he was inter
rupted. 49,, .A
| Cor,missoner Prentiss wanted to have the
r,sating adjourned until to-day. by when time
,a thought the Board would be better able 10
talk intelligently. and he offered motion u
this effect Before vote could be taken No'"-
missioner Agar moved as ar amendment '"a'
rho meeting adjourn sine die The amendment
was seconded Immediately and carried ana ,he
meeting broke up in confusion Many Up enp' on
sIons OF Indignation and disgust were hearu I'm vi
,ha mart OF those who were anxious to discuss
| the chapter r..niao,, uaciav inst
os "a ,ha latter was leaving his Office at No. ~,
| proadvav Yesterday afternoon When asked
| ahout the refusal OF the Board 10 discuss In
| chapter pursuant 10 his call presiuene Ma, Ma.,as
| howsd that hs felt keenly the lack OF support
| givar him by the Commissioners. but said ne diu
not feel disposed to criticise the acton OF ms ms
/ colleagues He felt. however mat 10 say .ne w
,, ,he members Of the Board made serious
,,,is,ake in refusing consider the matter, even
r. no definite action had resulted. Mr.. Maciay
! said that he would have been more than wl'lihs
| 80 baar the matter discussed in the Board Tor
| ,brea or four hours on Wednesday. ana TO meet
,h tho commissioners again for a further con-
! alteration OF the matter at some time before
| the hearing TO he had before the Char'er 'o'ii-
| mission
| DECLINES TO GIVE AN OPINION.
When asked to state wherein he disagreed with
|
o,a,, rarlad that he was not prepared 10 talk for
! ,,uoa,io, Asked IL he would appear before
a., ,or,,,ission personally Monday he inti-
mated that he would probably do So
| commissioner Joseph j. Little deprecated the
,o,tnn ~ the majority OF the board in refusing
o. discuss the chapter. He said he believed II
80 he unwise TO give to the five borough School
! Roards the power they would necessarily have
Il IiArnif fh.r-