New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-17
Low AND THE SCHOOLS.
REASONS WHY BROOKLYNITES SHOULD
BE GRATEFUL TO COLUMBlAS
PRESIDENT
HORACE E. DRESSER MAKES A VIGOROUS hErhi
TO ATTACKS MADE WITH TIE f'"'' " W
rNJuRING MR. LOW IL THE ESTIMA-


TON or EDUCATORS
uorace = Dresser. who has been member
~ the Brooklyn Board OF Education LOT man!
wears gave out an interview yesterday ahs"ei
ing certain attacks which have been "''u'
President Low with the intention Oh p'e'"u
ING him in the eyes of cducatlohaI I"ei'' "
Dresser was closely associated WIN H''"H
educational affairs when Nj. Low was Mayor
He said yesterday: .,,, ~
F6uc1tion was in a deplorab.e conoitiTh' had nre-
Howell with mistaken IDEAS no or for the erection
OF schoolhouses and little ma" p,.i occommoda-
rs rbn Stswart defacation had also lus; peen
discovered the secretary OF the bo",a covere1 The
CITY was Impoverished and great w. No Low
necessary IN every dEi pt,nresed in the D.
nartment of Education. he Immediately c ,ha law
as II then stood able to appoint t~1 his adj
Of the members during the nrst Sv"i med we're
1nSh uendriS. FREDERICK W. Hinrichs john
McNamee John c. Kelly William Ea,y ,, 'deenided
Win public affairs Mayor Low. cary IN ms s Se
minstraton. made study Oh int and bent his
energies TO provide more school accomnioua He
sonnd an excess OF grammar schools buh d go
deficiency in primary r nS be Board Of Edu
caton al that time should be directed 10 rcteS
This evil None but primary scnoc's ~re reorgan
to aa md cessSs Consolidated The plan of branch
Schools and of primary schools ya ny, in mind
the statistics. but while Mr. Low WIS NJ" si;;,rgs
sn,,ed man during the previous ten years. II my
mt,norV serves me. The efficiency OF the service
was also greatly improved
A CHANGE IN METHODS.
Previous TO this teachers certificates had been
granted very loosely. and the appointment Vi tta'
or. ,vas largely a matter of favor or OF ponucal
pull The Board. constituted by Mayor Low, w@s
composed OF earnest Conscientious haru-"oih i"e
mo-, who sincerely desired to raise the standard OF
,e s:cSoo,s and Who did so by eectng an ehcieni
superintendent. Calvin Patterson VINO sIned
te5chers certificates only to those who had PasSel
nm honest and proper examinaton; by apPoimtbins
teachers only for merit ana by aHis ,e Fc;encv
ton for greater scholarship. training ana emcie ,i
Of the corps of teachers. No professional education
experience had been required aS o. Of
Mayor Low and on his recommendations the Ira il
i hss Steadily grown in size and usefulness until
now nearly all of our teachers are seiected rom
prove the efficiency schools that can compare
with the establishment OF TINS USimg oI,ln90g
Mayor Low also an advocate OF introducing
kindergarten classes. ana used MS lhnuehoe ~ '''
end.
BROOKLYN IN DEBT TO LOW.
Brooklyn can never pay its debt 10 Seth Low
not only for what he did for our schools when
Mayor but what he has recently done in the forma-
ton of the educational chapter of the charter OF
the Greater New-York. This work was intrusted
10 a committee of which Seth Low was chairman;
II.
as his associates TO all of them Brooklyn should
be grateful. Mr.. Low, from his position as presi-
dent of Columbia University and ms lanillal5iSS
with educational matters. naturally regarded
nv the Charter Commissioners as an educational
ence with them Anything proposed in rec regard d 10
the educational system of Greater New, DIRK ~outd
hardly be passed by the Commissioners unless IL
received the approval Of Mr.. Low. At the outset
Of the SsSsGn re 81 Broo tyne Mr.
Low had ideas that differed materially from thefs
committee of our Board of Education. at winch. LOT
several hours the wishes OF Brooklyn were argued
tional as we'll as in other matters Afterward a
hearing granted TO this committee by the iu i
Commission, on which occasion Mr. Low PRESIDED
and views were presented at length
HOME RULE ASSURED.
Still further after that hearing Mr.. Low invited
the chairman of the committee TO confer with him
at his home where the whole subject was considered
In detail. The result of this consideration was that
the educational chapter of the charter was pracu-
cally written three times and. in the end nearly
everything that the representatives of Brooklyn de-
manded granted. The doctrine Of home rule
schools. Which we believe are not exceiled by any
in the world. were left undisturbed: as far as was
his manhood and his eminent fairness by yielding
s snS Sv b on IDEAS 20 wbeh in
he beginning he was Sppossed Inc teachers en- be Of
Whole future Had he been obstinate and unreason:
able. unwilling TO listen TO argument and welded
been S abolished led The New-York system in which
Brooklyn does believe. would have been
tended our territory and independence de-
stroyed.
The fairness which characterized all the dealings
with Mr.. Low this important subject is his
prominent trait. Mr. Low thinks for himself
and is always open for conviction, and therein is
a great argument for his election and will he
great element of safety in his administration. That
he is believed 10 be friendly everything essential
10 the success OF our schools and is safe TO trust
Is, proved by the fact that his election is earnestly
advocated by such members Of our Board of Edu-
cation as President swanstlom. Vice,President
Fisher. Frank L. BabbOtt Charles y. Chadwick
George Frefeld Adolph kiendl. Henry ". Max