New-York tribune., 1897-12-19
SOME CHARTER PROBLEMS.
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE
CIVIL SERVICE PROVISIONS. -,
rANMANY NOW sCHEMING TO GET AT LEAST
SEVEN SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS OUT bCF
NOT LIKELY TO sUccEED-srArus OF
THE BLACK ANTI-sTARCH ACT

SEVEN SCHOOL. COMMISSIONERS OUI' bCA
NOT LIKELY TO sUCCEED-srATus OF
THE BLACK ANTI-sTARcH ACT.
80 ,o rooor,v road the chapter on education
,h ,uJce and | didn't find anything OF that
L,,4 ,bore" said a lawyer when his attention was
lid ~ a certain provision OF the new charter nav
inc an important bearing on the worK OF 'he euu
cational department in the greater city ou' ne wa"
convinced when his friend called attention 10 map
ter T. Section II, entitled hApe"'e Vi 'N
Schools for the Year 1898
r. ox,.riarce NJ this lawyer may be regarded as
,,n,c,l o, the frame OF mind In which hundreds
nerhaps thousands OF the members or me leea' pio
fesslon Hrd themselves In relation 10 the Ior"'Iu
abe act known as Chapter 5'S OF me Laws u '''
Even II they have read the bulky documen' from
her,nuing TO end and studied II wh care they are
frank 20 confess tha: It's meaning Is douo'iu' o"
many nonts and would not be surprised II al any
,ir,a their attention was turned TO some provision
u,hosc existence they had not suspected. Inc TASK
~ interpreting the charter will he diihcui ana
ororous one both for legal advisers ana 'or JUDGES
on the bench. -
Az far 10 Tanmany Hall is concerned there are
,u,o things in the charter which have been receiv-
, ar,i.uar attention from the legal minds In the
or-onza,iou ever since the election II not before
A has been pointed out in The Tribune on previous
occasions what specially interests many OF 'e lo
lowers OF Richard Croker Is the bearing OF the chAr
ter on the Civil Service system ana OF '"e o"oS'
- ,,hothsr or not Mayor Van Wyck has the power
- remove members Of the Board OF Education ana
M, good men and true OF the Tammany persuasion
in their places
WOULD LIKE TO WIPE THEM ALL OUT
As respects the Board OF Education as whole.
the conclusion appears to have been reaeheu tha'
Navo- Van Wyck will not undertake TO wipe II ou'
Of existence. even II it be held that he has the
mower to do So as 10 which there is grave uoup'
among the lawyers. Some Of the Tammany not
be,ds are earnest In advocating the entire remak-
ing of the Board: 1t need hardly be said that they
ara men who fee. exceedingly sore. either because
,bev themselves removed from Hetnpership
I'm IL by Mayor Strong or not redpPouiteu oy
m.n TOO who have no sympathy with the REFORM
ideas that are now controlling IN tne & euucaSonar Na
Van WICK will be guided in this matter oy me
hest legal talent that he can cotnnlana nHu 'nae @
question comes before the courts ,.--
qrh noint on which the Tammany schemers are
now r'ts Ibat The Board OF Education Of the city
OF NewYork as constitutes prior 70 IN ,e srS Sor ,b.
tHlS boroIghs OF Manhattan and the Bronx lawyer
who is in a position TO know some ming OF Wnat & Is
)ect fsr as the Mayors power OF removal is con-
As iaf al The section on that subject not linn
,ed bx other provisions of the charter there would
S9 MTSr NO woaS do with the Board q Educao
nt ns here is that other provision. that members
Of the Bo@ra sS shall serve out their terms
Hsrs ~ Of the school Board Now, the Board as con-
,i,,,ed nrIor 10 the passage OF the act Is not the
poard that will be in existence on January l. lot
",'no 80, ~ the members have been appointed by
NaVor strong since then. 1t s true that seVeral
~ th.nr are reappointments. but the old members
roo cd will be the same basis as new mem
hora anno,nted since the charter was enacteo.
.Jf 'Tammany Hall can secure seven members o!
the BOARD II will practically be In controi II II
does not have an actual majority u VIII De 30
near n that the present majority VIII pe uhaoIe 20
take any radical action And this Is tne tnIns on
which the best legal minds In Iamfnahy HAu are
nov concentrating their attention IL they can
get the whole Board. they want 10 get az Iease
memhers now composing the minority may put
them in the majority or close TO H.
AN IMPORTANT SECTION.
"But there is one provision OF the charter which
,he mer VINO have expressed opinions on TINS SUD-
feet have not, so far as | am aware maze any
mention Of but which Is OF the utmost importance
1t is Section 1913 relating to the prevention OF an
, ,nterregnum The essential part OF II Is THIS: ~
ia hereby enacted that until this act ana is severa
provisions shall take effect all exisGhs aSts sS
remain ir force and all officers IN onice wnsh ne sn,s
ACT takes effect shall remain IN once un. tme's
successors respectively elecleS Aho appo'n'e3
ana shall have qualified under the provisions oi
"By another section II Is provded 1hat sne cnas-
ter Is TO take effect January 1850 1nu the sec
tion I have Just quoted that all ohcors IN Of
| Ace when the charter takes eneot are 20 remain
In once uotil their SUCCESSORS are eecteo ana ap-