New-York tribune., 1898-01-28
A SWEET-TEMPERED MAYOR.
TREATMENT OF PRESIDENT HUBBrLL OF THE
BOARD OF EDUCATION WHEN HE AP-
PEARED AT THE CITY HALL on
PUBLIC BUSINESS


tends to remove those members from Office. in
spite % the protection which the charter APP
parently gives to them. The action Of the
Mayor at the session Of the Board Of Estimate
yesterday. when the estimate Of the Board OF
Education was considered, will strengthen that
belief. President Hubbell Of the Board of Edu
cation was yrese It. with School Commissioners
/ Mack, Ketchum. Kelly and Little. 10 explain the
estimate and Mayor Van Wyck made Mr.. Hub
bell target In a manner indicating desire to
huniliate him. The Mayor badgered and scod-
ed Mr.. Hubbell at the public hearing until the
president OF the Board OF Education turned to
his colleagues and asked them:
Must stay here and stand all this sort Of
thing
Mayor Van Wyck began the hearing In this
way: Il find that your estimates S6,9S6,-
773 49, while last year they were S5931 239 80.
increase Of 81 10j5533 81. nearly 80 per
cent AT this rate you would require S10OOO000
five years hence. We want to know why this
is so?'
President Hubbell said that the increases were
due to the addition Of n manual training de-
partment and to q large Increase in the number
OF teachers consequent upon the building of new
schools and the making Of additions to others.
The Mayor proceeded immod diately to ask ques-
tions in manner that suggested how glad he
would be to snap off the official heads of all the
School Commissioners There pretence
of politeness. The Commissioners, who stood
behind Mr.. Hubbell and beyond earshot Of the
Mayor. commented audibly as follows HE is
foolr He doesn't know what he Is talking
about!'
THE SHOW BEGINS
is It true that you brought teachers here
from Kansas City Philadelphia and other
places?" snapped the Mayor
Quite true" was the calm reply Of Mr. Hub
bell
The questions and answers then continued. in
part as follows:
Q-Why did you not employ New-York teachers?
A.-There were 40 heh school teachssis "'"''"'''
|uDid you i1cIS noi @H7 We dld not believe an
underling should be app plinted 10 those piacess
Q-What do you mean ny an undtTliis, SIT. a.
One below the grade Of principal ana mean II III
&C @. Was nor President Hunter taken from
grammar school and put IN charge OF The Normal
Soicgo. and did he not make of II a success! A
iGsl oIiow about these seventy eight additional
sistants? A.-They weIe appointed by competitive
O"Wow many Of them are non-resdents? A.
About thirty-thrce of them are from New-1ork
Qt5-'-why should you go outside the city? AmBe;
cause we believe TIE people OF Ne"-1o ofH e""''eu
q VINO is Supervisor OF Music? AIR. Frank
o'mp,d he ever teach IN a public school, Al
think so He teaches the teachers VINO teach the
muir iMr Damrosch gets 81 900 year" said the
Mayor severely. :,
THE teaching Of music has been neglected. -
began Mr. Hubbell.
..0h svrrythIng seems 10 have been neglected
before your time" with sneer) A.
I'VE make no such assertion replied Mr..
Q.~Who Is your supervisor Of manual training?
40 III WAS he a prlze-nghter? Ale did not in
clGde that among his accomplishments wheh ai-
pG'""iIow many hours a day are devoted TO manual
training? A.Ab9ut iour nous IS - wo'N No sir
Boys have been in classes where sewing was
'A9snS o"Who is superintendent Of the kindergarten?
a. VI D,d Won exclude New-Yoriers from this place?
Q-Oh. then You believe that New YORK can sup
R;endent Of cooking? Is she New-Yorker? A
Yes We took her from the service. H.. .-. -.
service How many non-residenis have you IN this
''t' You could not do without one at least Who
is your superintendent Of sewing? AIRS Will
iams
"rbere Is $4,000 spent for special teachers
ror manual training and the time is taken away
from reaching the 4 e C's don't think that /
is right" said the Mayor
OTHERS THINK OTHERWISE.
I'VE. and great many others versed in edu-
cational matters, think otherwise" answered
Mr. Hubbell.
President Hubbell started to explain that one
of the reasons why teachers were taken from |
other places was that the supply was limited. |
"We are still one hundred teachers short and !
cannot get them" he said. even with the lists |
thrown open to the world"
You have SO humiliated the teachers OF New
York that 1t is not an honor to be employed by !
your Board" said the Mayor.
Neither nor my colleagues understand that |
to be a fact, SIR" retorted Mr.. Hubbe
o.-How many hours day DO you spend at tho The
every day from to 10 a. IN. and am ready to be
called upon at any other time e.o.. ...
to spend only an nGaT s, day , ar MY of b
Board should devote all Of his time TO the duties
OF the Department
Then you ought not to take the position"
said the Mayor
Il do not agree with you" said Mr. Hubbell.
mindful Of the fact that he and other members
OF the Board Of Education receive no salaries.
The Mayor again began to talk about the
prtnc,pals of the high schools .and wanted to
know why outsiders had been appointed
II have tried to explain that several times"
reDlied Mr. Hubbell but II appears / have
colleagues. who stood behind him, he asked:
Must l stay here and stand all this sort Of
thing
not be ratified by such blatherskite." he was
told.
'Why did you not take these men from the
Normal College?' asked the Mayor.
"Principally because they do not graduate
males from that nstltutlon,' was the parting
shot of the President
The estimates referred to Controller
Coler.
Chairmaa Maxwell Of the Brooklyn Finance
Committee OF the Board Of Education presented
the estimates for that borough. which also were
referred .
40 do
Mr. Maxwell.
Mayor. ,, :, o,.