New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-27
CAN HE REMOVE THEM?
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
IN A STATE OF UNCERTAINTY


IF THERE IS ANY POWER or REMOVAL 1T MUST
RE EXERCISED on OR BEFORE MoNDAY-A
VARIETY OF Rt-MoRs AFIoAT-THE
MANHArrAN-THE BRONX SCHOOL
BOARD COMES INTO EXrsT
rNcE ON FEBRUARY
Members Of the Board Of Education arc In
uncertainty regarding their status In the I'M
mediate future owing 10 the doubt which exists as
to whether or not Mayor Van Wyck will exercise the
power Of removal which soms Of hts legal advisers
understood to have informed him that he pos
se.ses as respects the existing Board The sub
ject was not referred TO at the meeting OF the
Board yesterday afternoon. but In private there
some talk regarding IT, The Board ADJOURNED
meet again next Monday.
The meeting at that time Will he the las' held
by the body az Board OF Education. for under
the provisions Of the charter the powers. duties
and functions Of the Board OF Education will cease
and the powers. duties and functions OF the Scnool
Board OF the boroughs Of Manhattan ana Inc
Bronx will begin February l. 1t is the clear IN
tent Of the charter that there shall be no break
in the system and that the school administration
shall go on unchanged. save In name and in 80
far as changes may be caused by the creation OF
the new general or central Board for the entire
city.
II Mayer Van Wyck undertakes to remove any or
all OF the members OF the existing Board he VIII
have 10 act on or before next Monday On the
following day. February /. the School Board comes
into existence and the charter distinctly says that
the Mayor has no power to remove members OF the
Board OF Education and School Boards. There was
a rumor afoat after the meeting yesterday tha'
one OF the members. who belongs TO what
IL known as the 'old gang" had offered 10 Oct
that when the Board met for the last time on
Monday the membership would not be the same
as It was yesterday.
On the other hand a man who mas gooo op-
portunties 20 know what Is going on in the inner
Tammany circles declared yesterday That ne dlh
not believe any removals would be made by the
Mayor This remark especially significant be-
cause this same man felt extremely confident TWO
or three weeks ago that the Mayor had the power
to remove members of the Board under the charler.
His present opinion Is based on one or the ias'
sections OF the charter No. 1913. which provides
against an interregnum and declares that All
officers in Office when this act takes effect snau
remain IN office until their successors are re-
spectvely elected and appointed and shall nave
qualified under the provisions OF this act
Another statement current yesterday was that
the Tsmmany 10 Ill seven places IN the
Board had been definitely selected ana sun another
rumor had Il that the Mayor would remove sixteen
Of the twenty-one members and Ill their places
with adherents OF the Wgwar. The widest re-
port Of AL was that the places OF the seven men
appointed BY Mayor Strong in November to take
office on January would be declared vacant
and filled by Mayor Van Wyck on Monday. ana 'ha'
the School Board would hold meeting immedia'e'
" after midnight Tuesday morning, SO as "
organize before tho removed men sn1u'u I'd, - =,
chance OF appealing to the courts Inc iasI paos ~
81 this statement merely disclosed the ignorance OF
The man responsible for IT, since the ch9rter say
that the School Board shall meet on me sec9nu
"Wednesday Of February % or osss az Tsuca,ion
Tire simple truth IL that none Of the men n
,erested hav any positive knowledge on tne SUI
jet, while the men WI kho" t " Few viii be
SURPRISED however II Mr. Van WICK exercises NJ
alleged mower or removal on Monday, out u - no
generally believed that ne VIII 90 i nv annointed
n Eoverher II that is done. fght VIII De maI i
on the mar, of the reform element Wnlcu Co'l.
the Board. not because tne mn M ,,cS knit becatse
thew are convinced that the Mayor mas 70 IT, ne
az removal and because they wsn ~ he o pos So
schools out OF Tammany control as long as POSE
bia Pu, y seven Tammany men are Iut n u uUT
not follow that Tammeny would control me Boar
in case the Mayors potential acton snUua e ~ ,ba
held in the courts LheTe are a + axes eleven
"oId gang now IN the boaiu' H'i A.
to make a majority 49, ,,.,.or,s sc,ion
little has been done toward detsrn1 wn daegates
~ ne general Board Of Education. There VII De
eleven OF these. including the PRESIDENT OF .ne
school BOARD II no Ssrfalp 10 Presiden Hub
Iii v,ill 10 elected president OF the Schoo soar
ond II il expected that ten men belonging 10 ' ~
reform element will he CHOSEN as porsIs; 81 nine
80 members and the representatives OF I'D n
nsftsn-The Bronx will control ana organic u,
Gsiegstes and the two from Richmond and Queens
~"roId ne able % make a combination with Two
Of the Manhattsn-The Bronx men Tor the 'o"''''
Of the Board