New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-16
SCHOOL IMPLICATION.
THE COMMISSION SUBMITS ITS PLAN TO
GOVERNOR ROOSEVELT.
A NEW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REC.
oMMENDED, WITH A CHANCELLOR AT
THE HEAD-PLrNY T. SECTIONS

| by Governor Roosevelt to draw I'D plan for
the unification Of the school systems OF the state
was In session most Of the day to-day at the
| Hotel Ten Eyck, considering various PROPOSE
tions to bring about the union desired. It should
be stated that November 81 and 90 this
Commission first considered body the sub
, ject Of unifcation. and again last night
! held a conference concerning IT. Persons
, interested in school affairs, therefore,
| considerably surprised when they learned late
this afternoon that the members Of the Commits
sion. or at least majority Of its members, had
submitted to Governor Roosevelt outline Of
J a scheme Of unification 1t had not been
! pected that they would complete this part OF
| their labors so soon.
| Danforth +. Ainsworth. the Deputy Superin-
| tendent of Public Instruction, however, had
| studied out a method OF unifying the school s,s-
| TENS which almost Immediately met with the
| favor OF three OF his fellow Commissioners upon
its submission to them In typewriter form this
| afternoon. These Commissioners were Frederick
! w Hollis. Daniel II. Mcmillan and Robert F.
| Wilkinson. Mr. Ainsworths scheme 10 au-
| thorze the Governor by and with the advice and
| consent Of the Senate to appoint a Chancellor
TO be at the head OF new State Department
| of Education into which should be merged the
| present Regents Department and that Of the
|
| oellor, Mr.. Ainsworth suggested, ought TO have
a term Of eight years and have a salary of
$4,000 year. Mr. Ainsworth's plan also pro-
vlded for the virtual retirement Of five Regents
who have passed seventy years Of age, by de-
caring that after that age they should have no
vote in the Board OF Regents. Another class Of
| Regents 10 be retired. Mr.. Ainsworth argued.
should be the ex-officio members, the Lieutenant
| Governor and the Secretary OF State. Since me
! office of Superintendent OF Public instruction
would he abolished under the new law, he also
ought to be taken out Of tho Bosrd Of Regents.
REGENTS LEFT IN OFFICE
This would leave in office fifteen Regents and
| one officlo Regent. namely. Governor Roose-
welt The fifteen members OF the Board Of Re-
gents who would retain their offices under this
plan would be the Right Rev. William C,
Doane Protestant Episcopal Bishop Of Albany;
Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew. Whitelaw Reid,
| Chester s Lord, Lewis A. Stimson. Orvis II.
Warren Charles f. Fitch, st. Clair McKelway,
| Henry T. Turner Willard A. Cobb, Daniel
| Beach, Carol f. Smith, Plny T. Sexton, Gull
| ford Smith and Albert Vanderver. The five
regents who would become honorary members
would be Chancellor Epson, Hamilton Harris,
w. c. Watson Father Sylvester Malone and
Martin l. Townsend.
| II should be added that Mr.. Answorth's plan
also provided for the retention in office till the
expiration of his term Of Charles r. Skinner
| the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Ex-
Judge Joseph F. Daily and Melvil Dewey, two
| Of the members Of the unifcaton commission
| opposed that part Of Mr.. Ainsworth's plan
| which provided for the naming Of the Chancellor
by the Governor. Judge DAILY argued that 1t
was an utterly illogical plan to deprive the
| oP aifho "a
| Chancellor for period Of eight years. and then
] AT the end of that period return II TO them.
| Methods OF appointment should not be tenn
porary Either the Regents should always have
| that power or the Governor should always
| have 1t.
| In conclusion, Judge DAILY said the plan pro-
| posed by Mr.. Ainsworth was a needless refec-
| ton upon the present Regents and future Gov
| ernors He then proposed as an amendment
| that the power Of electing the Chancellor be
| given to the Regents Judge DAILY and Mr..
| Dewey voted for this amendment. while Mr.
| Ainsworth, Mr.. Hollis, ex-senator Mcmillan ana
| Mr. Wilkinson voted against ii. The amend
| ment was thus defeated by vote Of 2 TO 4.
| At the first meeting Of the Unification Com
mission in November the vote on the PROPOSE
ton to give the Regents the authority to elect
| the Chancellor was 8 to 3; William Herman, one
| of the Commissioners absent to-day, voting for
| IT, Ex-senator Mcmillan. however, was not then
| nresent being In Colorado. He travelled 22OO
miles to be present at to-day's meeting. and he
gave the fourth vote in favor Of Mr.. Ainsworths
| proposition that the Governor and the Senate
should have the naming Of the first Chancellor
instead of the Regents. After the first period
81 eight years the Regents are to make the APP
pointment
Mr. Ainsworths plan was then adopted as
whole by a majority vote and Mr. Hollis dc
tated an outline Of it to a stenographer for sub
mission to Governor Roosevelt and for puollca-
ton Later in the day this outline was SUD-
mltted to Governor Roosevelt
Mr. SEXTON ON THE PROPOSED PLAN.
PIinv r. Sexton, one Of the members OF the
Regents special Committee upon Educauonai
Jrpihcation which was in session here yester-
dav was found at the Hotel Ten Eyck to-nish''
and upon being shown the statement given OUT
nv the Unihcation Commission Of its plan for
consolidating the educational systems or the
state said that the Commission seemed to nave
ou,tA ignored the recommendation and reasoning
Of the Regents special committee and had
cur,ousIv brought forth n scheme which In Its
leading proposals revives and, indeed empha-
sizes some Of the Objectionable features OF 'he
defeated White bill Of last winter
Mr. Sexton pointed out certain analoGies De-
tween the two measures. Both bills, he said
would establish new State Department or
Education Under the White bill the executive
head OF that department was TO be a State Com
missioner Of Education. to be appointed by the
Governor and confirmed by the Senate Tor
term Of six years That department was 10 have
all the powers Of the existing Department Of
Public instruction and to take the supervision
OF the high schools away from the Regents OF
the University but left TO the latter their other
general powers. Under the new scheme OF the
present Unihcation Commission the executive
head of the new Department of Education,
which IL creates is TO be called Chancellor in