New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-09
THE PAYMENT OF TEACHERS.
AINsWORTH HOLDS THAT STATE FUNDS
MUST BE TURNED OVER TO THE
BOARD OF EDIrCA ALTON

Albany Dec s (SpecaD-Some interesting cor
respondence which has bearing upon the payment
Of the salaries OF teachers in the public schools or
New-York city made public here to-day. Will
lam II. Maxwell the City Superintendent OF Schools
OF York yesterday sent letter to Charles H.
Skinner the Superintendent OF Public instruction,
asking him whether IN his judgment the State ap-
preparation OF Sl.2l90i9 IS for the maintenance or
public schools in New-York City should be turned
over 10 the Board OF Aldermen. or whether
he agreed with the Corporation Counsel that the
Board OF Education is limited to the appropriations
made by the city authorities and that the state
appropriation may be used for the reduction Of
taxes" in New-York.
Danforth f. Ainsworth the Deputy Superintend-
ent Of Public instruction, answered this letter Of
superintendent Maxwell to-day
In HIS reply Deputy Superintendent Ainsworth
says that he does not attempt TO authoritatively
decide the question propounded. although It Is Of
such Importance as 10 call for a opinion contrary
to the usual course pursued by the Department OF
Public obstruction.
After quoting the law governing the apportion-
ment of school moneys by the State Superintendent
OF Public Instruction and stating that 12l90 i9 10
was apportioned 10 New-York. he says:
Excluding the library moneys $500. 1872 54). and
the appropriation for supervision $50 300, there
remains the sum OF 81 .1G6.968 50: which Is raised
above enumerated. that can only be applied to the
payment of teachers wages.
In considering the uses TO which this fund 10
applied the history Of the free school fund must
be considered. For over a hundred years this
States aid TO public instruction has been by gem
era State taxation first paid into the State Treas
ury on the basis OF taxable property, and then APP
portloned among the counties and cities on a vary
ing basis but always disrega riding the question OF
taxable property, the theory being that the public
school was a State institution. The fact that New
York City, possessing large amount OF taxable
proportion OF this fund than any other locality
does not entte 1t to any special consideration IN
the distribution OF that fund any more than could
Mr. Vanderbilt. any other large taxpayer In the
city OF New-York. claim special privileges because
OF a large tax list
IN the payment Of teachers wages has been OBJ
served and insisted upon in every OF the forty
cities OF the State and in every one OF the more
than 1000 school districts and villages in the
State. The statute has been in force many years,
and has universally been recognized as binding
upon the entire State and entirely equitable In all
OF It's provisions
Therefore neither the Board OF Education nor
the Board OF Estimate and Apportionment in the
city OF New-York, in my judgment has power TO
divert this fund from the purposes for which II
has been raised II represents the proceeds OF taxa
ton in Chautauqua County much as In New
York and the taxpayer of that county Is as much
Interested In having this fund reach the purposes
enumerate ted in the statute the taxpayer or New
York In my judgment this principle Is not In any
way affected by the provisions OF the charter OF
New-York
I am therefore Of the opinion from the state
ment Of facts as presented by YOU. that the state
funds Indicated at the opening OF this communca-
ton should be turned 10 the Board OF Educa-
ton and must not be used for The reduction or