New-York tribune., 1900-05-12
LEVYING ON TOY BANKS.

The Mayor of Jersey City and several other
Mayors and school superintendent have con-
cluded that it would be a pleasant thing if the
two hundred thousand school children of New
Jersey would contribute their pennies and pro-
vide a $4,000 silver service for the battleshlp
New-Jersey, recently authorized by Congress
SO they are about to organize movement with
that in view, and if they succeed the Mayors
and superntendents will doubtless have good
time and much satisfaction when they look
pleasant and consciously modest at the presenta-
ton ceremony, while New-Jersey and the United
States Navy look admringly and applaud
them as public benefactors.
Now, we would not for the world begrudge
the battleship New-Jersey the finest silver ser
vice that ever went to sea. Neither would we
wish to deprive the Mayor of Jersey City or any
OF his fellow magistrates or any OF the worthy
school superntendents of the joy of honorable
mention official programmes and front seats
at the presentation. We should welcome and
heartily commend the circulation among the
Mayors and school superintendents of New
Jersey of subscription paper to raise funds for
a first class silver service for the battleship,
and to help the enterprise along will even offer
to print picture Of the service and the names
of the Mayors and school superintendent who
give it. That shows are animated by no
narrow provincial spirit when ask why the
children should be expected to pay the freight
for the Mayors and school superintendents.
Have the children of New-Jersey themselves
spontaneously rushed to the Mayors offices ask
ing that their pennies be accepted, or nave their
teachers and superintendent conceived the
notion that it would be nice thing to induce
them to contribute? Is it a plan invented by
boys and girls or by their elders who want to
use the school machinery as an instrument of
money raising? Nine-tenths of the school sub
scriptions belong to the latter class, and should
be prohibited The business OF a school super
intendent is to draw out the knowledge of
children, not their pocketbOoks. The youngsters
in general have little pocket money, and it is
good deal better for them to spend it for candy
and tops than at the dragooning of teachers to
give it for this, that or the other plausible
scheme invented by somebody generally for his
glorification.
The school subscription is a vicious institu-
ton. Even the most spontaneous of them has
about it an element of blackmail. Children give
unwiliingly, because they are asked to by their
elders or because their mates are all giving.
One case of contribution beyond means or ncli-
nation is enough to condemn the practice, for a
school is not missionary organization, and
pupils are not sent to it 10 he workers for
worthy causes. \ great many good people with
schemes can never be brought 10 reallZe thls,
and think of a school that is not raising funds
for something as so much power of organization
going to waste. Nevertheless the business of
school children is to learn lessons, and not sup
port either patriotic or humanitarian enterprises
BY all means let the New-JerSey have silver
plate, but let the men who want to head the
procession and make the presentation speeches
pay for it out of their official salaries, and not
the poor school children at the cost of their dolls
and marbles Don't levy on the toy banks