New-York tribune., 1900-05-08
CONFUSION OVER THE SCHOOLS

However widely the large number of persons
who are now engaged in discussing the Davis
School act may differ in their estimate of its
general utility, there is no doubt that it supplies
n striking illustration Of the carelessness with
which even the most important bills are drawn
and passed. Governor Roosevelt, who evidently
signed the measure with some reluctance,
promptly took advantage of his interview with
the Charter Revision Commissioners to call their
attention TO the necessity of correcting its seri
Gus defects. Others are declaring that it is one
of the most obnoxious bills ever put through the
Legislature, and Controller Coler has consider
ably exceeded the bounds of propriety in de-
nouncing its principal provisions 1t will be OBJ
served moreover that some of its most active
supporters are now saying that they did not
know 1t meant this that and the other thing,
but they do not quite dare to say that it does
not contain such meanings. Hence they Writ
ually admit that their advocacy was more
strenuous than intelligent, and their present
outgivings on the subject merely tend 10 sus-
tain the general suppostion that the courts will
have to be called on for an Interpretation which
nobody forecast. Thus an attempt to i'm
prove the educational situation in New-York has
had the immediate effect of producing immense
confusion and may not mprobably end in some
thing worse.
An exasperating reflection Is that all this tur-
moil might have been easily avoided. There
was no sudden emergency calling for quick
ton to avert disaster such as might excuse a
piece of slpshod legislation. There ample
time to draw. discuss and put in proper shape a
bill for the equalization of teachers salaries and
the readjustment of other provisions of the
school law. Nor did the defects of the Davis
bill escape notice until after adjournment
Mayor Van Wyck, whose opinions are not al
ways valuable, though they are usually ex-
pressed with commendable clearness pointed
them out in his message of disapproval and
gave the Legislature which abruptly passed the
measure over his veto a sufficient opportunity to
weigh his objections. If the majority at Albany
had not chosen to change provisions which I'M
mistakably expressed their meaning if any such
there are, it might at least have averted the
confusion which has been caused by phraseol-
ogy that scarcely anybody pretends to under
stand.
1t is astonishing that so many intelligent men
who are entirely competent to manage their
own personal affairs sagaciously, who know
when they enter into engagement what it
binds them to and careful to provide the
means of performing it. should be found capable
of serving the State badly after they have
solicited the privilege Of making its statutes
Not long ago a highly respected member of the
bar asserted in public address that lawyers
a class were peculiarly disqualified for the task
OF framing laws If he is right, the extent to
which the profession is represented in every
Legislature is sufficient cause for concern
even to those who give no credence to the auda-
! cious theory that laws are passed for the pur-
pose Of promoting litigation.