The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-13
THEY WANT IMPLICATION,
BUT sUPT. SKINNErS KIND FAILS
TO UNITY, SAY TIE REGENTS.

70 Take the Seh0els Into Politics.
ALBANY. March is-There are now seven
bills before the Legislature, each propos-
Ing 10 deal with the question Of uni6oation
OF the States educational system or with
the administration Of the proposed fund
for nonresident pupils In high schools.
over which the struggle between the Re-
gents of the State University and the De.
partment OF Public Instruction became
acute.
Whether the Legislature will adopt any
Of them In any shape IL still an open queH-
ton here at present. II Il does not, the
fight will be renewed at the next session.
It ID generally recognized that Il b Eight
TO hnish.
In the last few days the Regents have
forced the fighting. They resented the
position Of seeming TO wrangle for the
right to administer the proposed fund for
the tuition OF nonresident students. in
which Supt. SINNERS department tried to
put them, and the fight lie now being made
solely on the question Of unifcation OF the
States educational system.
OF the bills inspired by the Department
Of Public instruction In opposition to the
Regents bill, that introduced by Senator
Elon r. Brown OF Watertown proposes to
kill on the Regents at once, 30 far as the
sohools are concerned. The other. intro
duoed by Senator ". j.. Brown Of Oneonta,
proposes to begin TO do this two years
hence, leaving the Regents and the De-
partment to get along as best they can in
the meantime. IL IL described as only
'worsening- the situation. Mr.. Skinner is
supposed to be willing TO take this II he
cannot do better.
The bills on both sides are called uninca-
ton bills by their sponsors, but they pro-
vide two different brands Of unincation.
we are for unifcation, but for the kind
that really unifie~," said Regent Pliny T.
Sexton to-day. This proposed measure OF
the Department OF Public Instruction
the several bills may be treated as ono
measure. for they are inspired by COM
mon motive. and have the same object
does not unity. II proposes to eetab-
ish educational unity by putting the schools
under the sole control OF . State depart
ment OF education and leaving the Regents
I'm control OF the academies and higher
educational institutions. That Ia not uni
hcation. II is merely Redistribution.
1T means the establishment Of two State
departments. one to control the so-called
public schools and the other to supervise
the academies which are equally public
schools II they are doing a public edu-
cational service and such institutions as
the Normal College. the College of the
City Of New York and Others Of the kind.
A complete educational machine will be
required for each. Where does the advant-
age come INF
ThA <Nf
that It 10 their purpose to take the high
may be put under the Department Of Edu-
cation, because the Legislature originally
90 intended II. That is absurd The State
Board Of Regents had been in existence
for fifty years when the FIRST high school
was created. From the beginning II was
the intention OF the Legislature TO put the
high schools under the Regents. Why
the Legislaturs had not intended itP
sOn the other hand. every reason &C.
credits the stevens bill. There you get
absolute unifcation In . way that insures
bipartisan supervision. That Is the
the Regents are made OF better clay than
other men. True. they are men Of affairs. Of
demonstrated power and force. They are
especially selected, and their life tenure
Of ofiioe frses them hen from any concern over
They are not expert educators, but IL Is
not desirable that they should be; nor
are college trustees.
a merely selfish minded man does not
want a place that pays him nothing And
man whose term OF Office Is for year
OF two only In no sooner In than, II he would
stay in, he must begin to think about his
chances for reelection and how he can
please the party managers OF course.
he Is then open 10 political influence at
once.
1T has been OBJ ected that the Board Of Re-
gents Ii too large. That very feet and the life
tenure keep IL free from political influence.
There IL 80 much the ler~ chance for q
not worth while 10 look ahead 90 H.. There
IL also 10 much the less chance for new
and inexperienced arrivals TO upset without
elaboration systems which experience has
failed to improve. II after thirteen years
In the board ] now had TO devise n new
scheme for supervising State education
could not improve on that which Hamilton
and Ezra L'Hommedieu devised and which
has stood the test Of NJ many wears
A. the hearing on ia. Brown bill the
quoting him with srea, ehec, against him
self Ia the course - tho hearing Danforth
4. Ainsworth, Mr. Skinn@r's deput y. warmly
objected 20 the intifnation That his DC,
paitn,en, nigh, lie Influenced 10y political
considerations
The department Is as non partisan as
I. the bosrd of hesenis, declared Mr.
j Ra.ssil P.r.on.. s.ore,sry to tn. Ne.
gents. ans~srcd thl. ~ quoting President
Draper ~ Illinois University, Who said N
spe.-ih wl,eb d. Vas Superintendent
" Public IDstruction Ia this state. soms
ysaIs ago
= sin oonylno.d that the Regents srs
absolutely fr.s from f,l.ai.slip The
Superintendent ~ fulJllo Instruction, hos.
ever slnsfis mt.sil Al lls if.duotlks .f.sf.s
shd nis,si ~ his tame ~ Aiisinpis Ia resist
l'olitlpal pisssai. ssd ever then hs dec
hat slssls s.sessd
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