New-York tribune., 1903-01-23
TO THE EDITOR.
a HUNGRY DEPARTMENT.
editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The superintendent of instruction, MI
Skinner, and his adroit nominal subordinate,
Mr.. Answorth. have evidently enlisted in a
campaign against the Board of Regents.
The utter collapse of their last one seems to
have left them i'll at ease; and, as to one OF
them at least, legislative intrigue is the law
of his being That the unpaid and entirely
disinterested and non bipartisan Board of Regents
should continue administering with economy and
efficiency the duties the State has conhded TO
It for nearly century past appears to offend
them. and their present crusade is for the pur-
pose Of a renewed effort TO grasp to themselves
control of the secondary education OF the state
as well as the primary, and drive the Regents
out of the secondary field. which it has sue
cessfuy occupied by order of the State from
the very beginning.
Mr.. Ainsworth's fresh bill is before the
Senate Committee on Public Education 1t pro
poses to divert moneys from the free school
fund sufficient to pay the tuition of nonresident
students in academic grades, the moneys being
those now apportioned on the basis OF popula-
ton. Like tie Plank bill, which was defeated
two years ago. it seeks to build UP new system
of secondary schools without regard to the Re-
gents. 1t fixes the rate of tuition at SZu the
same rate the Regents name, but limits 1t ex-
clusively to students in academic grades OF
public schools, with courses approved by the
Superintendent of Public instruction.
Now it appears that, to make a showing be-
fore the legislature, the Department or PUBIC
instruction has called off inspectors Of teachers
training classes, truancy inspectors and others
to inspect all the public secondary schools which
have long been under the Regents control by
the Laws of 1895, Chapter 1031, the Department
of Public Instruction first secured the power to
approve for teachers licenses courses of study
in high schools After this law was passed they
began to inspect Regents schools. Then came
the cry of double inspection. The new bill, IN
troduced by Senator Lewis, chairman Of the
Committee on Public Education in the senate
goes much further. If it passes Regents IN
spectorS will still have to inspect all secondary
schools the State including academies. 10
see whether they meet the requirements 1or
apportionments under the Horton law ana the
Department of Public instruction Will also nave
to inspect the same institutions to see Whether
they are entitled to the moneys which Mr AIMS
worth and Mr.. Skinner now seek to divert from
the free school fund for NONRESIDENT tultioh
Such q condition would mean hopeless dupllca-
ton Of work.
OF course, the ideal condition would be to
give back to the Regents the training classes
which in 1889 were transferred from them TO the
Department of Public Instruction and to amend
Chapter J. OBJ of the Laws Of 1898 so that all
courses of study in secondary schools should oe
approved by the Regents of the University only'
This would put an end to double Inspection
However, if the two departments are admins
tered as The Tribune said yesterday, with con-
stant respect for the limitations of authority
and an unselish purpose to work in harmonious
cooperation" these measures would not be
necessary Is it yet too much to expect Mr..
Ainsworth and Mr.. Skinner to restrain them
selves enough to live Up to that standard OF a
good officer and good citiZen2-
A FRIEND OF SECONDARY EDUCATION.
Albany, Jan. p. 1908