New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-01
RAPS SCHOOL OFFICER.
CIRCUIT Makes CHARGE.
Asks if He or His Nephe7c Hasn't
Copyright on Certain Grammar.

In report made yesterday 10 Mayor Low con-
cs:ring an investigation into the disbursements
Tor school supplies in the last five years Edward
Owen Commissioner Of Accounts says that no
adequate ard uniform system governing this I'm
rortcnt matter has yet been established, and that
large quantities OF textbooks IN apparent good
order have been and being laid aside for
others ot different authorship" He says he finds
tAat 20 per cent Of the millions Of dollars spent
TO- 1choo supplies goes for the textbooks and that
the accredited lie Of textbook is two years yet
each year the outlay increases.
Between January J. 1888. and December 81. 1902
the first ave years after Ner-York City's consol-
!dstion total expenditures for school supplies
IS: IN 1895 $SSl SIS So IN 1902 1893 o5s 6
This increase was all spent in Brooklyn Man
haitian and The Bronx getting less in 1902 than
fn 1895
The report shows that the Per capita cost is
much heavier In Richmond and Queens and least
in Manhattan and The Bronx In the latter
boroughs the attendance in 1895 increased - per
ceEt but the cost of books and supplies Per capita
increased Gs l-6 per cent; this, however, was fo-
lowed by decrease IN the next ensuing year OF
1s1a per cent. In Brooklyn the increase In at
tendance in 1898 over 1897 Is per cent, ana
the per capita cost increased 81 per cent
The report declares shat appropriations FOR the
boroEshs OF Brooklyn. Queens and Richmond. yePe
1902 were exceeded by expenditures 10 December
: 1878" and that for the years following 1895 TO
and including 1901 the estimates furnished by the
department have largely exceeded the aprropIfa-
1ions made by the Board Of Estimate
Commissioner Owens compliments the auditor or
THO department fer the period considered. and says
ais accounts a:e models o. neatnoss and ac-
curacy." on the other hand. Ne makes a severe
criticism OF Superintendent Parker p. Simmons. Of
she Supplies Bureau. whose records. he declares,
have been found defective in every essential par
sicular." and hs declares mat the borough de-
,ository's records and statements gre VIGOROUSLY
fnoomplete aud unreliable
Controller circuit said about Commissioner owen s
report:
I would suggest shat YOU make aD trvestig2.
ton and there has recently been droppei
was practically new and which all the schools had
been supplied with And sc If there Is not or Inc
list q grammar in which an official of the Boafc
Of Education. q nephew OF his. has a copy rlShl.
This protest about our cutting down then nuqget
- not understood. We have not cuS gown thel'
budget bat we have cut down their estimates, ow-
ing TO their constantly incrS asinG and lnorctnate
about SCI OO0a0 n round figures. for 49, TIA Is
$4,000 more than their budget Tor l%3 N 1879 We
gave them SIS ,seo0t. in round figures rms IS an
Increase Of IS ;oer cent. Now and get your ng-
,fTVs showing the increase in population: II wont
be g per cent and you viii find II viii he far. far
The cut OF y - ner cent in their appropriation
rbev asked for Is UnreasODahly large. Nhat can
he expected. however. when men in the department
and In executive position have copyrights and
other rights in the supplies? The way n which
supplies have been provided in tho pas, has been
most wastefGl.