New-York tribune., 1905-02-21
THE SCHOOL CENTENNIAL.
SPEECHES BY EDUCATORS.
Exercises at Carnegie HaH-Dr.
MARCEL on Training of Aliens.

The Tooth anniversary of the beginning Oh the
movement for free schools in Mammalian was ceie
brated last night by officials OF the department ol
Education at Carnegie Hail. The house was well
aued h,t few IL any of the prominent persons
who had received special offers OF reserved seats
were present. After Si5 o'clock the reserved seats
were thrown open to the public. II was generaily
commented by the officials that the celebration haa
met with a decided frost
on the platform were five hundred boys and girls
from the Normal College and the high and training
schools each with his or her school coiors The
girls who encircled the boys, were dressed IN
white. These believed to be the best singers
in the school system They rendered the musical
programme, with the assistance of an orchestra OF
sixty pieces selected from the various musical or
CARNATIONS Of the high schools. The exercises be-
gan with the singing OF America. under the lead
crship of Albert S. Caswen, director of music for
Brooklyn. The boys and girls accompanied the
singing by waving small. American flags,
Bishop Coadjuto- Greer offered the opening
prayer. President Henry n. Tiff of the Board OF
Education after welcoming the audience. con
tinued;
just enc hundred years ago yesterday dozen
men met in downtown house and organized the
were forty pupils. The structure cost $4,000. We
now contemplating the expenditure of one hun;
its site and Il viii acco!nmodate one nuhdTeo times
of the system.
Mr. Tiff read a letter of regret from Mayor Nc
Clellan, who to be the first speaker.
1t would be hardly irreverent TO cal the
men who founded The school system an apostolic
body" said Edward NJ. Shepard who the next
speaker The event celebrate tonight seems
to me as great as those of greater national fame
that are celebrated each year b. national holidays
He continued
Madison m sts. in Nav. 1906 In 1890 the society had
four schools To ali of these, however. only char
itv StudCrts admitted and only the simplest
elements taught. In lSl? the legislature estab,
lished the publ; school system for the state ana ana
rnr T03
lie schools thrived sid by side. Not until 1858 did
iiSa2. BoarI OF Education had been appointed by
the people, am fye years ateT the first high school
was established by the board. This later became
in ISL lS mus ts was @ ntrodueed into the Schools in
1870 corporal puns'. ent was abolished: in 1873 the
College was established free LECTURES 1855 kin
garens in 1898 and teachers pensions in 1894 Ths
Teachers appointments We're placed under the civil
organized and since that time the greatest high
schools in the city have bee, founded
Or. Thomas Hunter. president of the Normal
College. and Dr. Andrew S. Draper State Com
missioner of Education. followed.
DIR. Hunter gave elaborate history of the in
stitution of which he is the chic. Dr. Draper said
in part
The American system of common schools has, for
obvious reasons had a more crucial test in th:
city than anywhere else in the land In a bries
toward comprehensive and efficient system of
public schools than other city in the countr?,
tonal advance in greater New-York since the new
charter than In any other large city in the world
in all this splendid company of deserving meE
and women there is one who has had the keenes-
discrimination and the most determination, and
perhaps the most criticism and censure and who is
therefore entitled to the greatest commendatlo.i.
refer William Henry Maxwell
After DR.. William T. Harris United States Com
missioner of Education had spoken briefly City
Superintendent William H Maxwell spoke. in part.
fellows:
We are to-day in this city confroated with the
largest and most complex educational problem ever
presented TO any municipality-the problem of as
simatng the vast hordes of people from the shores
the Black and Mediterranean seas. who daily
land at wharves. The grave danger is that, de-
liVered from the political and industrial bondage
which their heritage at home, they may fall
into other bondage, not less soul blighting
body dstToying-the bondage of poverty, that Genes
from lack of manual skill and excess Of cOmpeti