New-York tribune., 1907-09-12
MAXWELL CRITICISED
UHITE BILL FIGHT UP.
Board Of Education Investigates
1bSence of Teachers.

Members of the Board OF EdursfIon vsr. su--
prised at the meeting the board yesterday after
noon when the special committee appointed to IN
vesttsate the absence of teachers the result or
the legislative campaign waged for the White bill
at Albany ended the report with a criticism OF
DR.. William IL. Maxwell. City Superintendent OF
Schools and the board OF superintsudents for ail-
ing to stop the agitation By the women teachers
for equal pay.
The committees structures on the superfntendsnt
and his colleagues read follows:
Your committee is of the opinion that this HARM
fnl agitation and the extraordinary neglect OF duty
which II lnvo we'd could not have proceeded TO such
extremes but for the failure os the City Superin-
dents exercise their pCvvers and nrero ~,
the interest Of good order and common sense adj
Some Of the members resented this censure Of
the Superintendent Of Schools who was present at
the meeting. while the Sfgners OF the report Ma
than s Jonas. Nicholas J. Barrett George FreffeId
and John A. Wilbur. defended their action
1T was a compromise report" said Mr. Jonas.
some Of the members Of the COMMITTEES being IN
favor Of more severe findings. bat the president OF
the board said II too strong and the report
toned down
Mr.. Barrett said the facts used in the report were
obtained through the office Of the city superin-
tendent- 1t shown. he said. that the teachers
legislative campaign caused the teaching and SUI
pervisne forces TO be divided into hostile camps
and in other cases 70 band together for the White
bill. They we've not classed as ordinary employees
Of the citv he said but ladies and gentlemen
who owed certain respect 20 their work ana posi-
tions which they failed u show
How can they carry on the education Of ths
Young ~ they themselves are not arnenabls to
authority asked Mir. Barrett Other members OBJ
tacted the findings cf the committee against ths
teachers and requested thar the report b laid on
the table Samuel p Donnelly. Of Brooklyn. speak,
ing for the teachers. said:
II believe that the teachers who went 20 Albany
are now IN a position to teach the benefits of civil
government. and realize more fully the beauties
OF the veto power in the hands OF the Governor
do not think that should pass resolution sos
stnginR in its condemnation He said that Il was
necessary for them to agitate.
The section Of the report criticsing the board
of superintendents and the city superintendent
vetoed down by Il 8. but the of tha
report adopted 1t says in part:
The inequalities OF the present salary staJuts
force. whose representatives drew the and
Ties ba @xisrsS For sA1eraI sars vvitbOut ssr9iI,
complaint and could have been rectifed withous
Instead OF eudeavorinG 10 attain greater rnf1
formity in the salary schedules the agttators oc
UntTied economic theory. quite impossible Ot
as inconsistent with the sound administration oS
our system in view Of the fact that there Is ous
From the voIuTnInous reports submitted TO this
committee IL appears that the number OF days o-
absence acknowledged to have been spent IN Al
saBsrvsinE 9g 81 STATS Of the department exceeds i've
hundred days This equals absence for a singls
teacher OF than and One-half schoos
years This fgu-e does not incIude the absences
By reason of attendance at the Mayors hearing
AMI the various conferences and meetings OF teach
ers nor the waste OF energy and ability by tls
teachers. and the CONSEQUENT IesSening or tIeir
power Of concentration in their regular work. dus
to the distraction OF this pr0tracted agitation
1t also appears that upward OF three hundred Or
the supervisors principals and teachers were thus
actively engaged Some Of these were earnestly op-
posed 10 the legislation which others demanded A
great many OF them trayened TO a distant part OK
Miss Grace C Strachan IS district superinten-
dent in receipt OF a salary Of 5000 year from
the city. Her absence. as reported. aggregates
thir+y-four davs The place she holds and the du-
lies she is called upon discharge especially
important and delicate and preclude the possibility
CT performance by clerk nor can neSIecC OL 1oiif
She was so engaged lin the fight for the White
him during fully one-hfth 0P the school year and
during that time she rendered but hrrie II any
esrvics IN s1Dervisfon OF the schools. teachers ard
scholars Of her district for which part service sn
drew here salary in full. During the same period
drads OF teachers 10 neglect their duty. which
spreaJ IN will and discomfort broadcast ana pro-
yoked scenes Of disorder bringing discredit upon
honorable calling
The committee recommends that the cofnrnll'es
n, bvIaws and legislation be requested TO frams
Immediately more stringent rules governing tns
absence Of teachers. principals. supervisors and
s-rDerf1tendeuts for causes other than those spe@
cfea1 IN the bylaws That absence without justine
able causes should be Immediately followed oJ
charges Of neglect OF duty fnsUbOrdination
The committee warns future offenders. and exc
nrssses the SINCERE hope that no board OF educa@
tio, may ever again be called on 20 witness 2
da,7onst1 alton fraught with such possibilities os
I'll 20 the system most dear TO every America1
citizen