New-York tribune., 1909-04-07
ATTACKS DIR. MAXWELL
CALLS HIN Il POLITICIAN
McGozuan Replies to School Super,
intendent at Charter Hearing.
fRy Telegraph to TIE Tribune, J

By Telegraph 70 The Trihunel
Albany Arril s.-The Assembly Chamber this ar
ternoon was filed with New York school teachers
who appeared before the Senate and Assembly Cities
committees in protest against the educational pro-
visions in the proposed new charter. Apparently
every one had bought brand new spring hat 10
impress the susceptible legislators They were &C
connpanied b. william H Maxwell, City superin-
1endent OF Schools and other officials Of the educa-
tion department. whose principal argument was
that the charter placed the Board Of Education
under the thumb OF politicians. since II gave the
Mayor and Board of Estimate and Apportonment
absolute control
President MCGOWAN Of the Board OF Aldermen,
who appeared for the charter. made tart reply TO
them He said that while Superintedent Maxwell
had termed the oficeholders politicians, there was
no more expert politician in New York to-day than
Mr Maxwell himself.
NO matter what political complexion the city
government has been he said. Maxwell has
managed to hang on his Job. and to-day gets
higher salary than any man who ever held the
position of superintendent II is unfair for you TO
come here and cali Us politicians. when you teach
ers are the resort to politics You are the
first 10 20 to the politicians in you want your
salaries raised. II you wish 10 keep politics out OF
the schools. you could do a whole lot toward thaI
END II has been stated tnat intend 10 do away
with the pension fund. That is not so ana does
not merit reply for no teachers IN the state ar
better taken care of than the New York teach
ers and I Will admit that no pchlc ser NA4IlS oe
serve better care"
In reply to the alarm expressed by the teachers
that if the Board OF Estimate and Apportionnent
had the pover Of skiing their salaries II would
make reductions at the Arst opportunity, Mt NC
r-ou,s, said that fear was unfounded. He declared
that the Board Of Estimate and Apporuohh1eht
would be likely TO raise their salarles 10 m
crease the efficiency Of their service and said 'hat
he was sorry the city was not now IN posluon u
pay the women teachers more.
Objection has been made" said Mr. MCGOWAN
That the Board % Education would be required
70 submit an iternzed statement Of expenditures 10
the Board Of Estimate and Apporuonnent why
shouldn't /, do 500 They object that the Mayor and
Board of Estimate. If they saw fit, could EXCLUDE
singing or drawing from the schools, but hoio 'lat
81 the funds low that singing and drawing
are kent to the derrient Of the elementary schoos
they should ta excluded The elementary schools
come first OF all, and the Board Of Estimate ana
Apportionment is the proper board TO oecioe tiis.
as il is the only hoard which knows the amount u
money thai can be spent
J. Hampden Dougherty, q member OF the clar'el
commission. also spoke in favor Of the char'er-
He Acknowledged individual responsibility Ior Iile
educational chapter. and said he believed that Il
was good piece Of work The majority OF experts
on the subject were in favor of Board OF Educa-
ton composed of fifteen members instead OF forty
siz. In speaking of the objections TO giving the
Board Of Estimate and Apportionment the right TO
tx salaries he said that it was about time the
CITY of New York was considered competent 10 run
Its own affairs.
Il feel however" he said, that it is only fair
that the women should get the same pay the
men for the same work This be done by the
CITY through the Board Of Estimate and Apportion-
rnent There is only thing IN this chapter that
do not believe is right, that is the placing of
the power OF absolute removal Of member Of the
Board OF Education in the hands Of the Mayor
That can be rectihed by a stroke Of the pen
Robert / Harrison, representing the Board of
Education. the first speak against the chap
Ter. objected , the reduction of the number of
members from forty-sx 10 fifteen because it would
- oesfbFa I'd o< ~l-, RI
keep track OF the six hundred or more schools in
the city. Superintendent Maxwell declared the net
result Of making :he Board of Education city
department, under the control of the Mayor and
Board Of Estimate and Apportlonnent, would he
put The board entirely under the thumbs Of the
politicians
Another result, he said, would be that no man
who had any respect for himself would take a
position in the board, for the first question he
would ask was whether he would be in a position
TO act independently. He could not feel indepen-
dent # he subject to removal by the Mayor
Senator McCarren remarked that it was the gen
eral scheme 10 place the Fire Department, the Po-
lice Department and all other city departments
der the authority Of the Mayor Mr- Maxwell replied
that the Board or Education could properly
carry out functions and be under the board
which supplied the money. and that no department
In the state should be in more independent posi-
zion than the Department Of Education.
Miss Grace Strachan said that her principal OBJ
lection 10 the educational chapter was that it
Siirllhdleo the KdoNiS4'i siA4lLe IIiilliOi
for the school teachers and gave that power 70
the Board Of Estimate and Apportionrent. She
said the teachers should have state protection and
feel assured salaries could not be reduced below
certain limit. because 50 per cent Of them were
women, crippled because they were not allowed
Others who spoke against the charter were Edgar
s Shurway. representing the Male High School
Teachers Association. George Friefeld, Of the
Board Of Education: II. Y II. Dennis. jr.. repre-
sentfne the Male High School Teachers Associa-
tion: Charles S. Harywell, OF the Brooklyn Boys
High School: John Martin. Of the Public Educa-
don Association; II. d Quinn and Mrs Harriet
Stanton Blatch and Mrs @ 5. Mulliner, who
Eon-