The sun., 1909-06-24
AT rs TOO OLD TO TEACH
SCHOOL 2VS PRINCIPAL OUSTED
ny THE BOARD.

SthOOL <Vc f'HANCIThL VCO1 ED
ny THE BOARD.
He Has Served Fffty-flve Years and Asked
for . Years Grace Before Voluntary
Retifeme ent-wire Pulling Alleged to
Keep Perry From superintcndency.
H. William Smith. principal Of Public
School 20 at Rivington and Forsyth streets.
made q strong protest OF the meeting Of
the Board Of Education yesterday against
being chloroformed out Of the public
school service because OF his age. He 10
10 years old and has been connected with
the public schools as teacher and prin-
cipal for fifty.five years.
For fifty years he has been In the school
Of which he Is now principal except for
q three year period Of service in the civil
war.
Chairman Abraham Stern OF the ele-
mentary schools committee submitted
report In which the committee asked the
board to retire Mr.. Smith under section
Of the bylaws which authorizes compul-
sorry retirement OF teachers over the age
OF es years. The principal had submitted
letter which was read. It began:
For more than half q century have
been in the service OF the city schools.
For the larger portion Of this long stretch
OF time spent as a teacher In the class
room. I saw time and again. and with
pleasure. men who had been pupils of
mine advanced to positions Of principals
and superintendents while kept on
teaching my class year In and year out
only got the position Of principal by q
legal contest that put me to considerable
trouble and expense.
aIt has been the dream OF my life to
finish my labors in the cause OF education
honorably. An effort is now being made
to deprive me OF that honor and II II should
succeed shall end my life with the feeling
that have indeed lived In vain.'
Mr.. Smith asked that he be allowed to
end his school labors q year from next
September.
Chairman Stern said there was no
criticism against the principal except
that Of old age.
-He has rendered valuable services to
the schools Mr.. Stern said. He was
asked to retire voluntarily. but refused
to do 80. There Ii TO be q meeting Of the
graduates and the friends OF his school
at the Hotel Savoy on June2e II we post
pons taking action on this matter now We
will be flooded with petitions In Mr..
Smiths behalf. 1t is up to you whether
the schools shall be run on sentiment or
for the good Of the children
Mr.. Cosgrove asked that action be
postponed until the next meeting. say
ing that no harm would be done by q
short delay. He added:
"Mr Smith was made principal seven
years ago by order Of the Supreme Court.
He was then nearly 10 years old and the
Judges apparently did not think that he
had reached the chloroform age. II he
Is incompetent he wants 10 know why
you do not try him on the ground Of
Give the old man
square deal. Age does not impair knowl-
edge stored up. Look at some Of our
most eminent lawyers and Judges.
He has been fifty years in one school,
Just think Of what that means. Next
Saturday he Is going to celebrate the
fftieth anniversary Of his connection
with the Rivington street school, pleaded
Mr.. Cosgrove.
The motion to postpone was lost
and the compulsory retirement was or
dered by vote Of 81 tot.
There was lively time over the effort
to elect district superintendent. salary
IS 600 q year, to succeed Edward 8.
Farrell. retired.
The Harlem Federation for jewish
Work and the Uptown Tai
mud Torah Association sent communioa-
tions asking that Jewish school principal
be selected for the job.
The board Of superintendents had
nominated Arthur c. Perry, principal
Of Public School IS in Brooklyn. for the
Mr.. Freifeld said that he UNDER
stood that faction in the board had met
privately and pledged itself to oppose
Mr.. Perry until certain other man
got the place.
Mr.. Somers said that IL Perry was to
be opposed because he was a Brooklyn
man ana borough Hues Wero 10 10 urdWn
in the board he would send his resignation
to Mayor Mcclellan forthwith.
~The insinuations as to the under
ground wire pulling to elect some one to
this position is very unpleasant. said
Horace Dresser. Il received q letter
from a certain big political boss asking
me to vote for a certain man who was to
be a candidate for this vacancy. say
now that l shall vote against this boss's
candidate II for no other reason than
because OF his letter to me-
He said he thought politics should be
kept out OF the board.
A vote was taken on Mr.. Perry and he
lost, 20 to II.
nominated by the board Of superinten-
dents,