New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-27
HIT PAID SCHOOL BOARD
Mayors Plan Might Bring In
Politics, Commissioners Say.
ONLY TWO SUPPORT GAYN0R
Resolution Expresses Emphatic
Opposition" to This Feature
of New Charter.

The motives Of Mayor Gaynor In seek
ing 70 destroy the independence OF tne
Board OF Education in his new char'ei
were debated yesterday AZ the ooaro
meeting when Robert l.. Harrison. chalr
man of the Committee on Bylaws ano
Education. said the changes the MAY VI
proposed would convert the board INTO
political machine He was speaking IN Ia
vor Of a long report presented by his com
mittee opposing the so-called Gaynoi
charter relative to the Board Of Educa
ton.
Il want 10 take exception to the re-
marks that have Just been MADE SAY
James f. Sullivan. jumping up. in regaro
70 the conversion Of this board into d po-
litical machine. It is unfair to the gen
tleman who sent you to the board sl''
he went on. turning and glaring al MI
Harrison. and you know such a mouVe
was the last thing in the Mayors nina.
Mr. Harrison explained IT was not MS
intention TO accuse Mayor Gaynor oi
proposing the changes in the board toi
the sole purpose Of controlling the poaro
for political ends. but he repeated that NJ
believed the ultimate effect would be To con
vert IL into a machine 10 sUbserve the po'
litical ends. II not Of tie present Mayor
at any rate OF Mayors 10 he elected in the
future.
cot course Mayor Gaynor would moi
make any appointments for such ends
Mr.. Harrison added we all know he
would never think OF such a thing
The report was presented by the commit
tee with the understanding that II was
preliminary. as they had not had time &c
go into the details Of the bills before the
Legislature providing a new charter foi
the city But II declared that II was pos
tive on the question Of paying the mem
| bers Of the board and the manner OK lt'
selection. The report. in part, follows;
! Heretofore this board has taken the posi-
/ ton that a board OF forty-six members was
/ not too large TO look after the educa.loha
! interests of go large a city as New 1ork
While no convincing arguments nave beer
| advanced necessitating a chahge OF w
on this point. your committee does not HeSi
/ tate 10 express the opinion now that tn'
size Of the board is not matter 81 VIA
! Importance. The proposition embodied II
i both OF the charter bills that there be
! board OF seven salaried members ls' no"
ever. most vital
! Without any reference whatever 10 COT
tinuance in office Of tho present memper'
of the board we desire to express mos
earnest and emphatic opposition to tn
principle OF a paid Board Of Education. or
/ this point we concur fully in the sentimehil
expressed by the president OF this board u
I his address on the occasion or MS re-eiec
ton on February last. namely:
1T would. I feel confident. be verl
grave mistake 10 do away with a boart
| composed OF citizens who are Wiling u
/ give their services To the cause OF public
education without a thought Of compensa
! ton and put IN its place paid board o.
commission. rs has been limited at from
! time TO time.
The experience OF nearly seventy year'
| forms "A potent argument In favor ~ az
| unpaid board. Since 1872. when the Board Of
! Educat ton was established. its size and the
members have changed from time 10 time
/ but AT no time has there been any difficulty
/ I'm finding public spirited citizens willing Z
assume this burden. There vii ne no dill
| fcutv hereafter"
| The report went on to say that It was
not necessary that the members OF the
| board should devote all their time to their
official duties. and that there was no ne
cessitv for a board OF educational experts
nor would such system be wise, mas
much as training in school superiutendence
did not give the business training needed
/ for school administration. James f.. Sulli
van and jeremiah Mahoney were the only
commissioners 20 vote against the report.
Another matter that caused discussion
was brought I'D by John Martin. who said
radical changes we're needed in the admin
/ istrstion OF the kindergarten department
! as the kindergartners were being paid FOL
full time, while giving less than 20 pei
cent Of their time TO school work. He SAID
that they were able and willing TO give q
full return for the salaries, but were pre-
vented from doing so by the administrative
rules OF the board.