New-York tribune., 1912-11-18
ATTACKS SCHOOL BOARD
ConCeaIing Fund Of at Least
Halt Million, Mitchell Says.
TELLS OF SALARY JUGGLE
Substitution of Low Paid Teach
ers Brings in Margin of "vel-
vet," Adermanic Head SAYS.

John Purroy Mitchell, President OF the
BOARD OF Aldermen, talked for more than
an hour last evening before the People,
Forum, Broadway and 18th street, on
! The Public and the Schools" He fur
nished an exhaustive history Of the at.
tempts OF the Board Of Estimate to force
the Board Of Education to furnish facts
on which TO predicate Intelligent JudE-
ment as to educational appropriations.
The refusal OF the auditor Of the board
to tell the Board of Estimate what the
| accrued salaries of the teachers was for
one year was President Mitchers CON
crete illustration" OF the need for sweep
ing inquiries into the Board Of Education.
The accrued salaries. due to designations
| Of well paid teachers and the substitution
or lower salaried teachers, constitute the
margin OF velvet" which, according to
President Mitchell. amounts to anywhere
from $4,000 to $1,000 900, and on which the
Board Of Education. he said, is able to
institute expenditures for which appropri-
| alton has not been made.
'1 don't want TO talk politics." he said.
'but the fusion Board Of Estimate-that
| Is, the presidents of the boroughs Of Man
haitian, Brooklyn and The Bronx--have
been able to cut down their estimates
from year to year, while all the other
departments, the Board of Education in
cluded, have been going Up on their esti-
mates.
TT Is no exaggeration to say that the
Board Of Education wants to get every
dollar II can lay its hands on. and still
fall 10 give the city's finance board facts
TO justify its estimates, The estimated
figures on registration were inflated pur-
posely TO acquire more money"
President Mitchell read figures to show
that while the boards registration figures
have been constantly decreasing. owing to
the Investigations instituted by the Board
OF Estimate, yet the Board Of Estimate
has been approprRting more money than
the Mcclellan administration did three
years ago.
THE present Board OF Estimate is not
bent on starving the Board OF Education,
and II is not bent on getting political con-
troll Of the Board OF Education. It'stands
ready to give every dollar it can to edu-
cation when the estimate ia accompanied
by facts on which the city's finance board
can predicate intelligent Judgment. he
said. ION the other hand, It is prepared
10 fight the expenditure Of every dollar
that is given on any other basis
Mr.. Mitchell went into the various re-
ports Of the Board of Estimates inves-
tigators. He said he was glad that the
Moore report had been given widespread
publicity.
There was a misapprehension," he
said. ION the part of certain gentlemen
that the report was rejected because IL
criticised some one in high place. The
best answer to that suspicion was the
publication OF the report 1t was reject
ed because It's author was repeatedly
asked to supply us facts, instead OF opln-
ions. It is true that some one was criu-
cised by the report 1t criticised about
eye-y one from the Controller down. lts
opinions were based on untrustworthy IN
formation and on things which we as
members of the Board Of Estimate knew
by positive and personal knowledge were
untrue"
Mr.. Mitchell said the new inquiry to be
made by DR.. Goodnow and Dr. Howe. OF
Columbia University and OF the Peoples
Institute. would soon be made and the
constructive report on matters educauoh-
al ne said, would not be long delayed, III
the Board of Estimate Is not 10 eohtroA
the financing of the city's education ne
said. then q special tax will have TO be
levied. This, ne thought, would not DC
,acasearv when the taxpayers know the
.