New-York tribune., 1912-02-03
EXPECTS TO BEAT CAYNOR
. E McGowan Tells What Will
u.onen in Board Of Education.
900 VOTES FOR WINTHROP"
+, p Mahoney Is Equally Sure T.
W Churchill Will Be Elected
President.

ro,ror's letter Of persuasion" to
h MsSo. Of the Board of Education,
the m'H. ..sr, that Thomas w. Churchills S
ao'!s es president of the board would
eleouV agreeable 10 the Mayor" resulted
De HOo odysnce campaign for that Job yester' e
III q" Itch seemed likely to be fought at
day "L heat until next Monday, the day Of
election. l.. o,,,,ru,,,,,, .h,
.. tive Of the Churchill wing. and he
hioS' .hers Of his supporters had no hest
IN SuI in asserting that they would have
'@'-e 4,.-6,-e votes for the man that suited
the Mayor.
n..rck +. MCGOWAN, former president OF
49,. BOARD of Aldermen, speaking for the
,nnorters Of Egerton L. Winthrop, Jr,
~ that such a statement amused him.
nTbsv deal in large figures" said Mr.. Nc
o.n.or 81 know whereof speak. | know
~, dealing with ladies and gentlemen who
have given their word of honor. ran over
a.. ,,atter with my associates this after
mon. and we can't figure less than twenty
nine or thirty votes for MI. Winthrop.
The average attendance at board meet
,,ss does net run over forty, of the forty
F. fopr memb. IS, so one thing is certain-that
s,,ber the Churchill or the Winthrop wing
Is due for big surprise
oInexperience is an extravaganza that the
school board cannot afford at this time
was the way Mr.. MCGOWAN summed up MS
reasons for opposing Churchill. and ne
added that there was no personal feeling
IN the matter but simply the conviction
that Mr. Winthrop, who is now presiden'
of the board, can best carry on the work
as ii is mapped out.
Similar views were communicated to
Mayor Gaynor yesterday by several OF
those members to whom he wrote express
ing a preference for Churchill, with the
explanation that they could not, therefore.
support his candidate.
Mr.. Mahoney asserted that Churchills s
experience as a teacher in the schools had
given him a practical working knowledge OF
fhe real needs Of the schools, and he predict
ed that under Churchills direction the
board would eliminate some parts OF the
curriculum that had been criticised as non
practical,
The courses as mapped out now,' said
Mr.. Mdhoney, ARE nothing more than pre-
paratory courses for high schools. In the
grade schools this is a big disadvantage for
those pupils who go out TO work without
having the chance to go on through high
SCHOOLS. and the percentage of public school
pupils who do go 10 high school in this city
is away below . That is to say, less than
S per cent of the children who receive an
education which is simply a preparatory
course for high school go out into the world
Of business with public school education
l.
ness"
Frank b. Wilsey. who was recently re-
appointed to the board by Mayor Gaynor.
expressed views i'm substance agreeing with
MIR Mahoney's He asserted that the board
under Churchill would be a progressive
body and that, though there was no in
tention Of rushing into radical changes,
Churchll's supporters felt there were many
courses of action going forward in the pres
cnt board under Mr.. Winthrop which could
he improved upon. Mr.. Mahoney believes
that the recent investigation OF the schools
by Professor Hannis should have been at
tcPd+a 10 by the. board itself, without out
side help
Mr. McGowan said that il was to be ex-
pected that if MIR. Churchill won he woulG
nut his friends and supporters at the head
OF the important committees, and he be-
iieyed that such course would mean a
sacrifice of the welfare of tho children who
attend the public schools.
Have the followers he has surrounded
himself with had any experience on these
school matters?" Mr. McGowan asked
Could those whom he would place at the
head Of important committees understand
and master the new schedules which have
been planned by experienced members OF
the board and which are now getting under
-~sp -.
. He explained that the administrative
schedules were concerned with three-auar-
ters OF a million pupils and twenty thou
sand teachers, and would prove TO be inn
possible for an inexperienced man to ham
de. He said the assertion Of Churchilla
supporters that he had experience TO nj
him for the Job of president of the board
based on his service as a teacher was III
diculous. Churchill, he said, had gained
his sole experience as night school
teacher
The school system would suffer terribIy
II an inexperienced man were put into office.
rs president OF the board at his tnme. 1t is
question Of the welfare of the children,
ana here you have the friends Of this man
teihng the public that because Of his teach.
ING experience he is the best man to put
: N as the chief administrative officer Of our
entire school sytem"
MI MCGOWAN did not entertain the slight
'sl doubt, however, that the man
N"o would be most agreeable TO the Mayor
Nouia be overwhelmingly defeated Her
man Metz. who has been used to fighting
WIN MCGOWAN In the Board of Estimate
auatF Mayor Mcclellan when he was Con-
uOher' VIII be with Mr. McGowan In the
oVaro OF Education fight at Mondays
meeting