New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-23
It COSTS CITY S14,55O
TO MAKE ONE MARINER
Expense of SChooIshlp So Great
Education Board Wants
It Abolished.
PUPILS NOT IN DEMAND
Only 1874 of It's Graduates Have
Stuck to the Sea-Gunboat
Newport May Be Returned
to the Government.


Not a dissenting voice was raised at
the meeting Of the Board of Education
Yesterday when that body adopted a
resolution requesting the Corporation
Counsel TO draft a bill tor be sent to
Albany calling for the abolition of the
New York Nautical School Some of
the facts stated by DR.. Ira 5. Vile and
NJ j. Sullivan in opposition to con-
tinuing this school, which has been IN
existence since 1873. had never before
been known by some II the members,
they confessed.
Since the beginning of the school,
Or. VILE declared, 100 pupils had been
graduated, while of these only l34
had followed the sea as a calling. The
rest, so far as could he ascertained,
we're using their nautical knowledge 20
navigate on land.
In the thirty nine years il has been
in existence it has cost in round num-
bers approximately $4,000 year to
maintain the work. a total of Sl9J0,-
900 % graduate 100 boys. To prepare
the 1874 boys who stuck TO the sea cost
the city S14.5JO each
The resolution presented by the ex-
ecutiVe committee on the nautical
schoo, seeks TO have the school end its
work on October 81, 1913, and the gun
boat Newport. now used as a school
ship, returned TO the Navy Depart
ment.
Half Of the pupils at the present
time" said DR.. Vile. ARE not bona fide
citizens of this city. anyway. l have
heen Informed also that truants have
been sent to the nautical school for i'm
provement. If the primary purpose of
the undertaking was 10 provide eff
Gent men for the merchant marine
then there is little indication that the
undertaking has been successful. In
fact there has not been much of
growth i'm the merchant marine since
its inception, and if those interested in
the merchant marine desire such A
school to be continued then they should
come forward with the money TO sup
port il and not the city"
Thinks Cost Too Great
While 10000 was the average yearly
cost Of the nautical school, in some
years it was much more than that
amount. In 1909 it cost $1,000. in
1910 it cost $50. 900. in 1911 it cost
SG3.000 and in 1912 it cost 10000
Or VILE and Mr.. Sullivan both
thought 10000 was too much to pay
to teach sixty would-be tars the rudi-
ments OF their profession, especially, As
Or Vile pointed out where so many
Of them seemed to have changed their
minds after enjoying the cruises for
two years at the citys expense.
When one Of the members of the
board was asked after the meeting why
the school had not been abolished be-
fore he said:
There used to be too much politics
in it,"
The board by unanimous vote re-
scinded the action of the board of
supcrintendents requesting district
superintendcnts not to approve reaui-
sitionS for. shakespeare The Mer-
chant of Venice" for use in schools
whore this book would give offence to
the pupils Thomas ". Churchill said
he thought the whole thing had been
brought abopt by some one who was
chagrined AZ the character of Shylock.
lie declared il finical. and said:
IF this tolerated. then perhaps
some Italia : will object TO the char
RCter of las O i'm 'Othello' or some one
else might object 10 the treatment of
Joan Of Arc in Henry VI or some
irishman might not like a certain
character in Pendennis.'
~ Or. Maxwell Would Not Offend.
Mr.. Churchill thought it foolish to
try to dcnude our shelves Of strongly
written classics"
Or. William II. Maxwell said he had
not concurred i'm the action of the
board OF superintendent, but he
thought the range Of English literature
was such that it would he wise. if
possible. TO abstain from giving offence.
The board decided that il would pass
on such matters in future before the
district superintendent were notified.
&, The board went on record as opposed
TO Senate bill No. II, and the COM
mittee on bylaws and legislation was
instructed TO take action To defeat the
bill This bill amends the law TO pro-
vide that any child under sixteen may
be admitted without parent or guar
dian TO moving picture performance
except on Saturday and Sunday and
school holidays between the hours of
4 and : p. m. providing separate ac-
commodations are provided for them
and a matron not less than twenty
fre years old is in charge.
.The committee on bylaws and legis-
lstion reported that it had carefully
considered the bill and believes that il
would be detrimental II was pointed
opt that many cases had come to the
attention of the committee where chill
dren had stolen TO get money to go to