New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-15
LANGUAGE FLIES FAST
IN .FLEXNER-W|LE WAR
Each SHES a Statement at the
Other in Dispute Over Me-
Kee Education Bills.
FLIGHT ONLY JUST BEGUN"
DR.. Flexner Says He Intends to
Keep After Opponent Until
Public Is Awakened to
What Is Going On.

| Carnegie Foundation for the Advance
ment Of Teaching. who opposed the Nc
kee education bills at the hearing in AL
bsny on Tuesday. and DR.. Ira $. Vile, OF
the Board Of Education who was one Of
the most vigorous supporters of the bills.
got into controversy all Of their own
! yesterday as result OF their conflicting
| views.
! II all started when Or. F1eXner. in
public statement declared that the Me-
! kee bills deliberately proposed 10 dis
| place the present Superintendent Of
{ Schools and his successors as the origi
majors and constructors of school cur
| ricuia. and TO transfer his power To- anna
teur craftsmen who BY the chance APP
/ pointment Of the Mayor happen Ia find
/ themselves on the Board Of Education.
The gentleman who AT this moment
Graves to be the maker Of the New York
| curriculum. and is already practising his
| hand at the task" he continued. rs Or.
| Ira :. VILE We may fairly ask what
| there is in Or. Wile's previous career and
| performances that creates presumption
in favor " his competency I'm this direc-
ton"
Dr. VILE. Who was appointed to the
| Board OF Education last october by May
or Gaynor. replied to Dr. F'lexner in a
statement in which he characterized him
as "wofilly misstating the facts" At the
( time of his appointment 10 the board
Mayor Gaynor wrote him letter. In
which he expressed great faith in his tai
/ ents. saving that his experience in deal
! ing with the defects and diseases Of chill
dren' would enable him Ia think Of do
| ing everything that should BE- done" in
/ looking into the health Of school children.
Flags Or. fexner.
! "Dr fl-xu.r's statement j. state
ment Of abuse Of me and does not con
! slider the merits OF the bills ~ an Dr.
! VII. said yesterday. II shows that ne
/ is either wofIily misstating the facts or
! rs in complete ignorance OF IN" present
system for making the course OF study
and thu charter provisions Vt the hear
/ ing at Albany All sides. and especially the
opponents Of the bills. admitted that III"
present elementary school curriculum i
not adapted 20 the needs Of the school
| children ~ this city,
, Professor McMUrry went So far a 70
! say that . was thirty years behind the
times. bat this course has been entirely
! iu the hands ~ 'eNp,rts' such a. Or
/ FIeNn.r is perfectly Satisfied 90 give th"
whole making 81 the curricI.a over 20.
The personal attack no makes OF me
! rs entirely aside from the point. since I
am bu, sin.lr member 81 the commit
I B. a-...H 3.
/ ,h. entire BOARD Of Education Curiouslv
,.uo.gh This sam" hoard has "a, present
the duty OF passing on ANY curriculum
/ devised and recommended by the Board
! ~ Sup"rintend"nt-
! Possibly Dr FleXnrr objects 90 th"
! present charter provision when permits
;h. Board - Education 10 pass upon the
courses % study he further states that
/ b. oIr aim TO transfer the povrr O."
D. amateur craftsmen although the bills
a.. .nactue mt" the bylaws = resolution
: making u mandatory 10 appoint special
1 Commuters. consisting Of associate super
! int .nd-nts examiners district suprrin-
/ ,.rd.rts. principals ana teachers. to con-
! slider matters relating to curricula. /
yippos. They 49,. the amateur craftsmen
/ Dr FleNucr refers TO-.
/ The principle involved iu ~" bill. ne
: went ON 10 say VAS 10 accor. with mod
/ en- -du,ut."ual methods. 80 advocated hy
7 such men ~ Professor McNiurrv and ~"
various associations of he New York
: teaching force. and approved ny Dr.
! franklin ". Hooper. -. y. \. Ninsiow.
Dr Flank Damrosch. ". 7 llornaday
and others.
.'rner. can bc little Question. NJ said.
that those thoroughly familiar with the
/ Neu York educational problems are fuily
as competent 10 Judge the value or the
| proposed legislation a. those s"if-const-
| tut.d critics who were ..'t"i connected IN
any way with tine New York school s>S-
! lem II is rather astonishing 10 hnd Df.
i FlcAnrr serving apparently ~ the mouth
{ uiec. for some individual or ciganizdti"h.
| without himself becoming - iiiclcnty IA
& miliar with the true state ui things ia
! This city 80 far AZ the curriculum ~ con
,erned."
! When this Statement; MAS shown to pF'
/ Fl.xnei n, replied that ne had only start
/ ed IN ON Dr. Vile. a. i Wa time IA. pub
! llc Was awakened 10 what Was going on.
An Utterly incompetent Amateur.
! Or WiI.s reply" h. said. proves
again that h.. is So completely lost III MS
new n.ld that he wholly fails 10 under
.taud the point of the criticism directed
against him. ass-rt the utter inconpr-
t.nce of an amateur. sucn AS h" Is. ana
! a very green amateur at that. OF set 81
amat.urs such as Is his committee. Ia
| YraprIe with the problem al the Ne"
/ York school curriculum. Their case T.
NOT ouc whit bettcrcd by the hearings ny
! means Of which Or. Vile ~ rapdly en-
d,ayoring To complete his own and their
education
! "Tb. Mckee bills give Dr. Vile ana
his committee both the initiative and the
/ d.ci.ion in the making Of course or
s,udy If DR. VILE intends tnat the
trained men who are heard shall really
! euide and control the work. "hv. then
10 he and his associates resist every
urouosi,iou to draft a Law that Will stale
that fact? They stand by the Mckee
hill AS il now reads because they want
th, mower and believe In their own com
p.tency. despite the pitiful showing that
my account of Or. 'Wile's educational
| performances revealed.
! DR. 'Wilr and his associates wholly
! iennre the expressions of amazement
! which the bills nave provoked through
out me educational world. Not single
name Of might has ever been cited IN
bap "a re- an Nrd