New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-10
PUBLIC LECTURES
WIN AT HEARING
Mayor May Veto Budget
Cut as the Result of
Vote at Meeting.

Strong approval OF the free public
lecture system, which is conducted for
the Board of Education by DR.. Henry
Vi. LeipZiger, came from all classes Of
citizens at the hearing held by Mayor
Mitche, yesterday on the cuts in the
budget made by the Board Of Alder
men.
The Mayor has the right TO restore
any of the cuts and the hearing was
held to GUIDE him in his action. Il is
believed he will restore the $4,000
taken away from the lecture fund. The
hearing will be continued this morning
at 1880 o'clock TO take up the appro-
priation for the efficiency staff of the
Commissioner of Accounts and other
matters.
After two hours of discussion as 20
the lectures the Mayor asked the 300
and more persons in the Board of Esti-
mate room TO indicate whether or not
they wanted the cut restored by rails
ing their hands. Stewart Browne.
president of the Real Estate Owners
Association. raised forlorn hand
against. All the other hands went up
for the lectures.
Two others had raised voice
against what they called the waste Of
the taxpayers money, but had gone
away before the vote. One was former
Assemblyman Alfred X. Conkling, who
described himself as a taxpayer and
the others "taxeaters.'
The other obiector TO the public
lectures was a young man describing
himself as Francis !. Lowe. who proved
to be a merry little lingo. He objected
70 the appropriation Of s45.000.000
for education because he said the sys-
TEN was in the hands of the high
brows."
Don't fiddle while Rome is burn
ing" he cried. Let me tell you we
are going TO have war. We ought 10
be getting ready 10 hang or shoot all
these |. w. WIS and anarchists. We
take our hats off to Wilson, but he
couldn't stop the war If he tried, and
after the war is all over we will tell
him about it."
"Outside of the Police Department
and the Department of Health" said
Job +. Hedges, who spoke from the
rostrum, because he said he could not
find a place on the floor, mo work does
50 much good relatively for so little
money as do the public school lectures
We might better increase their fund
by 100000 than decrease it by so much
as 81"
Robert Erskine Ely, head of the Civic
Forum, said his twenty years of ex-
perience showed him that the lecturer
who would talk for nothing was, as a
rule, worth nothing. If lecturers were
not paid they would be out of the con-
troll of the management and might say
.b ipO- tbat would loo III m cOufrOvprSv
DR.. LeipZiger. Mr.. Ely said, got lect-
urers for one-third TO one-fifth the
market rate.
shaking with emotion as he got up 20
speak.
81 feel | have reached the promised
land" he said, when here IN this town
meeting we have heard from the alumni
of the public lectures. ! cannot speak
with entire calmness because this is
my life work. Ii should die this min
ute ! should feel satisfied"
City Superintendent Maxwell spoke
in favor Of a veto of the cut of $3.50,
900 in the budget fer new teachers. lie
said that instead of smaller registra-
ton. as the Board of Aldermen had
suggested in their reasons for the cut.
the registration had increased more
this year thar ever before. This he at
tributed to the fact that young boys
and girls could not get employment.
Controller Prendergast made an
earnest plea for veto Of the cut in
the salaries of George r. Tirrell, di-
rector of the Bureau of Standards, and
Tilden Adamson, director of the BIZ
reau Of Contracts. from $500 TO $4,000.