The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-07
The City's Free Lecture system.

II Is hardly likely that the Board OF
Aldermen thought Of the unpopularity
Of their action In hamstrlnring the
: Board of Education free lecture course
/ by cutting of half of It's appropr!h.
ton. These lectures are not given for
school children. They constitute sys-
| tenn of educational entertainment for
adults. They are attended annually
/ by i1OO.OOO people and upward Their
/ growing favor Is shown by the fact
that they were heard by 10000 more
persons In October and November Of
/ this year than in the same months Of
/ 1919. They are given in public school
assembly rooms and other suitable
| buildings In all parts Of the city and
a vast body of citizens. men and
women. have come to rely on them as
pleasant and profitable resource for
passing the long winter evenings. II
would be difficult to say whether they
are more successful i'm the crowded
/ lower East Side or in populous Ilar-
lem. Wherever they are given the halls
B
/ the lecture begins. /; would be i'm
| possible to overstatc the public apprc.
citation and enjoyment of them. eN-
tending to all except the very wealthy
who have abundance of money for
recreation.
The lectures have been quite worthy
Of the favor they have Won. and this
years programme keeps up the high
standard of the past. The lecturers are
all competent speakers. specialists on
/ the subjects they discuss. Many Of tha
lectures are illustrated with the magic
lantern. by charts and drawings or hy
musical interludes. Among the topics
are general and English literature. gen
cral and American history. biography,
travel. government. municipal matters.
economies. sociology. art. music. astron-
omy. physics. electricity. chemistry. GO
ology and biology. Some lectures tend
ing to the development of citizenship
are given in Italian and Iiddlsh at APP
propriate centres Some of the scien-
tfic lectures are arranged in practical
courses.
All this through the Intelligent IL
votlnn of Dr. HENRY VI. LFlP2IGrE. the
Supervisor of Lectures. has been n
complished AT astonishingiy low cos..
About COCO lectures are given annually
ut 10 lecture centres The Stan "
lecturers is about 700. and they come
from all parts of the country, wherever
talent may offer itself. though naturally
the majority of the speakers are New
Workers. or Of the vicinity. The entire
annual cost l. Sl4S,oO0, the approprla-
ton this year rs passed 10y the Board
of Estimate. II figures out "A cost OF
about SO a lecture. which covers al
mlnistration. printing. the pay Of the
lecturer and the cost Of lantern or other
Illustration.
The Aldermen have reduced the Al
lOwance 10 $4,000. just half. As nc
increase had been asked this action
means reduction of just one-half in
the lecture service as compared with
the last ten years The suggestion that
the loss can he made up by free yolun,
tcer speakers Is. OF course. derisory
Locturing Is business, and speaking
broadly any one who has a lecture
worth hearing must no paid for dcllyc:
Ing II. The action Of the Aldermen 4
upheld can only mean the dropping Of
half the lecture nights: IL would b,
impossible to lower the average cost
This will he n great hardship to per
hans I'M f n million people and A SpriOu,
Impairment Of the city's effort to pro
mote education and substitute high elm d
for vulgar entertainments.