New-York tribune., 1914-11-26
Puts President Churchill
Through Third Degree
on Gary Trip,
NEW LEAVE FOR
TEACHER QUESTION UP
Special Committee Reports In
Favor of Cutting Board to
Membership of Nine.

Miss Martha l.. Draper. feminine
leader Of the Bosrd OF Education, put
President Churchill through the third
degree az the meeting yesterday after
noon of the Board of Education. The
conflict arose over the statement In a
letter sent 70 the board members In
which reference was made 20 the com
mlttee IN the West studying the matter
Of vocational training.
Who compCSes that committee, and
who gave them authority TO go?" Miss
Draper asked.
The committee consisted Of Mr. Et-
finger, MIR Wilsey Mr. Snyder and Mr.
McAndrCw." replied AR. Churchill
My question included an inquiry as
20 VINO gave these members OF the
school forces permission 10 leave their
duties IN New York replied Miss
Draper.
"lf am on the stand for cross-ex-
animation IN every matter that hap
renS ID reference 20 TINS board retort-
ed Mr. Churchill sharply. 81 can only
lay that Z am sorry / couldn't get
arcdnd 90 every one Of the forty-six
members Of the Board Of Education and
inform them personally Of everything
! was going 20 do, but as this action
was taken st the request Of the Mayor
OF the city ! felt justified"
Abraham FleXuer and Dr. Ira 6. Vile
joined m the heckling of President
Churchill. The latter finally said:
he president asks the very grave
pardon OF the board, and promises 20
make many more errors, perhaps not
Of the same kind, in the future"
Commissioner Wilcox stated that
tnis was only another instance show
nH ro| I've,
committee 70 manage the affairs Of
the board which called for immediate
action.
The report Of the committee on the
Goodnow-Howe report recommended
that the Board Of Education should be
made smaller. Not less than seven
nor more than nine was the size de-
sired, so that they could all sit
around the same table" The commit
tee, which consisted Of Commissioners
FleXner. John Greene and Nicholas J.
Barrett. offered a resolution in favor
Of such reduction, and IL was laid
over for further consideration.
THE board SIS at present organized
is failure the report said. The
city needs q small deliberative body
for its Board Of Education. Of not
less than seven nor more than nine per
sons with very large powers. The ere
stion Of n small board involves the
creation Of d business department
which would take over many Of the
administrative and executive functions
now in the hands Of the committees Of
the Board Of Education. In our opin-
ion, such changes would result in
economies and more effective business
methods
The ghost Of the teacher mother
controversy knocked at the door Of the
board for q moment, when the appli-
cation Of Mrs Louise VI. Drew, Of
School 1O5, Brooklyn, for leave OF
absence 70 care for her mother, who
Is III, was brought up. Dr.. Vile and
Issdore Levi, the teacher-mother
champions, prepared 20 draw compari-
sons between the cases Of the teacher
mother and the teacher-daughter
"Shsll this board go on record as
oismissing a woman for neglect Of
duty because she took care Of hey
mother in her dying days." cried DR..
Vile.
The committee on elementary
schools, Of which George J. Gillespie
is chairman, advocated that the de-
sired leave Of absence be not granted.
Mr.. Lew moved the same resolution
that he invented for the teacher
mother cases. namely. that leave of
absence without pay should be given
but that At the end Of the period Of
absence the teacher should be put on
the eligible list. instead Of being re-
stored 70 her original class. The mat
ter was fnally referred 20 the by
laws committee