New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-14
TEACHER MOTHERS
STILL MUST WAIT
Board Refuses to Replace
Women and Decision
Is Off for Week.
REFERS QUESTION TO
BYLAWS COMMITTEE
Don't We Know When We're
Licked?" Cries BarOndess as
Martin Challenges Finley.

The Board ~ Education made a last
effort to preserve its dignity in the
teachcr-mothcr affair at its meeting yes
terday afternoon. Instead Of confessing
its errors in the past and reinststlng
the women, it employed vast quantities
OF red tape and tied the whole matter
up in the bylaws committee until the
next meeting.
. ne ten tcacheT-mothers arc technl-
cally still under suspension. Even Mrs.
Bridget {. PeiXotto. whom Commits
si,ner Finley ordered reinstated, will
have TO wait for what one member
called the decent and orderly process
of law
Dr. Ira 6. Vile. champion OF the
teacher mothers 20 the very end, offered
a resolution that all charges against
women for neglect Of duty because Of
child-bearing should be dismissed The
board refused TO accept this motion and
referred IL TO the bylaws committed
Commissioner Joseph II. Barondess
made an impetuous attempt to turn the
tide.
Don't we know when we're licked ."
he cried. jumping 10 his feet, I'm dc
fiance OF law and President ChurchilPs
frowns. He was promptly ordered to
subside. Commissioner Stein then took
the floor. -,
"a telegram has just been received
from Dr.. Finley" he said, lin which II
IL stated that the decision I'm the PeiX-
otto case applies to that case only, and
that no other person is involved In the
decision Each of the cases will be
studied separately, but the same line
of reasoning will be followed in them
all"
John Martin, the most violent or
ponent OF the teacher-mothers. chal-
lenged the legality Of Commissioner
Finley's decision, on the grounds that
il was based on the dissenting opinion
instead OF the majority OF the Court
OF Appeals. Mr.. Martin quoted the de-
cision. as follows:
Such answer as the highest court
gives TO the question on its legal
merits is 10 be found in the following
quotation from the dissenting opinion
Of the Chief Justice Of the Court OF
Appeals on this very subject
as it not strange" demanded Mr.:
Martin. "for the dissenting opinion OF
the Court Of Appeals to determine the
law OF the state?'
Commissioner Finley's decision caused
a mix-up in the plans OF the board for
the two-year leave OF absence scheme
recommended by the special teacher
mother committee at the last meeting
In view Of the fact that the highest
authority I'm the state has decreed that
the board has no authority to dismiss
q teacher for child-beariug. ~ seemed
doubtful II the board would have the
right 70 demand two years absence
of teachcr-mothers.
Commissioner Wilcox recommended
that the report OF the special commit
tee be referred back 20 the committee
with instructions 10 study the FINLEY
decision and determine just what legal
power the board had 20 compel leave
Of absence for any definite time.
while Commissioner Fnleys re
port does not affect the attitude Of the
Board OF Education toward the subject,
since the special committee has already
recommended favorably a two years
leave of absence" he said. at does
act as a caution 70 the board TO give
more careful consideration to such
important matters and not to act
hastily"
MANY "dilatory members" Mr..
Churchill said, had not yet read the
Finley decision. so that the motion TO
refer the whole matter TO the special
committee was passed. Copies of the
decision were distributed late in the
afternoon.
An attempt 70 rescue Miss Henrietta
Rodman from the results OF her
"mother batting" letter to F. p. A. was
made by Commissioner Barondess. but
was promptly killed. Mr.. Barondess
moved that the order 20 suspend MISS
Rodman be reconsidered. 1t was laid
on the table. Mr.. Barondess said after
the meeting that he had not stopped
fighting. u,
with Commissioner Finley he SAID.
"No, I don't suppose ] ought to. II Is
all right TO call my colleagues names
right here before their faces, but TO
60 to Albany and talk about them be,
hind their backs wouldn't DO would
It? Well. shall see to IL some way
that she wins out yet
|. Sunerintendent Maxwell admitted
that caution was his policy in regard
to the actual steps for the reinstate-
ment of Mrs. Peixotto.
81 shall not do anything until know
what | am doing" he said. This is a
most unusual situation. ] shall not 40
ANYTHING until Monday, when ! snail
Law This matter before my legal ad-
visers, the bylaws committee"
It was voted to start class in ste
biography and typewriting in the first
wear of the Morris High School. TINS
came as the climax of q hot argument
in which Dennis J. Mcdonald, posing
as the champion Of the poor children
who could not afford to remain In high1
school more than one year, demanded
business courses in the first year oil all
schools.
Associate Superintendent McAndrew
made a report of the new penny lunch
i'm Public School /, which was started
as the result of the great poverty
among the school children. Hot choeo-
late. two slices Of bread and cranberry
sauce we're served for the first luncn;
The children passed in line and waited