The sun., 1919-03-13
SCHOOL HEAD DEFIES
ATTEMPT AT AUDIT
Ettinger Refuses to Permit
Commissioner of Accounts
to Investigate.
MAYOR TAKES A HAND
Hylan Attacks Education Of
.ficials as Salary Grabbers
and Strikers.
MAYOR TAKES A HAND

tendent OF Schools, has openly defled
the right Of the Commissioner of Ac-
counts to look into the expenditures of
tho Board OF Education. He has in
formed Commissioner Hrschfield that he
has instructed II. II. NJ. Cook, auditor
OF the board, not to obey a subpoena
issued by the commissioner. In reply
Mr.. Ettinger has been informed that
unless Mr.. Cook appears in response to
the summons the courts will be asked
to compel obedience.
This may be the elimination of a
long fight between the Board of Educa-
ton and the Board of Estimate and the
FINANCE Department over the latter's
right to control the expenditures of the
educational branch Of the city govern
ment.
Mayor Hylan last night addressed a
long letter 70 the members of the Legis-
lsture in which he referred to this prob
lem and spoke disparagingly of the
Superintendent OF Schools, the associate
superintendents and the Northumberland
Of examiners" His excuse for address,
ing the Senators and Assemblymen on
the entire subject of the Department Of
Education was, as stated, that there
are n number of bills in Albany that
have for their real purpose an increase
in the salary of the higher paid en-
poyees OF the department.
HyIan Defends "Home Rule"
THE bills" he wrote. "if enacted into
law will mean an additional financial
burden on the people Of the city Of
New York of from ten to twenty million
dollars. which will enormously increase
the tax rate and will violate the prin-
cfples of home rule
There are those high up in the edu-
cational department" the Mayor said,
who are giving very little of their time
and attention to the dudes for which
they are paid and who seem to be
more interested in raising the salaries
or those who are now we'll paid, which
would place additional burdens on the
rent and taxpayer, than they are in
providing proper educational advantages
FOR the children and providing sufficient
school accommodations for the thou-
sands of children now on part time.
THE present Superintendent of Schools
who is now receiving $4,000 annually,
several thousand dollars more than he
received before his promotion a short
time ago. is slated for an increase OF
$1,000 a year"
In the past, the Mayor said. the
Board OF Education, serving without
pay, has had little authority over the
superintendent and other highly paid Of
hcials, the auditor has handled the
finances as he saw At, the salaries Of
the supervisory staff could be increased
''or unnecessary books purchased, which
somebody happens to be interested in
thousands OF which are lying around
the schools unused"
Objects to Higher Salaries.
The superintendent and his asso-
cistes." the Mayor declared, Should give
less time to building up a personal ma
chine and more time should be given
to their educational duties. 10 the end
that fads and fancies may be eliminated
and the boys and girls of our schools
he more thoroughly grounded in funda-
mental subjects
lie expressed the opinion that the
$4,000 teachers receiving less than $4,000
year have little fault TO find because
they know they will be justly dealt with
by the Board OF Estimate. There are
$4,000 to 10000 children on part time
the Mayor declared. and thousands of
others are attending school under the
so-called Ettinger plan, which is but a
makeshift arrangement for an over
crowded school"
''If the supervisory staff is sincere in
its work" he added. THE building pro-
sramme of the Department of Education
should concern them more than the
lobbying for higher salaries.
Several months ago the Board of F,s-
innate virtually increased 500 each the
salaries Of all teachers receiving $3.50
or less amounting in ali to Sl,749,3 800.
This, of course, did not please the pro-
fessionsl agitator and big salary grab
bers. Therefore the appeal to the Leg
islature'
Against Special Examinations.
Taking up the plea that it is neces-
sary to pay higher salaries to induce
persons to enter the teaching profession
because there is shortage, the Mayor
took a slap at the Board of Examiners.
Parents felt, he said, that after training
tehir children for etaching career by
giving them high school and teachers
training school or college education they
should not be obliged TO pass another
special examination. Thousands are
barred from teaching here by this means
The Mayor asserted that about $50
teachers are now holding clerical posi-
tons in the Board of Education in viola
ton of the civil service and penal laws
referring to the defiance of Supt. Et-
finger tho Mayor wrote:
Some time ago | directed the Com
missioner OF Accounts to make an in
vestlgation of the auditing bureau of the
Depart ment OF Education for the benefit
mate and Apportionment, tho Board of
Education and the people generally.
"Super;rtaaR a. of Schools EttLasal
refused absolutely TO allow the Commits
sioner Of Accounts TO proceed with the
investigation and examination. II there
is nothing wrong i'm this bureau why
did the superintendent fear the inves-
tigation? If there is wrongdoing in this
bureau it should be investigated, if not
by the Commissioner OF Accounts under
the Mayor then by n legislative inves-
ugation.
Demands Financial Supervision.
The Board of Estimate and Appor-
tionment has not interfered with the
teaching and training of school chill
dren and believe this is a prerogatlve
that should be left solely and absolutely
with the Superintendent of Schools. his
assistants and teachers. Nevertheless
the rGCihbere Of the Board of Estimate
and Arport!onment feel that II they are
20 be he'd responsible for the proper OK
penditure Of the moneys appropriated
that the people or their representatives
ought TO at least know what Ia being
done with the money thus appropriated
or the entire matter should be taken out
of the hands of the Board of Estimate
and Apportionment and lodSed In the
hands OF an elected Board of Education,
which would be directly responsible to