New-York tribune., 1919-04-07

current action of the Board of Esti-
mate, because the latter board has in
sisted upon minute budget segrega
tions"
The Board of Education, although
600, does not handle actual cash, ex-
cept for petty cash purposes, because
no bills are paid until the Controller
has inspected the vouchers.
DR.. Ettinger intends to adhere to his
contention that the school system is
under control Of the state and not of
the city and that the only right the city
has under the law is to inspect, throusA
the City Controller, the vouchers
-Four questions were put to DR.. Et--
finger yesterday. The questions and
his answers to them are:
"The Mayor has in effect accused the
board of financial irregularity. How
could there be any such irregularity?" ?"
There could be no irregularity, and
Mayor Hyan has no fears on this sub
ject. All transactions are covered by
detailed vouchers which are transmit
ted to the Controllers office. Such bills
are not paid by the Controller until
the material purchased or the work
done has been inspected by his own
representatives.
Supplemental Data Obtainablc
"Any supplemental information the
| Mayor or Controller may desire is OBJ
tainabe on demand. Moreover, were
there any real need Of an investigation
the Mayor or any other aggrieved
party may ask the State Department
of Education to conduct such an in
vestigation and the request will be
promptly complied with"
-. Il t1L
be privileged to see the books? Why
is it not a right as much as a privi-
lege?"
"The state school law specifically de-
fines what are the rights and the priv
ieges Anybody has the privilege to
examine fully into the affairs of the
school system. The city also has that
privilege. But to extend the privilege
to the Mayor or to the city as right
would be to extend to them jurisdic-
ton, which the law does not permit
And why does the law not permit this
Simply because the education system
is q continuing institution and ought
not to be subject to the changing intlu-
ences of city administrations.
Challenged Officials "Right"
81 denied to the Commissioner Of Ac-
counts access to department records
when he claimed to enter the depart
ment as matter of right. Subsequently,
the board invited Mr.. Hirschfeld tc
enter. He declined the invitation, in
sisting that he had legal right. But
on March "a he appeared in my office
saying he had come in response to the
invitation. | denied him access to the
records on the ground that the matter
of jurisdiction was, on his own appli
cation, before the Supreme Court. an,
that neither the president of the boarC
nor the board had instructed me /.
admit him.
Il think it is very questionable as t'
whether or not the board can dives
itself of it's own proper functions tt
control its own department by extend
ing such an invitation, especially whel
such invitation is practically the resul
of threat by the Mayor to resort t.
other measures in case access was de
MED"
care you willing or unwilling to pu
the affairs of the school board full,
before the public?"
Political Influence Resented
"T have already answered that Oues
tion by saying the public or any ind
vdual is always welcome to look int
any of the affairs Of the board, finan
cial or otherwise
'Is it not likely to be comnrente
upon that the head of the citys school
refuses to account to the head of tn
city government" ?"
II have already said that the schoc
system is not city department. ] ar
, sure the public does not want it's schoc
system made accountable to the Mayo
The verdict Of the people in the las
campaign was that politicians mus
keep their hands off the schools an
! that the schools must be kept free fror
the taint and frequent eruption of loca
party politics"
= MIR. Hrsch, in his charge that sch'