New-York tribune., 1920-02-21
Teachers Ask
Estimate Board
For Support
Differences Between City
Officials and Education
Department Aired Again
as Pay Is Discussed
State Question Involved
Hylan Promises to Give
Consideration to Pro-
posal for New Increase

The appearance of delegation Of
school teachers before the Board of
Estimate yesterday with the request
that the board lend it's friendly sup
port to the bill to be introduced in
the Legislature for an increase of 20,
30 and 30 per cent in teachers salaries,
the largest amount to 60 to the lowest
paid teachers, led to spirited discus
sion by Mayor Hylan and Comptroller
Craig of the strained relations between
city officials and the Department of
Education. Both the Mayor and the
Comptroller asked the delegation if
the teachers did not think they would
have been better off if they had left
the whole matter in the hands of the
board and not gone to the Legislature
with a mandatory bill for increased
salaries.
The unending question of differences
between John H. Finley, State Super
intendent of Education, and William
J.. Ettingert City Superintendent of
Schools, on the one hand. and the
Hylan told the teachers that the board
was trying to get Superintendent Et-
finger to attend to the teaching and
not bother with the plumbing, wiring
and other matters connected with the
construction of school buildings.
Teachers Behind Ettinger
NO matter what the trouble is be-
tween the board and DR.. Ettinger, he
has the teachers solidly behind him."
said Miss Isabelle Ennis, one of the
delegation of women teachers. "The
pay Of the teachers is sadly inadequate
at the present time. / don't know any
thlng about your quarrel with the su-
perintendents, but do know that"
I'VE have no quarrel with the super
1ntendents," said the Mayor, "but we
matters and leave the finances to the
Board of Estimate. We are willing to
pay our teachers good and proper
salary, but we are not willing to pay
salaries upstate"
Comptroller Craig declared at this
point that it did not seem fair for the
teachers to come to the Board of Esti-
mate for assistance while at the same
time they were going upstate.
Aou ASK US 10 De the tail to the !
Kite" said the Comptroller; "to push I
TINS b1il along in which we have no
say. The trouble is you have an utter /
~ irresponsible method in your school
system, with the play of power back
and forth between the State Commits
sloner and the city superintendent.
No one Is really responsible. 1t is not
home rule proposition, but an up
state affair over which we have no
control"
Mayor to Consider Plea
The teachers replied that they mere
Ily wanted the board not to take
hostile attitude toward the pending
legislation for increased salaries.
The Mayor assured them that de-
spite the differences the board might
entertain in regard to the methods
pursued by the Department of Educa-
ton Of the state and the of the city,
their appeal would receive careful con-
sideration.
A delegation of Staten Island citi
zens, headed by Alderman John J.
O'Rourke, requested the board to take
some action toward restoring the troll
ley car service on the Midland Rail-
road Company lines. They declared
THAT they were willing to pay 10
cent fare to ret the service They told
me podIu lnat the municipal bus lines
had completely broken down. The onlv
comfort they received from the board
was advice to 60 to Jacob Brenner, re-
ceiver for the company, and tell him
to apply to the Federal courts for per-
mission to issue receivers certificates
to run the road.
Mayor Assails Lockwood Bill
Mayor Hylan severely criticized the
measure known as the Lockwood
BILL. introduced In the Legislature at
the instance of the State Commissioner
OF Education, in a statement later in
the day.
The Mayor said the bill sought the
consummation of the effort to center
the whole educational system Of the
state, with its manifold activities and
agencies, in the hands of the State
Commissioner of Education 1t would
invest the City Superintendent of
Schools with "absolutism" in school
matters. the Mayor declared. The
Board of Estimate and the Department
OF Finance are shorn of any power in
school matters under the bill, accord.