The New York herald., 1921-01-29
CHURCHILL ATTACKS
SCHOOL MEDDLERS'
Former Head of Board of Ed
ucati0n Directs Fire at the
Board of Estimate.
FAvORs SINGLE CONTROL
Also Opposes New Military
Training Law as Absolute
ly UnworKable.'

Thomas w. Churchill. former presi-
dent of the Board of Education. swerved
yesterday from his subject during an
address on teachers pay at a confer
ence on education at the Town Hall and
bitterly arraigned the Board of Esti-
mate for it's 'meddling'' with the Board
of Education, and declared that its
power in educational matters should be
taken from It,
It'd like to see single rather than dual
control of educational affairs In this
city. because then the people would
know where to place the full response
bility," he said, in commenting on bill
before the Legislature, which he feared
would increase the Board of Estimate .
influence on the schools. This would
restrain men. whether on the Board Of
Education or on the Board OF Estimate.
who are nimble at passing the buck.
Continuing. he condemned the present
Board of Education of seven members
as entirely too small and pointed out
that It was actually q board OF four,
because that number at present aoso-
lutely controlled the situation.
THAT Is why ] always opposed
mo one ever could put over anything
with forty-six stupid men looking on.
One at least was sure to be so thick as
to ask questions. and that spoiled every
thing. And the board actually resolved
itself into a small, compact board when
the few intelligent members got to-
gether and ran things.
I'VE should eliminate the Board OF
Estimate from any influence on educa-
$har thof
each member individually as citizen
naturally exerts"
In condemning the system by which
the Mayor appoints members OF the
board, Mr.. Churchill pointed out that
there never had been and never would
be Mayor who could or would COM
prehend that after appointing the board
members his influence In administration
stopped.
''Fifty-ninth street should not be
rnonkeyed with by City Hall, no mat
ter il 1t is tenanted by Democrat.
quasi Democrat or crazy Democrat.
The former board president recom-
rnended cutting out the military training
law as being of little virtue and alb
soIutely unavoidable. He said 1t should
he mandatory on a city to supply the
school buildings adequate to house all
the pupils. !,
Miss Katherine ID. Blake, principai OF
one of the city schools, said that the
fact that only about hundred people
attended the conference demonstrated
that Americans cared little about the
future of their children.
1T have been in the public school sys-
tenn longer than any one on this plat
FORM" she said. looking at the learned
speakers II love 1t. IT is the thing tnat
Is making America to-day"
She contrasted the care which modern
factories take TO keep their products
up to standard with the care accorded
children.
THE trouble Is that our product rs
not eatable," she said. IF our children
could be eaten after graduation they
would receive more attention and moro
money would be spent on them"
The conference. which included educa-
tional matters In New York, New Jer-
sey and Pennsylvania. was called by
DR.. p. p. Claxton. United States Com
missioner of Education. Throughout the
day and evening educators from the
three states discussed various school
problems. DR.. Miner T.. Brown. Chan
cellor OF New York University. presided
at the afternoon session.