New-York tribune., 1921-01-30
Lack Of School
Funds Laid to
Estimate Body
Craig, Says DIR. Ettinger.
''Roosts in the Municipal
Building ON Way From
Obscurity to Oblivion"
Ignores officials Attack
Declares Teachers Have Been
Forced to Make Sacrifices
Through ECONOMY" Plea

DR.. William L. Ettinger, Superin-
tendent Of Schools, in an address yes-
teTday before the citizens conference
on education at the Hotel Commodore,
placed responsibility for the existing
financial condition of the Department
of Education directly upon the Board
Of Estimate and Comptroller Charles L.
Craig The Comptroller, he declared.
in commenting on an attack made by
the former earlier in the day on the
Board of Education. "roosts in the Mu-
nicipal Building on his way from OBJ
scurity to oblivion"
Comptroller Craig said at the morn.
ing session of the conference. held in
the Great Hall OF the Chamber of Com
merce Of New York State, that there
was more politics in the cubic schools
OF New York City in twenty-four hours
than there is in the entire city the year
round" Politics and professional edu-
Gators, he said. were the causes of the
difficulties between the ComptroIler's
Office and the Board Of Education.
These professional educators. he de-
cided, have for years been fighting to
get away from the present restraint in
the making of appropriations and dis
hursements, (which specifies the pur-
poses for which they are made"
DR.. Ettinger was informed of what
Comptroller Craig had said. and since
ne was TO deliver an address at the af-
ternoon session of the conference he
was urged TO answer the Comptroller.
Ignores Misleading Statements
Il have been asked by several per-
sons attending this conference to reply
20 the tatements made this morning by
the Comptroller of the City of New
York said DR.. Ettinger. in departing
from his prepared speech at the ses-
sion in the Commodore. But | am
not going to do it. I'm not going to
reply TO misleading statements from
bolder ga7abo than I am.
Pm not going TO be led from what
think nv path of duty, be it by the
Comptroller or any one else who roosts
in the Municipal Building on his way
from obscuritv to oblivion"
4 round of laughs and applause fol-
lowed the superintendent's allusion as
he returned to the text of his address.
Pleas for economy did not interest
him. pr Ettinger said. because "everv
year we have gone down to the Board
pf E7tim te and feen told that this is
YEAR when we must economize.' And
oeiiov" ne" e,nnhasi- ed the Superin-
:endsrt Of Schools. at was. The re-
suits to-day show it."
II = teachers and supervising staff
the citv's schools have been OBLIGED
o make sacrifces because of that
econcmV.' They have been and are
sill, doing everything in their power
TO make the best of very bad
situation.
Progress Despite Handicaps
There never has been time when
there has been a rational attempt 70
give Us what we need And yet al
modern educational improvements in
I is country have come from New
York City. I say this in all Difference,
toe. to New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
which tates. along with New Ys1k, are
represented at this conference"
DR.. E-tinger desc cribed the bill intro
duced in the Legislature by Senator
Fearcn. Of Syracuse. which would ex-
tend the powers of boards of estimate
over school matters as an attack on
teachers salaries Such iegis alton, he
said. would throw the whole re ponsi-
biiity O. boards of education to the
boarts Of estimate. and one of those
RESPONSIBILITIES was the fixing of
teachers pay.