The New York herald., 1922-02-08
STATE ACTION LOOMS
Gov. Miller's Warning on
'Slimy Trail of Politics
Must Be Needed.
HIRSHFIELD VS.. ETTINGER
Accounts Commissioner Called
'Gargoylelike' and Starts
Row About Textbooks.

Row About Textbooks.
Mayor Hylans order from Palm
Beach to Smash Meleney'' will not be
carried out to-day Scared by the up
roar over the penetration of politics
in the city's schools, the Hylanized
members of the Board of Education
are expected to join with the others
in reelecting DIR. Clarence r. Meleney
as an associate superintendent.
None of the four members of the
school board supposed to be most
friendly with the Mayor would say
last night how he was going to vote.
AS there are seven members in all,
these four make a majority and could
retire DR.. Meleney if they dared.
But the acting chairman, George S.
Ryan, who knows pretty we'll what is
opinion that DR.. Meleney and DR..
William McAndrew, too, will be re-
elected, and 1 hope I'm right" DR..
McAndrew, veteran associate su-
perintendent, is also on the Mayors
index expurgatorius.
state Action Threatens.
The board feels that II ii doesn't
watch Its step the State will intervene,
oust the board and run the schools until
they can be reorganized. This the state
Commissioner of Education has power TO
DO under the education law. This is the
threat obviously hanging over the head
of the present board. That the members
are mindful of 1t was apparent III their
lrlvate discussions.
The law gives broad powers to the
State Education Commissioner. When
II is proved to his satisfaction that any
school officers have neglected their duty
or have not worked for the best interests
OF the schools he can remove them.
Another remedy that the State has Is
;he withholding OF the share OF the
state money that normally goes to the
city educational system.
The board members believe Gov. Mil
IT had this possibility of emergency
action in mind when he said In his
sp.ech on Saturday night Che admit
t,dly was thinking of the political plan
10 replace DR.. Meleney and DR.. Nc
Andrew with Mayor Hylan's favorites)
that it was time to call halt when
ever an effort is made to drag the
sl.,ny trail OF politics through our
schools"
This threat combined with the Meyer
committees proposal that the present
school board be abolished and succeeded
bv n body Of from fifteen TO twenty
three members and with other proposals
to vrest the schools from political con-
trol, has interrupted the reveries of those
who had in mind the creation of COM
ploteIy Tammanyized school system by
The simple method of throwing every
body out who didn't worship Mr.. Hylan
and putting the nicely reverential in
their places.
HirshffeId Issues Dcnfnls.
Meanwhile the board members were
busy yesterday denying that Mayor
Trylan or any other officeholder or poll
tician had tried to dictate their actions.
David Hirshfield. Commissioner of Ac-
counts. got out several statements. the
,urport os which was that the Mayor
hal not telephoned 10 or otherwise COM
Inunicated with him since Mr.. Hylan left
tho city for Florida,
Mr. Hirshfield admitted that his own
and the Mayors thoughts were so nicely
HlllntU lNdL HltIidl AtfDaiH9 dNt
had something To- do with the otherwise
coincidental fact that on Monday. whom
tho Mayor telephone for Dave" to start
something. Dave instantly responded
with blast against Rockefeller and
tho Gary interests"
It was interesting to note. however,
that no denial came from John ii. Sim
mott, the Mayors secretary, to whom
Mr.. Hylan was supposed to have con-
IA ta1ophnyaif at M n various
things and persons that were to be
smashed Efforts to ask Mr.. Sinnott IL
the telephoned instructions were accu-
rate as published came to nothing. At
the Mayors end of the City Hall IL was
reported all day that Mr.. Sinnott was
much too busy to be interviewed
In the course of the afternoon Mr..
TIirshfield put forth still another type
written statement. This might possibly
be construed as his humble effort toward
the smashing of Meleney." For he in
cluded DIR. Meleney in a list of textbook
writer's whose multiplicity was costing
the city great deal of money. He COM
planned that Dr. Meleneys spelling book
does not seem ito be different from any
other spcller."
Ettinger Joins in Dispute.
William L. Ettingcr. Superintendent
OF Schools, fired statement at Mr..
Iishfield. calling him a gargoyie and a
person well qualified 10 follow Shiny
political trails" Mr.. Hirshfied retorted
by remarking THAT In why I am fol-
lowing Dr. Ettingers trail"
Dr. Ettinger has n voice in the Board
OF Education but no vote. He will be
heard this afternoon II the fight against
DR.. Meeney ventures to break cover. SO
much publicity has been given to to-
days meeting of the board that the GUS
tomary secret session in which the pro-
gram for the open session Is worked out
win be dispensed With. and the only
session will be the open ono, beginning
at y. NJ.
DR.. Ettngers remarks were In an