New-York tribune., 1922-02-09
Hirshtield Turns Mental
Wares on School Supplies

lllelegurdlnH Tor the time the theory
Of transmission Of thought by sound
waves, David Hrshhcld. Mayor Hylan's
energetic Commissioncr of Accounts
expressed q few thoughts Of his owil
yesterday regarding the "nancs' which
William J.. Ettingcr, Super'ntcndent oi
! Schools. called him
Or. Et,inger had fGuratively snapped
/ his ilugcr in tho great Investigator
face and told him he didn't care fp
what he said about the school system
When he referred to Dave" ns "hu.
man gargoylc' ard "pot-bclicd
stnrvcling," it appears, It broke tempo
rarily the continuity Of the Hylan-
! Iirshiicld thought currents, and the
Commissioner thought for himself.
Superintendent Ettingcr may NOT
the capitals arc Nirshtied's be &
| good educator" The Commissioner said
"hut hcu a blamed good politician. u,
knows how to create atmosphere anL
start a stampede He would have becr
success on tho plains fifty years
ago. Know what I mean?
Finds Compliment ia Lot
"But he didn't answer ny charges
He called mo human gargoylc' md
other names. Calling me names doesn't
answer the charges. That's no way e
fight. lie did pay me one compliment
llc said was qualified TO follow 'thc
slimy trail Of politics. J admit il.
am qualified and ! aA following it
Know What I mean
Then "Davc" closed his eyes nnd
concentrated" In Il lromcnt. If
seemed. he could hear the thought
waves from Palm Beach again aud his
masters voice speaking above the roar
"Hit 'em hard again, Dave, II must
have said "Go after the DuroAu OF
Supplies in the Department of Ednca-
ton." And straiehtway thc Commis.
sionov issued q statement doing this
very thing.
Tho Bureau Of Supplies in the DC
rartmcnt of Education plays an impor.
tant part In tho business transactions
OF that department. the statement
said. "Ncarly $a,00O,00O of New
York City's tax and rent payers money
! is being expended annually BY the bu-
reau in tho purcllaAe, storage md dis.
tribution Of textbo ,ks and other sup
plies for use in the citys elementary ~
ard high schools. There are ls6 en.-
p!oyees assigned to this bureau.
Ihe present uperintendcnt Of sup
plies is Patrick Jones, and his term is
about to expire. An investigations.
'udut DN tNlS once, uaS ulSclOSeu that
there has rot been any attempt to
efficiently organize and properly dis
tribute the activities of the bureau,
with the result that the methods arc
inc cfficient. There is an absence Of con
trol; the SYSTEM ol accounts in that bu-
reau is incorrect and useless. III fact.
no reliable record exists showing the
actual stock. supplies, textbooks either
purchased, distributed or on hand"
Cannot Find Many Books
Tie commissioner declared that the
conditions existing in the Supply BIT
reau would not be tolerated in anv
business concern. He said he was
! "tru stated III his vestigation OF the
textbooks and other supplies b. Super
ntendent Ettinger. who issued orders
70 the principals of the schools pro
hibting the examiners Of the Commits
sioner oe Accounts from taking physi- j.
ca, Inventories or having access to the
rooms where the books were kept He
said he had succeeded, however, in
establishing fair test in thirteen
schools. He declared the records there
disclosed that during The years 1915,
1919 and 1920 there were 2b2, 1853 books
! unaccounted for, and in addition many
! other articles OF supplies were unsc-
counted for.
There was rore--hundre reds and hun
dreds Of words more-to the statement.