The Holland Society of New York - Yearbook (New York, NY)

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. L ff? -sw fwc ' 2- J , Xb' l ffff 'I , ,L ' r frrrxi' Ti- :N ' - ,g if ., -,Zf - Series Yr.. f'MC Q Q ? K '?+9rvff'- ' fic! . mp- sie, o fff3g4?5 N, 0 gf' I 5 lin af'-r if V R- AN -UNSATISFACTORY H1sroR1AN the City of New York made public proc ' ' lamation that the Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary p of the Establishment of Municipal Government on Manhattan' Island was at hand, and that the occasion would be celebrated by appropriate ceremonies throughout the city, urging all citizens to take part and join in render- ing the occasion notable. The newspaper press was requested to lend its aid and promote the end in view. - In an editorial of The New York Times, May 19, 1903, that newspaper spoke as follows: :s p N M2137-7, 1903, Hon. Seth Low, Mayor of Y 3 ' aff Q 7 - . Complying with the request of Mayor Low that the newspaper press should seek 'to bring home to the people a sense of New York's long history,' and as an appropriate observance of the two hundred and Hftieth anniversary of the founding of a Municipal Government on this island, THE TIMES offers a series of prizes for essays to be written by pupils of the High Schools and Grammar Schools of the city upon subjects connected with the history of New York. ' ' This was propounded as a good way to waken curiosity and stimulate desire to study the story of the cit and it was explained that the first ap- Yv n , peal was made to the scholars, with their receptive IO7

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109 their dealers. Cn May 20th the Mayor's ap- Pf0Va10f the plan was quoted, mentioning Janvier as an eminent authority on all matters pertaining to the city's history, and an approving 131313631- from H. A. Rogers, President of the Board of Edu- cation, was printed in the same issue. On May 2 3d a similar letter from Charles R. Skinner, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, was printed, The celebration proclaimed by the Mayor was held in the City Hall on May 26th, and an address WELS dG1iVG1'ed by the Mayor, followed by an orap tion by Gen. James Grant Wilson, combined with a reception to distinguished guests. A Fireworks were displayed in the evening at many places in the city. 1 I The articles by Mr. janvier appeared in the seven issues of The Tirnes as proposed, the issue of May 3 ISt containing the first six as well as the lasts Commenting upon the selection of Mr. janvier, the President of the Holland Society, Mr. Theodore M. Banta, wrote the following protest, which was printed in the Brooklyn Ddily Standard Union of May 22, 1903, and here follows in full: THE HOLLAND Soc1E1-Y OF NEW YORK, - THEODORE M. BANTA, President. NEWEYORK, May 19, 1903. WILLIAM H. MAXWELL, LL.D., City Superintendent of Schools: SIR,-I protest against the public schools of this city being made use of to advertise one of the newspapers of the city. One of our journals contains a letter purporting to be signed by you, which states that you should be pleased to see the principals of all grammar schools and high schools comply with the request of fthe paper in questionl to bring this matter to the attention of both