The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-15
JERSEY CITY DISGRACED.
THE TRANSACTION or 4 CORRUPT
| BOARD OF EDUCATION.
A Minority Report saueIched and lite Author
Declared TO be in Contempt-A Member
Calling his Brother Members Thieves.

A Minority Report saueIched and lite Author
Declared TO be in Contempt-A Member
Calling his Brother Members Thieves.
The storm aroused by Director Hollns
in his minority report presented TO the Board Of
Education in Jersey City on Monday night in
which he impugued the honesty OF nearly every
member Of the board, led to excited discussion
until long after midnight. The following is an
eUitome 81 the report made by Mr.. Holllns.
The appropriation ~ s2il OOO made for the use
Of this board by the Board Of Finance and
Taxation has been exhausted, and II seems
probable that on this account II will he neces-
sary to reduce the salaries OF teachers or close
the schools until the new fiscal year, while had
the appropriation been honestly used the board
need have had no difficulty. but the board has
rebelled. refused to ecOnomize and instead con-
templates closing the schools and turning LOCO
children into the streets. The case is past hope
II reform, aud It becomes necessary to bring It
before the people, that the subject may be
thoroughly understood 10y the public.
Tho board first suspended rule dth. which pro-
vidcd tht no chairman Of any committee
should b, allowed to make expenditures with
out the Know ledge and consent OF at least one
adopted to prevent the indiscf1minate and in
judicious uses of public money. The rcsul; of
this was that secondary members of committees
became u-Clcs. aud the rule WAS rCsCinded he
cause honest members ~ the board declined to
sign bills unloss they knew they were correct
L.
ply II school NO. x made complaint against
Teacher Lille Reilly for insuboI inatiOn be-
cause she refused To allow her class room doors
to be closed, kept her school room dafken-
ed, and refused 10 hear rccitatiOns and when
lac rcprmanded her, she said II VS. useless, as
she had more influence with the board than he
had. This proved to be true, IA, when he quit
the room. President Lyon entered and after
w ri kicked open the doors which MIR. Murphy
had closed. damaging them, as seen by Di-
rector Mcdonald, aud as was told In detail to
Director Seminler by the principal. The result
a. "A ~ "a
school No. T. with an Increase Of salary, and
without the knowledge or consent, and In viola
ton Of the rules of the board.
Director Lyon had informed him, also, that
Mr.. Hale. Vice Prncipal Of the High school, was
not competent to teach the branches under his
charge, aud that n another could he put In his
place his resignation was TO be offered. Mr.
Martin was chosen To the vi ce and then, in
stead Of the resignation, MIR. Hale was given the
sinecure OF teacher Of natural sciences, without
q proper appointment aud an expense OF S2UOO
thus entailed on the board.
For many months a letter from Principal Yer
nngton had been IN possession of a member Of
the board representing Mrs McCullos a. incOm-
petcnt, yet the case has not been Investigated,
and she still held her position.
Printing had been given to the Argus and
charged At rates ATTY per ccnttoo grea. and been
paid. some Of them ugainst open protests OF the
board. Director McGrath the president of the
Printing Committee, who had received presents
from the Argus. having said they must be paid
Director Mcdonald, Chairman Of the Commits
tee ON Heating and Apparatus had offered a
resolution 10 purchase new heaters, ana II mad
been defeated on the ground That they were not
necessary. lie had then without authority re-
moved four heaters from school NO. u, one from
school No. 8. and one from school No. 2,and sold
them To q Mara Bros for old iron, purchasing
seven new heaters from the same firm for Sl,2l5,
and paying $il each to have them put in, the
entire cost having not been made known to the
board because OF the peculiar manipulation OF
the bills. though the committee had expended
about Sl6UOu In 1884. Tue special committee
| apponted To investigate this business reported
that the bills had been contracted contrary to
| the wishes OF the board, and yet the same bills
were D ssed by the board, though subsequently
10 had ref "A IN Ni a
| the Committee ~ Audit and afterward vetoed
| 10y Mayor O'Neill, and then again passed over
ONLY voted to save Mcdonald from the law.
acquisitions for stationery were concealed
and given TO Krone Bros. OF New York at eXOr-
bitant rates. and tnis same firm. when forced
| into competition, offered To furnish the same
| previously received. Pocketbooks made OF red
morocco, con aiutng plates and the names OF
members engraved thereon, had been given to
mcmDers OF the board, ana IN the Following
week rubber god-headed pencils and Gases had
| been furnished them from this hru.
False bids Tor coal had been made; Director
Mcdonald had been known TO open the bids in
| the basement of his residence tell bidder tnat
| he WI. the lowest. and then secure a still lower
| bid In fictitious manner.
| When THIS was read Mr. Mcdonald sprang up
and said Its lie, damned lie. AN Internal
damned lie, aud no knows IT. Inc report con-
on June accusations Of the most serious ma
| ture were made against the principal OF school
| No. Ia 10y parents Of pupils attending them, but
these charges were never allowed 10 reach the
| After awards Of coal bids had been signed by
| Director Mercein they were changed by Me-
| Donald and Hens ana Of these same bids Helms
| had Acknowledged that he knew that three Of
| them had been made out by a memoer OF the
| Board Of Aldermen with the knowledge Of two
| members N the Board Of Education.
| Work had been given out against law, and OF
the work returned some ~ II was Of the poor
est sort. and had been done directly 10y mem
| ter of the board whose bills had been put In
| Ia the name Of his foreman.
| This report was ruled out OF order by Presi-
| declared
| IN contempt, and no longer entitled To be heard
| on the door. His report was ordered returned
| to him, and tho special order for Monday night
next was made the discussion AMI uyestigation
| Of the subject. Director Holns declares his
| intention uf going before the Grand jury with
his charges, which be declares his ability to
/ prove.