The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-04-22
NEWS OF NORTH HUDSON.
DIFFICULTIES SURROUND THE
WEEHAWKEN scHoOI QUESTION.

DIFFICULTIES SURROUND THE
WEEHA VIXEN sCHooI QUESTION.
The Hoboken Land and Improvement
Company Urges Its Claims to Select a
Site-A Bright Little Waif Found by
Farmer Warren.
There is a lulI in the storm of in
dignation that the citizens of Wee
hawken raised not long ago against
the towns unhealthy schoolhouse.
The danger that threatened both
teachers and children was so immi-
nent that the people, in their haste to
protect them from it, failed to proceed
in the cool, precise way of business
men,.
They, in the first place, made an APP
preparation of $25, 900 to cover the ex-
pense of the building site and of the
building itself. The school law, it is
claimed, obliges the appropriation to
be itemized, and a case in Ocean
county has been referred to, in
which the failure to comply with the
law resulted in a suit for damages.
Though opinions differ ON this point,
the taxpayers think it best to be on
the safe side and are 10th to start the
new school building until they have
received a legal guarantee that they
will not be molested.
Another cause for the stagnation OF
the movement is the fact that at the
public meeting at which the appro-
priation was made and the plans for
the new school ordered drawn but
twelve citizens were present, and OF
the twelve but eight voted in favor of
the proposed plan; SO that the votes
of eight men would have placed a
bonded debt of 1926, 900 on a large and
growing town.
TWO WAYS TO READ THE LAW:
The law on this point is susceptible
of two constructions. 1t may either
mean that a majority of the citizens of
the town shall decide the amount Of
the appropriation, or, as it has been
construed in the present instance, that
a majority of the citizens present at
the mass meeting shall determine the
legality of such action.
State Superintendent of Schools
Chapman seems to consider the latter
Interpretation of the law to be the
correct one, but as the matter has
been referred to Attorney General
Stockton the matter will lie in abey-
ance until his decision is made known.
The debate over the choice of a suit
able site for the school is still very
warm.
THE H. L. AND I. COMPANY IS ACTIVE
UIha crron4n Nf Az Ho101-o- -
and Improvement Company lose no
company's lots o N the Boulevard,
while the healthfulness of the
King estate is extensively treat
ed. At one time it seemed
as if the Land and Improve
ment Company would carry
off the palm, but the sanitarians of
the town say that this land is too low
and swampy and that a school built
on it would really be more dangerous
to the health of the children than the
present one.
Remarks like these from people of
influence in the town have caused
public opinion to veer in the direction
of the King property, and just at
present 1t certainly stands first
favorite.
Mayor Kelly speaks Of calling an
other mass meeting of the citizens in
the nea future. 1t may be this week.
or next week, and the matter will
then be once more preached and earn
est efforts made to have a site adopted.
the plans accepted and work hurried
on as fast as possible.
The people realize that every day
the children spend in the old school is
rendering them more liable to dip
liberia and scarlet fever diseases that
have now appeared in the town, and
the germs of which are no doubt
peop1ing the air of the malarial death
trap called the Weehawken Public
School.
vscJonA Osra. ns,,AIxe-r.I.-