New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-07
NEW-JERSEY'S SCHOOL FUND.
A PROTEST AGAINST USING 1T FOR THE OTHER
EXPENSES OF THE STATE.

| TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
| Sir In view Of propositions to divert part OF the
school fund Of the state OF NcwJersey for other cur
rent expenses let glance moment ut the actual
condition Of education in this state and the probable
future.
From afirmations Of the superintendent Of Public
Instruction for the state Of New-Jersey learn the
following startling facts:
There are thirteen cities in the State that furnish
sitting for only 80 TO a. per cent Of the children
Of those localities. in other words than half
! Of the children deprived Of school privileges.
Not city furnishes seating capacity for 20 per cent
Jersey city can seat less than third OF its school
| population. Think Of i'll In some localities in the
old state Of NowJcrScy, I'm the great and enlightened
Republic 81 America less than onchird Of the children
/ can 20 to the public schools and many cannot 90
anywhere 10 school. Why they not attend school
rcrl1p, the people do not consider 1t necessary No !
The Government i profcsScd'y founded the educa
! ton and enlightenment Of the people. What then
| The people DO not provide the means. Are they too
poor They are possessed Of revenues incalculable
! In their abundance. ON all sides from thousand
ports Of entry in great Nation Of which this state
| is part. and from countless workshops within the
Nation. commerce aud manufactures are ae-rceating
vast wealth. OH no. IL is not the poverty Of the
people that causes neglect OF the schools IL Is the
/ principle which they are managed. The adequate
support cf the public schools by voluntary local tax
alton is u failure.
ten years preceding 1857 the increase OF school popu
i,tiDn for New Jersey between the Of six and
fourteen years. was 2G.2 per cent The increase Of
enrolment vas 1874 per ccnt-Just about two Of in
crease Of population to one of enrolment In the
schools This means. growing population who do
not 20 to school. \ growing population who do not
go to school mean, growing illcracy and the growth
/ Of dangerous class.
New Jersey is not alone in this condition. Let NJ
look at the nine North Atlantic states. those extend
! INK from Maine to n-ylvania-thc oldest, richest
Of the state. and those In which the present method
/ Of supporting the schools by local taxation II any
whc.e. may bc expected to be perfect in its working
| From the report to which have referred Colonel
/ Da"-onsl We find that in the ten years Immediately
preceding 10 the increase Of children between the
ages oi six and fourteen years for those states
100 per cent The Increase Of school enrolment for
IN" -amc time hut - per ccnt-just about one
third. Two thirds If the growing population kept ont
of school. AID tl, In the nine oldest and perhaps
most enlightened states, To decide whether the
/ st~i"n - support Of public schools by voluntary
local taxation t. a success failure would
need to ~ further. but In fact. the same tendency
and direction II educational matters Is all
/ the In)n. We doing a great deal more "
TALKING each year about what doing in the
.ohool-. but the quantity Of what we are doing doc,
not bear the ratio to the amount Of work to be
done That 1t did ten year, ago. For that reason
/ lltcrlcy j, growing upon and must continue b
| grow.
In the meantime II becomes more difficult year hy
fo1r f. rai.c money for public purposes by direct
taxation. >ic- for new hou~cs Jerome moro cx
pcus,c huMlu,, ard repairs more and teachers
cost moro Individually. - -ay nothing Of increased
number II teachers and other employees required The
"''l mar fes'at.Dns IT the growing disparity between
rh'ol population and enrolment common throughout
the state. and country fact. are seen in the various
city superintendent reports. Of pupils denied admis
sion. the p"rnioou> ultipcaton Of halliday classes,
aud doubling and puaduplng Of attendance IN class
room. And the inadcquacy nf the present system 81
voluntary TAXATION b. IN the Naiu appeal, Of the
Eoard, ~ Education Tor money 10 repair and enlarge
huiinr, io furnish more teachers t. establish even
INK schools. and 10 erect needed new buildings In
many elite, these app as arr refused altogether.
That lcs .lntor must ie deaf indeed who. living
within the state. has not heard the appeals Of school
officer, for more money with which to furnish needed
schools. and II children demanding admission. And
hr must De- wnul'y blind with the facts and figure,
have quot. easily accessible for vcrincation, who
DE, not That tAc school fund ~ the state is The
one Of al lci,t able Ia contribute 10 the other
pcf..c, Of the state government
What .horM be- done with the school fund Of tho
state the Investment If which gives 50 much trouble.
D., the reasonable tlng that has been proposed viz.
to inyc,, h by louins It 10 the districts themselves
that need The money al 80 low rate Of interest
that they viii be- tempted to'nsc it. The lower the
rate tie better at = per cent certainly not more
than . per cent enough. may say. 10 keep
IL alive There !, no object whatever In putting 1t
out al high per cent when loaned 10 schools, since the
object of tie fund H. reduce the expenses Of the
schools. The other hand. II l. not best L.
give the money outright 10 the different localities
since then all claim upon the money by the state for
state purposes would be- lost In time It might com"
that the would 5c able To get the money again
for state pnrpo.",.
am one oi those not now apparently very nnmcr
ou, acAaowi,drc who believe The Nations public
schools, now 20 inadcluit.ly provided FOR by local
t,Aaiion, should be SUPPORTED from the pnhn' 90. ol
National treasury. This de-, not mean that the
school. should an Dee centralized under one National
head merely that the Overlooking National resource,
i,ld ., f. tighten taxation hy taking the burden of
taxation for school, of from the people. mlE'
safely challenge any one. either 10 ma any "th'r
solution Of The problem Of tc na"ma ts, w. Z" "un
port 81 the National school system 1t IS question
that is coming before Tie people ""cu rn
failure Of tie present system by local taxation VIII
ursc il from side aud the proper cNpcnnltur. "l
large National Will compel IL from 'c Quiet
The fault Of the Blair Educational bill IS that IT is
sectional rather than National. III i s''uoha hu
not National aid The whole country Is III need oi
National aid TO education ,,.,., n.,,,,h rni., ~e,,
Jersey coiyc'cd the American Union wic" SIRE a, a
colony aud independently statc "cncnt en-
TO the Nation cNcccd by that OF no onrr H'a'r-. .
STATE in il, Legislature and IN Congress should take tue
nr san,. at the product Of that glt should be wisely
used diminish the taxes "i hcI p'op'r, NM '"
all to maintain the canca,lon oil c r ct a,
rather Than that product of wealth should be sIIan
r, IT., ,h,mcf wsstc an object Of pi!lagc and loot
~uch hare y, would fall To Ncw-Icr,cy, though u
supported her entire school SYSTEM "ouiu DC p"' '''
i,turn. - ,,o man, ro.so, u.hr
the state even In it, own INADEQUATE way, sh9ui. 'on
,s,e tn aid ucaI TAXATION The fiild should be loaned
m ~ srI low rates rs Will tempt the people TO use
IT, since any town that boTo"s p,nsoS w., ,h n
u,u,r tox to meet the interest. III TINS way the sum
n,ucd induces increased taxation for interest ana IN
rrca-ci number Of teachers, ihcn. Wnen tic Na
thcv ever do the fund VIII be returned L" thc S,'tc;
~ r,nt LEANED AZ low rate for erection Of school
i,,i,lir,c would operate advantageouSy for another
in,,",f,nt reason In cities sum annually arising
from licenses i 10 be- devoted 10 school pnrpo'. ti'
j. 20 s,, to the erection Of buildings lhc question, i
Whence viii come the money for teachers IN ne" nuu
mo. MES, the state tax Is again il,rcaocu -
NOR cent for school purposes. the new buidinE> .t
f,ud cmptv or a local tax levied. II now tic Stite
,nnd lac loaned "A, low rate have the local resource.
- thc civ reasonably aided by the state, aS II would
va ''ihi. a. nrnvidc for additional teachers without
recourse To direct tax. W. u ! ~, ..hc,o,