Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-01-15

at the expense Of those having large cities,
unless the cities increased their school ae-
commodation
The truant act should be amended SO as
to provide for the payment Of truant off
GERS in rural districts. In cities the police
boards can detail officers to execute the
law, but IN the country districts truaut
officers should be appointed and paid
under some provision of law
The law should be amended so as to in
crease the length of time which school
bonds should run when issuediby cities In
the rural districts there IS no limit; in the
cities the limit is ten years. This limita-
ton should be removed, so that school
bonds in cities could be issued to run for
twenty Or thirty years If desired / also
recommend thar the interest on school
/ bonds be reduced to A per cent
The trustees Of the school fund aIways
encourage Lie different school districts in
the state TO apply to them to borrow money
on district school bonds. The policy Is AL
ways llf necessary to change investments
from other securities into district school
bonds, 70 that cities, towns and other
school districts will be encouraged to build
new school houses wherever needed
There are certain changes which I deem
wise, and l recommend to the legislature
Tor consideration.
Every college and school supported by
eAlC SlstNI rffpult DC uIlcE tnC llHudEelleUJ
OF the state board of education. There is
no good reason for the existence of a sepa-
rate board of trustees for the State Normal
school, for the Deaf Mute school or any
other state institution which comes within
the school system established under the
constitution.
recommend the abolition of the trus-
tees of the State Normal school and the
trustees Of the Deaf Mute school The
committees Of the state board can act as
efficiently as the present trustees, and
these schools should be under their direct
charge
i also recommend that the number of
members Of the state board be reduced.
There are twenty one members III is too
large and unwieldy; One-third of the num-
Der would make a more efficient body. and
would be sufficiently large not only for all
It's present duties, but for the additional
duties which j recommend be intrusted
to it.
also recommend that no money BE- paid
out OF the school fund for any purpose
whatever until the same has been reported
to the state school superintendent, 50 that
he may have in his office what he does not
now have under the existing lava com
plete statement of all moneys expended
under the school system of this state
Here the governor makes brief reference
to the Normal and Model schools, the Far
mum Preparatory school and the School
for Deaf Mutes.
Pensions.
The official records of the adjutant gen
erals Office are of the greatest value to
those who desire to apply for pensions or
secure information In reference 70 the ser.
vice Of New Jersey troops. In no state in
the Union has this matter been more sys-
tematically attended to than here These
records are now being properly filed in
suitable vaults ia connection with the adj
jutant generals office. He has a complete
record and history Of every war since the
French and Indian war in which troops of
this state have been engaged. The records
cover the following wars:
The old French and Indian war, the Rev
olutionary war, the Pennsylvania insur-
rection of 1874, the war Of 1912, the Florida
war, the Mexican war and the civil war Of
1861
There are eight pensioners paid by the
state for services in the war of 1872 who
receive Ss31.S5. The pensions paid to one
soldier and three widows Of soldiers for in
juries received during service in the ma
tional guard amount during the past year
to s., ll5.l6.
United States Pensions.
In this state personal attention is given
to the claims of every applicant for a pen
sion upon communication made to the gov
ernOr. / am not informed of any other
state where this is done officially This
work naturally entails an immense amount
of correspondence and labor, but it enables
every one entitled to a pension to secure it
without cost. A special agent is sent to
Washington at intervals, whenever it is
deemed necessary to advance these pension
claims, and attend to the interests OF New
Jersey veterans. "a large amount of work
is entailed upon the Office in the case Of
those who have heretofore applied to pen
SION agents
The object of many Of these agents seems
to be to get themselves officially recognized
as such, and then to leave the case to
take care of itself. His appearance as
agent entities him to SO in an ordinary
case and larger sum in cases where
special services are required When these
agents fail to do their work the state off
cials, upon the request of the applicant,
take official action TO do whatever is neces-
sary to present the case to the department
in proper shape and advance its hearing.
On June q, 1890, congress passed law
granting pensions to ex-soldiers and sailors
who are incapacitated for the performance
of manual labor, and providing for pen
sions to dependent relatives of deceased
soldiers and sailors. / Immediately upon
June 30, 1890 sent letters to all the Grand
Army posts Of the state, and to every so
ciety and organization Of soldiers, and To
postmasters and soldiers Individually. Over
fifteen hundred copies Of this notice were
sent out for the purpose of informing sol
diers and their widows that the state would
officially aid all worthy soldiers or sailors, or
their dependent relatives in needy circum-
stances, in the matter of urging the allow
ance of the pension provided for in the act
Of congress, and stating that blanks, with
full directions as to procedure, would be
furnished without cost to the applicant.
To all those applying under these notices
the adjutant general sent letters of instruc-
tiOns and blanks, and did everything in his
. -
tive and aid New Jersey veterans and their
families The duties of the adjutant gen
eral were nearly doubled by reason of the
directions given by me to assist those de-
string to apply under the act of June p,
1890. Nearly 1000 blanks have been dis
tributed in pursuance of my letter of June
80. Pension bureaus have been established
by several Grand Army posts. and they
have been supplied with blanks and in
structions as to their execution. The pen
sion bureau of the national government
has given every facility to the officers Of
New Jersey, and all information asked for
IN reference 70 the acts Ot congress or mat
ters in relation % pensions has been cheer
fully and promptly given.
1t appears from the last official report Of
the commissioners Of pensions and from a
tabulated statement furnished by the third
auditor Of the United States treasury, that
the New York agency, which includes pen
Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, AIiddlesex,
Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Somerset,
Sussex, Union and Warren, paid the fol
lowing amounts:
Invalids. .-..-........ ..-. ...-..... SS3 12S 04
Widows .......................... 122.5 .521 Sc
Minors ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 9s7s co
Dependent relatives. $3.50 4e
Survivors of the war of 1Sl2.....-..... IA 90
Widows of the war of isl2.........-... AGA 90
Total payments Of the New York
agency. ...........-......-.-----.- S456,0sS 30
At the Philadelphia agency, which in
cludes pensioners residing in the counties
of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape
May. Cumberland. Gloucester, Mercer,
Ocean and Salem, the following amounts
were paid
Invalids ds.............-....... 9i5 40
WIDOWS cD,suV w
Minors lu.lAl ~
Dependent relatives. s............... 25,96s 81
Widows or the war III 1871 a.......... 2,346 %
Total at the Philadelphia agency $321 ,012 80
Making a total amount paid to New Jer-
sey pensioners during six months, S771,
Isl. So AT the time IF issuing the last re-
port there were 1854 pensioners on the
New Jersey pension roll, so that there Is
aun1raIlv f.arnfnfy lutf, tho STATE tbrnuua