The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-12-07
KENNY ON VOORHEES,.
some Unpleasant Facts For the
Director 10 biggest.

President John j.. Voorhees,, OF tie
Board Of Education. in your issue of the
Ali inst, l have failed to find a single
word to change my mind or to disprove
| the statement / made ut the meeting of
the Board of Finance. held on tie 1st
lust, re alive to the promise mad by
that gentleman that IL the Board of FL
nance made al appropriation for the pur-
pose Increasing the salaries of teachers
having less thai two years service. that
the Board OF Education would cheerfuiiy
give 1t to them. The Board OF Finance
| gave n sum mole than sufficient to do SO,
as 1t would take only $3.50 to give the
Increase OF $40 to each of the sixty-seven
tenchers who were then receiving only
$3.50 per annun the idea of The Board of
Finance being mat no teacher in the de-
| partinent should ave less tnau 500 per
auDuin. IL Is not a question of conform
ing to the rules of the department, which
provides Tor an Increase of salaries be-
tween two years and twe!ve years. SER
vice, or whether it Is u wise rule or not.
MIR. Voorhees, knows well my opinion Of
that rule. l knew all about it, and
knowing well that the Board of
Finance in making up the tax levy could
not provide for everything asked for,
nor even give in many cases what they
would wish to give, but fearing the very
ohAhE ohao y haPPohN0 WYNN ndPPCht 4
was particular in having the promise
that if the Board of Finance made an ap-
preparation for that specific purpose that
it would be carried out; that Is simply
the whole matter. AS to the correctness
of this statement. | Will leave it To any
member of the Board of Finance, or 10
the Corporation Counsel. who was pres
ent at the time. As to the fixing of the
salaries in the Board of Education, or
other Board in this city or county, / am
of the opinion that very few, indeed, in
this city know more abou that or any
duty in connection with this Office han
| do, and very few, indeed, are the mem-
bers of that Board who have not some
reason to know that it is the truth. am,
and have been aware for many years,
that the Board of Finance is an appro-
priating Board, and am aware, also, that
1t has a great deal to do with the liking
of salaries in many ways tina Mr.. Voor-
hees and many others equally intelligent
know nothing about. | do know that
in fixing the salaries of the low grade
teachers in the schools, had the Board or
Finance not relied upon the word of M.
Voorhees,, but put it In the levy as 50. $50
to Increase the salaries of those sixty
seven teachers. and for no other purpo
whatever, Mr.. Voorhees, and the Board
of Education would have to use it for
that purpose or not at I'LL. After all, 1t does
appear that, notwithstanding the opin-
lou OF Mr.. Voorhees,, the Board of
Finance is something more than an APP
portioning or appropriating board. The
gentleman speaks about the smallness of
the appropriation. but he knew full we'll
that he was not writing all that he knew.
The demand of the Board of Education
was for an appropriation In the neighbor-
hood of 1928. GOO. The Board of Finance
knew thai such a large amount was not
necessary. AS a pretty large sum would
be required to pay the salaries OF The
teachers when the new schools would
open, and when / asKed him ii he could
inform the Board when the schools
would open and the number of teachers
to be employed, with their grade, he
answered no, for the reason thai he could
not tell the number of classes that would
be formed until some time after the
schools we're opened. The Board of FL
nance then informed him that when that
time arrived, and he had learned the
further needs of the department. the
Board of Finance would make ample
Msr. voorhees, seemed fully salts :
fed. Many excuses have been given
by the Board Of Education why this has
not been done. Ii So, 900 has been appro-
priated by the Board of Finance for re-
pairs. gas, heating ana v~entllating, then
the Board of Fiuahce made a mistake and
the Board of Education is benefited by 1t.
The Board of Finance could not make an
appropriation TO that Board for repairs
since March the 2Sth, 1891. the date upon
which chapter 1874. laws of 1891, were APP
proved. Section Q of that act gives the
power to the Street and Water Board TO
construct, improve, repair. manage, main
tain n control public parks and places,
public docks, wharves. bulkheads.
bridges, baths, fountains, or other struc-
lures, or the erection, construction, inn
provcment, repair, mMintenance, control
and MANAGEMENT of all public buildings,
not used exclusively for city hall or pub
lie markets. hospital or poor and aims
and ieformatory purposes. Now, Mr..
Editor. as under chapter liz, section /,
laws of 1877, the power is given to boards
of education of any Incorporated city of
the State to modify The several appro-
%priati0ns from Tina to time dur
ing any fiscal year.. provided they
do not exceed the appropriations; let
the Board of Education rescind their lat
resolution, aud give to those poorly paid
teacher what was Intended for them.
1t may be after all that The Board of Edu-
cation will have a sufficient sum to pay
the sixty-seven teachers now in the low
est grade. 81, $50, out of the appropriation
for repairs, aud under the construction
of the act of 1877 the Corporation Counsel
may advise that they a use it for that
purpose. Thanking you, Mr.. e litor, for
always dealing fairly with me, and Civ
ing more thai a reasonable space to any
remarks of mine aud allowing them to
speak for themselves.
Very respectfully,
John KENNY"