The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-25
SCHOOL FINANCES
Director Simpson Lays Bare
Il a Deplorable State of
Affairs.
PRINCIPALS AT FAULT.
C~arelessness on Every Hand-Plans
to Remedy the Existing
Condition.

Condition.
In Difference to the wish of President
Ulamor Allen of the Board of Education
the regular meeting of the board yesterday
was held in the afternoon. DR.. Allen for
the past few weeks has been suffering from
an attack of illness which requires him to
remain indoors evenings, and for this reason
be requested that the meeting be held 10
the afternoon. The hour set for the meet
ing was three o'clock, but the caucus which
was held before the meeting was a lengthy
one, and the hands on the clock over the
Presidents desk pointed to ten minutes past
four O'Clock when the meeting was called
to order. Before the meeting was
| address. thanked the directors for the
| honor accorded him in electing him PreSi-
dent. 1T is a high honor to be selected as
your presiding officer" said he. ut is a
| position thai requires much active work and
carries with it much responsibility. Every
membar of this board knows that the board
is no place for lazy men: everyone must
hustle. hope hat the harmony which has
prevailed in the past will continue. This
board ought to act as a unit. We have
| started out tremendously and let us close
the year with a record for harmony"
President Allen then called the meeting to
| order, and after the minutes Of the previous
meeting were read and approved Clerk
| Graf read an invitation from the g.. A.. r.
posts to witness the parade from the review
ing stand in Van Worst Park on Memorial
| Day. The invitation was accepted. A com
munication was read from Grand Marshal
Foster Of the fortieth anniversary Sunday
school parade requesting that the schools be
| closed on the day of the parade, or that the
scholars participating be excused. The
| board decided to close the schools.
BIG PETITION FOR PROF. MACKEY.
An application for q position as instructor
in the High School was received from Miss
Louise NJ. Webster, and Mr.. II. Rosenthal
| applied for position of instructor OF
| Languages of the same school. Other appli-
cations were received from Miss Forster for
Principal of school No. 5, Miss Eta $. Craig
for Vice Principal Of same school II James
/ S. Mackey for Principal of School No. u.
There were over thirty other applications for
| the position Of Principal and over a dozen
for the position of ~janitor. The majority Of
these applications are for positions in the
! new Woodlawn school. All the applications
were referred to the Teachers Committee.
DIR. Hoffman and Mr.. Casey presented to the
board a petition to which was attached l.nO0
signatures of residents Of the Second district
requesting that Prof. James G.. Mackey be
appointed Principal Of School No. Il, to sue
| coed Mr.. Evans, The petition Yves also re-
ferred to the Teachers Committee.
Leave of absence was granted to the fol-
| lowing eachers ;-Miss Alice Bellows, one
month; Miss Maggie E. Touhey, two months;
| Miss Katie Pringla, two months, and Maggie
q. Burke. one month.
PRESIDENT ALIENS COMMITTEES.
President Allen then appointed the follow
! iu0 cOunmitfeac.-
Finance Messrs. Simpson, Hoos and
| Obefgfell.
Books and Stationery-Messrs. Cowles,
Degnan and Hoos.
Fuel Messrs. Degnan. obergfell and
Simpson.
Janitors and Japitors' Supplies-Messrs.
| Hoos, Cowles and Simpson.
Printing-Messrs. Degnan, Hoos and
| Beach.
Inventory, Appraisement and Annual
Report = Messrs. Simpson, Obergfen and
Degnan,
| Cowles Beach and Hoos. Nos. /, 8 and 3
Annex, Mr.. Cowfss; Nos. 8, Z and 81, Mr..
Obergfell; Nos. Q and 4, Mr.. Hoos; Nos. z,
s, 10 and IS, President U. Allen; Nos. IL, II
Annex, IL and 20, Mr.. Simpson; Nos IA, Is,
90 and "a, Mr.. Beach; Nos. Is, 10 and q,
Mr.. Degnan.
| fell and Beach.
President Allen instructed the directors to
| visit the schools to which they are assigned
before the next meeting, and ascertain what
improvements are needed, so that they can
be made during the vacation season.
ATTACKED.
Director Simpson, as soon as the commit
| tees were appointed, asked the privilege of
the floor, and. upon it being granted, began
to attack the boards method of transacting
| its financial affairs in a manner that nearly
precipitated a row. The discussion which
Mr.. simpsons remarks caused formed a
striking contrast to President Aliens plea
for harmony at the opening of the meeting,
"Mr. President said Director Simpson,
81 am o business man, and consequently be-
lieve in doing things in a business manner.
! As Chairman of tho Finance Committee a
| number OF bills have been presented to me
that show that this board is paying more
for its supplies n the prices
agreed upon in its contracts with
the, concerns furnishing the supplies. As an
illustration / will cite one case. | lave a
bill for mucilage at 45 cents a quart, Our
contract says it shall be furnished for thirty
five cents a quart. Other bills also show
that we have been evercharged for pens and
other articles. These bills hrve been signed
by my colleagues IN the committee, but as
chairman of the Finance Committee I will
refuse to sign any bill that does not show
| that we have received the goods at the con-
tract price"
This attack aroused Director Cowles, who
said THE Finance Committee had to de-
pend upon the honesty of tho principals who
ordered the supplies. They. signed them as
being correct and the committee took their
word for the accuracy of the rates charged.
We took it for granted that the principals
| compared the prices on the bills with the
prices on the contract list"
"The principals" replied Mr.. Simpson,
kdFsshouid DO furnished with something more
fI3eSniteithan the contract list published in
EE9pur minutes. a list ought to be prepared
fbwithathe natnc of overy article needed, and
iLthei pffcefo OF tho same printed thereon. Then
the principals could ascertain whether or not
the beord Is receiving supplies at contract
prices
Director Beach then took q hand in the
~Heargument. He said, "as chairman of the
Committee on Fuel / experienced the same
hitficnltY with j~anitors' supplies. l had to
| rely on the j~anitors seeing that we were not
overcharged. Il seems to me that the clerk
should determine beyond q doubt whether
every bill is correct or not before it is paid.
1t is impossible fer thA Committee to Examine
every bill. II | nave to do it / will be COM
PEELED TO hire a clerk
Il PRoPER THING.
II do not agree with my colleague re-
piled Director Simpson. when I sign a
bill as being correct, / want to be sure that
IT. Is SO, and will not take anyone's word for
/ III It il not, a bIlsinaSq vvnv of 6oir3p fhiuoR