The Penn's Grove record., 1894-07-13
The Temperance Instruction
Law.
A Statement by the friends ofthe DIE

~ IN ann Az ~
In answer to certain erroneous and
misleading articles which have recent
" appeared regarding the Sctenty'e
Iemperance Lac approved April 24th,
1894, the committee which was instru'
mental in securing said law hasauthor'
lied the undersigned TO make a brief
statement, for the information OF TAX
PAYERS ana friends Of education in New
Jersey.
|. The bill vas not in any sense ln'
stigated or helped in its passage by any
publishing house or book trust. The
movement originated with the Presby-
terjan Synod of New Jersey, which d.
rected its Permanent Committee on
Temperance to use its endeayors to Sc
cure such a law. The chairman of that
Committee, Rev. W. +. Honeymau, OF
Plainlield, in December last, called a
meeting i'll Newark of representatives
of the Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist,
and other religious denominations, to-
gether with the leaders Of the W. G, L.
T., Y. NJ. G. A., Y. P. 5. {. b., and
kindred associations, and they unanim-
ously resolved to do all in their power
to place the proposed law on our Stat
ute books. This committee, it is hard
" necessary to say, neither had nor has
any direct or indirect interest in the
sale of books as a result of this meas
ure.
2. Mrs. Mary II. Hunt, the Nation
al Superintendent of Scientific Temper
ance instruction, whom the committee
called to their assistance, has no inter-
est whatever in any of the school books
that the bill seeks to introduce,
3. The law does not favor the pub
LEGATIONS of any one particular house.
There are no less than seven distinct
publishing houses that issue endorsed
temperance physiologies, and that are
now competing freely and openly in the
New Jersey market. The only houses
not favored by the law are those whose
text. books do not comply with its pro-
visions.
4. The statement that the signature
of the State Superintendent of Public
instruction was forged" to circular
recently sent out to representatives of
the W. e. I. U. is incorrect.
Soon after the passage of the law, a
standard" with the Superintendent's
signature of approval, was sent out by
Mrs. Hunt in connection with other
suggestions and instructions, to the
superintendent of the W. c. I. U.
Throughout the State, for their informa.
ton in securing the enforcement of the
law. 1t was not sent to school officials
or teachers as such, nor was any at
tempt made to represent it as an Off
cial proclamation of the Department of
Public Instruction.
.. The published statements of the
cost of text books are grossly eXagger-
ated. The State Report shows that
243, Pa children are enrolled in the
public schools, with an average atten-
dance of $50, . Educational experts
declare that sixty per cent. of the school
children never get beyond the primary
grade and only five per cent. of those
who enter this grade graduate from the
high school. AS text books are not re-
quired i'll the lowest grade, it follows
that books need be provided only for
the 1900 in the highest grade and for
$1,000 in the intermediate department.
Some districts are already using books
of the character required so that it
seems probable that the expenses for
introducing the needed text books for
the entire State will be less than $50.
900 and as a book should last three
years, the average expense per year
would be about SIC, 600. When We re-
member that the cost Of crime directly
due to the use of alcoholic liquors is
yearly many times this sum, it would
be good policy to teach our children the
dangers arising from iutoXicants, and
thus save property, reputation and life.
And when W e further consider that
; about S50,000,0 900 is annually spent in
New Jersey for strong drink, it would
seem as if the amount necessary to in.
troduce the p~hysiologies desired was
the merest triae imaginable.
6. Under the terms of the law any
citizen is competent to demand its Gu.
forcement, under penalty of the for.
FIXTURE Of the State school moneys by
the district offending. The people OF
the State asked for this law and they
do not propose to see its admirable pro-
visions nullifed without taking steps to
defend their clear legal rights.
I. The word ''authorized" appear.
ing on II of the approved series Of
books is not any special sign of approx
al from any organization or from Mrs
Hunt.
On behalf of the General Committee
W. L. HoNEYMAN,
a. NELSON HoLLIFIELD, D. d
WM. H, BEACH,
EMMA BOURNE,
f. NORRIS FERGUSON.
STATE NEWS.
The Merchantville Record is the titls
of q bright, newsy paper that made it!
Initial appearance on Saturday week.
llammonton now has a Democrat,
master the frat Dractical nboan,