The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1894-07-24

FROM all parts of the county come com
plants about the new school law, which
virtually went into effect last week, when
the recently-elected Boards of Education
organized. While there are several good
points in the statute there are also great
many obnoxious features, and the bill
should be repealed or amended SO as to
give better satisfaction. In towns and
cities where the schools are easy of &C
cess, with good walking and all other
circumstances favorable, there will not be
any noticeable change, but the greatest in
convenience will be felt in the country.
Take Westampton as an instance. Under
the district system, that township had
three school houses. Under the new law,
it now has but two-one on the Jackson
Vile road and one at Timbuctoo. The
county superintendent is empowered to
permit the children living in the West
ampton portion of Rancocas. to attend
school in that town, but if, for any rea-
son, he declines, the pupils must go to
one of the schools in Westampton. AS
they would naturally select that on the
Jacksonville road, distant about six miles
from the homes of large number, the
township would be compelled to furnish
means of conveyance. That this would
be expensive is plain to the most casual
observer, and the claim that under the
new system there will be more economi-
cal expenditures receives black eye in
this one item. Another item ofincreased
expenditure will be the salaries of Dis
trict Clerks. Lumberton township has
had five Of these officers, paying them
about SIS each. Now they must have
only one. He will be compelled to travel
from one end of the township to the other,
and his salary will certainly be SLOGAN
advance of S25. Take this ratio through
out the state, and see how much economy
there will be. Again, there is claim
that under the provision requiring but
one set of trustees it will be easier to find
n ne men who have the interests of edu-
cation at heart than three men in each
district under the old system. That may
be so, but it is doubtful if as much atten-
ton will be given as heretofore. Take
the township of Lumberton again. Under
the old system it had 10 trustees, each
district having three men in its own
neighborhood. Now there are nine and
they have been spportioned as equally as
possible to the districts, four of which have
two residents, the fifth district having
one. These men will have charge of their
own balliwicks, so that instead of three
men as heretofore, two will control, and
in one case one man will be supreme, for
it is not common sense to suppose that
the entire board will take the trouble to
frequently travel the many miles that the
district covers. Nearly all of the objec-
tions come from the rural districts. which
are entitled to great consideration. And
there are 80 many that several columns
might be used in giving their publicity.
The following is sample of some of the
letters received by THE News. 1t is from
a prominent citizen of the county, who
says: 81 take it to be the duty of every
reputable citizen to take every measure
possible to have this foolish and expensive
law repealed at the earliest date, and not
to vote for any nominee for the Legisla-
ture who will not pledge himself to vote
for repeal, provided it is not done at the
special session. The public would be
,,laasad fo know the WINS and wherafores
from the instgator of this bill" The OBJ
iections are not all confined to this section,
either. Charles K. lands, of Vlneland
has given notice of his intention to test
the constitutionality of the law. One OF
his points is that the Legislature had no
right to legislate out of office the trustees
a1aeted nv the peOple