The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-08-22
LAW GIVES TROUBLE
Rural Communities Per-
picked Over the New
School Statute.
BLAME THE REPUBLICANS
Still Clinging to the Old Plan in
Some DISTRICTS the Line
of Economy.
BLAME THE REPUBLICANS
sneein1to the .Ierseu city Ne1rs.

tbe new school law is cropping out IN
many places throughout the State. Ihere
is scarcely a county but has IN II
some community that is wrestling with
the question whether it is a good or PAD
law and whether it's reforms are gen
uine or otherwise.
rho state School Department does not
hesitate to say that there is much KICK
ing and many objections raised about
the law, but not as much as was expect
ed bv them. The new township law
practically upsets the old fashioned
school district traditions and customs IL
the breaking up of these old time ar
rangements there have been troupies Vi
all kinds. and no two troubled COM
munities seem to have the same srlef-
anees.
In Warren county, where there are
old fashioned farmers, the chlef emu ol
whose existence has been to be a gooo
trustee and be emulated by the rlsihs
generation for the part they look III ar
ranging for the shooting OF young IDEAS
there is an open and avowed declara-
tion against the new tangled scheme
contained in the bill. Some of the farm
ers in Warren lay up these new order
of things to the Republican party, De-
cailse the new law was passed by a
Republican Legislature.
REPUBLICANS SCARED.
The Republican County Executive COM
mittee have actually begun a mpals
of education, to show that there is no
politics in the bill and that it was en-
acted by the school authorities OF the
State, and is only swinging New Jersey
into the same educational lines as
adopted in other States.
Z While this fairly represents the condl-
lions that exists very largely in Warren
and Sussex counties, probably no toWn-
ship feels it SO keenly as in Oxford toWn7
maintained under the district system ana
efficient school trustees secured at al
elections. The last election was Tar from
being satisfactory to the farmers, il tns
JDper end of the township, leaving the
shore end of the township unrepresent-
ed. Some of the Republicans are claln-
oring for a repeal of the law and inc
Democrats are shrewd enough to assist
the continuation of the discomfort and
d~isapproval that have been expressed.
IN MERCER COUNTY.
In Mercer county a different state OF
affairs exist in Hopewell township. The
villages of Hopewell and Pennington
both had excellent graded schools moo . man man
PeU uHlc lhC
were in direct rivalry with each otnel:
Under the township system the feeling
of rivalry has been destroyed and the
situation very much complicated, pe,
cause the citizens of the township Will
not sustain the new trustees by max
ing appropriations necessary TOT tne
maintenance of the school and the pur-
chase of the free text books.
They claim that the opposition is MAIN
ly against free text books law, put
the disposition of the people to throw oo-
-, - fln nnNU frIIQTRQS
rose out of the general dissatisfaction
with the new order of things. The new
board has called a second meeting OF
the citizens for the purpose of getting
them to make an, appropriation, and, If
they take the same stand they dld at me
last meeting, it is quite possible ina
there will be no funds for the openlns on
the schools in September, because the
state authorities have it within their
power not to forward State money in the
event Of the local authorities not making
any provisions for themselves.
TROUBLE ON FOOT.
In Deerfield township, Cumberland
county, there is trouble on foot, which
County Superintendent Hampton is try
mony in the facts appertaining to the
last election for new trustees. me
grounds of the contest are that the date
of the election was not legally adver-
tised. and the election not legally con-
| Quoted; and that there were more votes
| cast thar there were names on the poli.
ing LIST. and that persons WHO were HOt
legally entitled to vote We're allowed to
| participate in the election. A sitting
| out of the evidence shows that eight of
the men elected have a legal rlgnt 10
| tween Aaron Rodesky and Joseph Fra
lenger, both having received the same
number of votes. Rodesky has been re-
turned as elected, but the Superintend-
| ent declared his seat vacant.
The situation in this township is made
interesting because it has in 1T a num-
- TAxxy nv Ar,t a r6 thou
| made quite an effort to secure a major
ity of the members of the new Board Of
Trustees, and because they did so this
contest was. made. 1t is probable that
Rodesky will not be allowed to retain
= LAW misunderstood.
At the office OF the State Superintend-
superintendent, ]. B. Belts. stated that
the law was very generally misunder-
stood; that too many did not take the
what was told them as representing its
action. There is no doubt but that it
has created some trouble in localities.
would. considering the sweeping changes
that it made. There is no doubt bu.
that an effort will be made to have it
| repealed, unless changes are made in
other townships, like ave been made in
| Bloomfield, where. when the provisions
of the act were first applied, there was
much opposition and a general denoun nc
! lltH III liS law -
township expressed themselves very free
ly to Assemblyman George 2. Olcott,
who stood sponsor for the measure. They
threatened him with al sorts of politi:
cal punishment, but today the same men
who denounced the law are heartily
In favor of it and would not return
\ again to the old district system. The
election of trustees so far nave been
/ satisfactory and the reports that come
to headquarters show that some good
men have been selected.
BETTER THAN THE OLD.
This much can be said of the system,
and that is that the States that have
adopted it have never returned to the
District school system. 1t being such
a radica one, it naturally brought out
strong criticism, and it was enacted
more to assist the rural schools where
the Improvement has been slow, and 1t
was a question with the department
whether the country schools We're not
actually deteriorating. By this law there
will be equal school privileges with
equal school burden. The poorer sec
ton of the township will be helped out
BY the wealthier. It will also ensure
State requires that all schools receiving
public money shall be kept open nine
II $50 L. 10 fhn rronr ~ Tia nxrn * nf