The Penn's Grove record., 1894-10-19
The School Law Condemned.

In last weeks Sunbeam Bro. HWynne
fully exposed the Objectionable feature
to the new school law. One who has
not had some management of the c0ul-
try schools are not aware of The UNI
necessary tax imposed by the law max.
ing the township school system, and
not the free book law, which wasa sep
arate act.
If the free book act is such an ex-
cellent thing why did not the people
find it out and have free books in mtrt
places? The old law allowed them Il
vote free books if they wished. 1t wa'
a matter of choice with the people but
now it is compulsory and the property
holder must stand and deliver. Bu'
that is not objected to by Bro. Gwynne
as the people are willing to make i'm
provements when necessary as is shown
by the payment of special school take
III Salem, Penn's Grove and elsewhere
The old law provides that where /
district receives over S. per child ant
MORE than $3.50 the trustees may usi
the surplus, with the consent Of tin
County Superintendent, for inci1enta
expenses. He grants this privilege on
iy when it will not be a detrimeut t
to the school. Salem county has no.
only been maintaining as good a schoO
system as other counties but has pait
TO help other counties educate thei,
children on an average $2,415 for lht
past ten years. Notwithstanding thi.
amount given away each district il
Salem county has received from S6.3l
to 500 per child.
In but three or four districts outside
of the graded schools in Salem aut
Penn's Grove, the amount received has
been sufficient 10 not only maintain
schools as good as the average county
schools throughout the State, but L
pay all current incidental expenses tina
have arisen, without imposing an extrt
district school tax OH the people. hi!
has been done without stintiug tht
teachers salaries as the Sunbeam shows
that Salem county pays an average
teachers salary greater tlan thirteeI
other counties, and is exceeded only
by the counties like Hudson, Essex,
Mercer with populous cities. This il
after giving away thousands of dollars
to other counties.
by striking out this section IL great
injustice was done the tax payers fol-
only $40 car now be used for fuel. Ii
a pump, fence, step, eraser, broom &C.,
is needed a special tax must be Imposed,
while formerly all these were bought
out of the State school fund without a
special tax and the expense of assessing
and collecting it.
An illustration. During the two
years and three months we were a trus-
tee of the Cove school the County Su-
p%erintendent allowed the trustees TO
use from the State and County school
fund for cleaning, clerking, census
painting. dictionary and holder, globe,
maps, insurance, new step, broom,
erasers, and other incidental expenses.
Sl72.19. This was done without stint.
ing the teachers salary, for year before
last $500 salary was paid; last year,
$50; tins year $500. When the books
We're handed over to tie Township
Board there were over $500 on hand.
Under The new law none of this $500
can be used nor none of the Sl72.Ig
could have been used for these purpog-
es. The property owners would have
had to pay an extra tax besides assess
ing and collecting when there was mon
ey on hand and an efficient school main
tanned. These incidental bills will
amount to al enormous sum in The
County for which the property owners
will have to pay when there is no ne
c%essity for doing so.
THIS is a fair illustration of the in.
justice done the property owners by the
new school law passed by the last lyg.s.
lature. There ale many other points,
such as the dividing of districts, leay.
ing a few children in an old district
while the township III which the school
house stands has TO maintain the prop.
erty while most of the State money
goes into an adjoining township or
town. Where districts have debts it is
put on others who have paid for their
school property and others are taxed
for school purposes.