The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-12
- ~ &DE
LITTLE ITALY WINS
Hoboken Public Schools May
Be Used for Instruc-
ton IN the Italian
Tongue.
GROSS OFFICIAL STUPIDITY
Little Ones Kept shiyering in the
Cold, Last Night-Russ'
Change Of Front.
GROSS OFFICIAL STUPIDITY

About three months ago prominent
residents Of h italian colony in Hobo
ken discovered tina the italian children
in the district were growing up without
being able to speak their native language.
A mass meeting was held and a commit-
tee of fifteen was appointed to make ar
rangements to Instruct the children.
This committee was composed of Health
Commissions Fuggazi. Health Inspector
GranneIh. John and Angelo Podesta, Hen
ry y. Kafarata. Charles Girani, Con-
tractor vezzati, Louis -Garivaldi, Water
Commissioners Guaraglia n Captain
Alrata, and these gentlemen represented
S2,500,000snf taxable property.
They requested permission from Presi-
dent Edward Russ of the School Board to
use a room in School No. 8 for a night
session. and they saio they would pay
for the janitors, seryice.t, supply books
and engage teachers. This would i'm
pose no extra xpense on the city
According to members of the commit
tee Mr.. Russ gave permission and circu-
lars were sentsout telling parents of the
chance to send their children to the
schools. ssi So 19ys
Last night was the time fixed for in
struction to b~eginnwith. About $50 to
oU lldildu cuifufeu Sdtlercu dl tAS oSOiS
of No. 3 School. When the members of
the committee arrived they found the
children standing in front of the school
shivering in the cold air. The commit
tee was informed by the children that
the janitor would not permit them to en-
ter the building.
The committeeman visited the janitor
and they were informed by him that Mr..
Russ had rescinded the order allowing
them to have the use of the room. h
children were told to go home and the
committee marched up to No. 1 School,
where the Board of Education was in ses-
sion.
They at once tackled Mr.. Russ. Most
of the School Commissioners were adj
verse to granting a permit for the use of
the room. One of them, however, Ar
thu J.. Phaelan. said that he was in favor
of granting the request and that if his
colleagues were not he would introduce
a resolution in the melting granting the
permit. Commissioners Kennedy and
Kerr were soon won over to Mr.. Phae-
lan's side. and when the star chamber
proceedings ended and the Board con-
yened the rest of the Board had decided
sary permission was given.
President Russ refused to have any
thing to say about the matter. When
told that the Italians had accused him of
breaking his word with them he neither
denied or affirmed it. The other Com
missioners were equally reticent, except
Mr., Phaelan, who said that Mr.. Kerr
and Mr.. Kennedy were willing to stand
with him from the first in granting the
request of the Italians.
AT 1915 the Board got dow TO work.
A communication from State Superinten-
dent OF Schools Charles A. Baxter in
formed the Board that the State Institute
Of school teachers would be held on
Friday, the 18th inst. at No. 9 school.
closing of the schools for that day as
all teachers are required to be present.
AT the next meeting a committee of
two will be appointed to look after the
interests of the Hoboken School Board
at Trenton A resolution to that effect
was adopted last night.
The Board endorsed the action of the
teachers of the northern section of New
Jersey in petitioning the Legislature to
erect a Normal School either at Jersey
City, Newark or Orange. It was also
agreed to purchase the property at the
The meeting then adjourned,