The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-11-16
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Steps Taken to Improve
Sanitary Condition Of
No. IL School.

The Board of Education, at its last
meeting, adopted an emergency resolution
requesting the Finance Board to appro-
pirate 81, 400 for the construction of an in
dependent sewer from school No. II to
communipaw avenue. The school build
ing is in a bad sanitary condition; so bad,
health of the pupils. All emergency reso-
lutions require the concurrence of the
Board of Aldermen. Last night the Alder
men concurred in the resolution. Mayor
Hoos is interested, in the proceedings. Yes
terday he sent a letter to the Street and
Water Board urging that the suggested
sewer be built without delay. The Street
and Sewer Committee held an executive
session after the regular meeting and de-
cided to construct the sewer as soon as
practicable. Yesterday afternoon a
committee from the Board Of Education
met with the Health Board to discuss The
situation.
Health Inspector Benjamin is inclined to
c~riticise Principal Joslin for the course he
has pursued. Nj. Joslin insists that
there are only five known cases of
diphtheria in the school,. Inspector Ben
jamin has positive knowledge that nine-
teen cases exist, and he further asserts
that he knows of thirty-tWo children VINO
are now detained from school because
their symptoms are suspicious. 1t is
customary for principals to notify the
Health Board by postal card when any
thing goes wrong in school. Many prln-
cipals, when they discover Children are Ie-
manning away from school notify the
Board of Health so that IN investigation
may be made without delay. The liz
spector further declares that in no other
school than No. u could a disease nave
spread without the AUTHORITIES having full
information. No. 4 and No. u Schools are
cited by the Inspector as models of what
all schools should be in relation to the
speedy detection of an outbreak. The In
spectOr hints very broadly that an effort
was apparently made to conceal the I u
condition of affairs.
There is no particular desire on the part
of the Inspector, or any one elst soA-
cerned, to close the schools, but Inspector
Benjamin insists for safety's sake the
primary department should be closed tenn
porarily or until such time as all danger
is passed.
In investigating the case Inspector BEN
jamin found many things which he niair-
tains should not exist in a well Ieguiateq
school building. For instance, he found
that the pupils pile their wraps one on
top of the other in a corner. Tnat. ne
holds. is d particularly inJudicious tnihS
to do in view of the fact that a c~ontagious
disease exists among the pupils. TIE un-
sanitary condition Of tie bEtldir@ Is 20
lieved 10 be due to some measure TO the
existence of an old spring under the base
meut floor. The water HoNs nom " @iid
having no outlet s~tagnates. In that Way
disease germs are scattered throughout
the building.
It is thought that a renovation and dis
infection of the school. and the constrnc-
ton of an independent sewer which viii
better drain the building and carry Oh the
spring water, viii remedy the existing
trouble. The disease is well IN hand, the
health officers say. They also declare
that there is no immediate cause for