The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-11

SCHOOLS FOR ALL.
Mr.. Benny's Measure to Pro-
vide an Education for
Poor Children.
HARD FIGHT TO SAVE THE BILL
Republicans Object to Bayonne
Mans Project to Educate
the Masses.
lard FIGHT TO SAVE THE BILL
Especial to -.The Jersey city News."l

I O}SlI Ills CCltOol pltl. AAA1 tNe''1 49, -
off with a long preamble. which sets forth
| that
Whereas, According to the census of the
ninety-six, and the report OF the State
Board of Education and of the State SUI
| perintendent of Instruction OF New Jer.
sey, for said year, there in the STATE OF
| New Jersey, four hundred and thirty
eight thousand nine hundred and sixty
nine (43S, 96y children of school age, Wniie
accommodation is provided by the puOnc
| schools of this State for only two hun
| bred and seventy thousand and sixty
eight (270,06S) children. while eightyrnlne
| thousand two hundred and one (S9,2OD
children in this State attend no school,
and that the school buildings IN the cites
of this State are ov~ercrowded, and that
| eighty thousand or more children OF TINS
State are unable to gain Abundance TO
the public schools because OF the lack OIL
accommodation, and such children are,
therefore, entirely unable to attain TO the
advantages of that common schooi edu-
cation which it is the aim of the state
of New Jersey to extend to all OF It's chill
Whereas, The lack of school
dation in the cities of this State has
been notorious for years past and has
been dweit upon in the reports OF TIE
| such municipalities of this State year at
ter year; and
Whereas, The result of the above condi-
ton of the public schools of this State IS
disastrous to the children now growing
up, and prejudiciaI to the interests Of the
State, in that children who are unable to
obtain admission to the schools are, IN
! most instances, thereby driven to the
streets, where an education is usually OBJ
tanned which afterwards detracts large
materially assists in filling all State IN
stitutions other than the public schools;
and
Whereas, the above named condition of
the public schools is at its worst in the
districts of the municipalities in this
State inhabited by poor people, VINO must
Il @-N 49, lo Aek ~ ttrrlxr ttr.nT, fha n
schools for the education of their chill
dren; and
Whereas, The people of this State not
only intend and desire that the privilege
of a common school education should be
extended to all the children of New Jer-
sey, but have caused to be enacted laws
compelling children to attend the public
schools, for the purpose of such educa-
ton; and
Whereas, The constitution of the State
of New Jersey in article w, section VII,
paragraph six, provides as follows
1.-The Legislature shall provide for the
maintenance and support OF a thorough
and efficient system of free public
schools for the instruction of all the chill.
dren in this State between the ages of
five and eighteen years.: therefore
Be it enacted by the Senate and GEN
eral Assembly of the State Of New Jer-
Sey.-
1t shall be the duty of the principal or
other person having charge and control of
any private, parochial or other school in
the several cities of this State, excepting,
however, the public schools of New Jer-
sey, to file on or before the fifteenth day
the city clerk of the city in which said
school is situate, a statement, under
oath, of the number of pupils. in such
school on the first day of October next
preceding the time above limited for the
filing of such statement.
1t shall be the duty of the city clerk
of the several cities OF this State to care-
fully file and preserve all statements filed
with him under section one % of this act.
1t shall be the duty of the Board of Edu-
cation or other body having charge and
control of the several cities of this State
to cause to be determined on or before
the first day of November in each year,
the number of children in their respective
cities for whom school accommodations
shall be furnished, such determination to
be made by the following calculation,
namely:-Add together the number of
children enrolled in the private, .parochial
and other schools excepting the public
schools of New Jersey in their respective
cities, as shown by the certificates nled
in the city clerks office of their respective
cities under the provision of section one
% of this act: subtract such number
SO added from the whole number of chill
dren of school age, as shown by the school
Genius last preceding the time of the
making of the calculation mentioned in
this third section of this act, and seventy
five per centum of the number remaining
after such subtraction shall constitute
the number for whom school accommodate
ton for the whole of each school day
shall be provided.
The Board of Education or other body
having charge and control of the public
schools of the several cities of this State
shall cause to be erected and furnished
within one year after the time limited
for the making of the calculation pre-
scribed by the third section of this act,
proper and sufficient school buildings nee
essary to accommodate the number of
children for whom accommodation is di-
rected to be provided by section three of
this act, and for the purpose of such cree
ton may purchase the necessary land,
and each class room in such school build
ing shall provide for each pupil to be ac-
commodated therein, not less than two
hundred cubic feet of air space and not
less than fifteen square feet of floor sur
face.
The common council or other body hav-
ing charge and control of the finances of
the several cities in this State shall pro-
vide forthwith the necessary sum or
sums of money for the purpose of pur-
chasing lands and erecting thereon such
building or buildings and furnishing the
same, or for the purpose of erecting and
furnishing such building or buildings up
on lands owned by said city, or for the
purpose of adding to or altering any pub
lie school building or buildings already
erected. and furnishing such addition to
such building or furnishing such building
or buildings after said alteration, upon
the requisition of the Board of Education
or other body having charge and control
of the public schools of said several cit
les, respectively, for the same; and for
the purpose of providing such sum or
sums of money, such common council or
other governing body is by this act au-
thorized to issue bonds for such sum or
sums of money, which bonds may be cou-
pom or registered; shall be payable in not
less than ten years nor more than TWEEN
ty years from the late of their issue,
and shall bear interest at not less than
five per centum per anuum, payable half
yearly; they shall be signed by the May
or, countersigned by the City Treasurer
or other chief financial officer of the
der the seal of the city, and shall be
sold for not less than par and accrued
interest.
In case of the neglect or refusal of any
or either of the municipal bodies men
toned in this act to carry out the pro-
visions of this act, it shall be the duty
of the, superintendent of instruction of
of mandamus, or otherwise to compel
such municipal body to carry out such
provisions, ard such superintendent of in
struction may call upon the Attorney
| General or other officer of this State to
| assist him in such proceedings, and it is
by this act declared to be the duty of
fine Attorney General or other officer.
when called upon by the superintendent
Of instruction as aforesaid, to assist the
said superintendent in such proceedings.
There shall be included in the tax levy
in such city ~annually the interest upon
| said bonds for that year and also a sum
| equal to two per centum of the principal
| thereof which sum shall be paid into a
| special linking fund of such city and be
invested and re-invested, IN order to pro-
| vide for the payment of the bonds at ma
turity.
Mr.. Benny took the floor and after ex-