The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-07-14
DIRECTORS HOT
Accuse the Board of Finance
Of Impairing the Cause
Of Education.
DELAYED SCHOOL REPAIRS
Mulvaney Introduces Resolu-
ton Protesting Against
Financiers' Action.

The Board of Education last eVenals
openly charged the Board of Finance
with obstructing the making OF necessary
repairs to school buildings during the
summer vacation by delaying acton ON
making the required appropriation OF
money for the work, and by appointing as
architect to report what repairs are
needed an incompetent person. Ihls &c
zion on the part of the Board of Educa-
tion was called forth by the receipt OF a
notice from the Board Of Finance Oh
the appointment of William F. Griflng
as architect to inspect the various build
ings and report TO hat Board what re-
pairs are required to be made
President Mulvaney called Director
Ward to the chair. In no gentle terms he
criticized the action of the Board of FL
nance as showing bad faith in the Board
of Education n impairing the cause of
education. He sa~id:-"After a great deal
Of labor. loss of perspiration and sleep
the committees on the different schools
submitted to the. Board of Finance esti-
mates OF the cost of the required repairs
to the school buildings, that the work
might be begun at the commencement Of
vacation. One member of the Board Of
Finance suggested the appointment of an
architect TO inspect the buildings and re-
port to that Board what repairs were
needed. This was early in June. at which
time the estimates prepared by the COM
mfttees were received by that Board,
which at once began to bubble, first
claiming it had no right or means to
mako an appropriation of the amount
asked for, and then that it could only
provide for emergency repairs.
ITO relieve the Board of Finance of all
embarrassment the Board of Education
reduced the amount of the estimate
$50, 600. which had been put in for ordi-
nary repairs, leaving only what Is actual
~ necessary for emergency repairs, since
the Board of Finance took no action until
the ffth of July when 1t appointed w. F.
Grifing as the architect.
Now" said President Mulvaney, "I
wish TO protest against the appointment
OF Mr.. Grifing, he not being an architect,
only a mason-a good one, I'll admit, but
totally unqualified for the duty he was
appointed TO perform. He himself frank
" disclaims all knowledge of plumbing
work and heating apparatus, simply un-
derstanding to perfection mason work
with some slight knowledge of carpen-
tering.
In face. of the fact that the school
committees, from their own observation
and information, received from the jani-
tors of the several schools, know just
what is required, this action of the
Board of Finance is disrespectful to the
Board of Education and should be re-
buked. The appointment by the Board of
Finance of a bricklayer to look after
plumbing work; a plasterer to attend to
the repairing of tin roofs, shows a lack
of good faith and an intention to pre-
vent the necessary repairing of the school
buildings
Director Cullen said:-"The President
has very clearly stated the situation. It
seems to me the Board of Finance, in
the appointment it has made, does NOT in
tend to carry out the wishes of the Board
OF Education, which cannot make its pro-
test too vigorous. The member of this
Board are fully as competent to judge
of what repairs are needed to the school
buildings and have submitted them frank
" and clearly. If the Board of Finance
possesses such good judgment and mirac-
ulous power it might evolve a plan to
replace with new and suitable school
NAAC IA IA lGlt1c1ldCh1C
structures
He questioned the sincerity of the
Board of Finance in its promises and
said he doesn't expect much to come
from them. THE so-called architect APP
pointed has thus far visited only one
school building" he said. "At this rate,
by the time he visits all, it viii be time
for the children to return to schoo and
no repairs whatever will be made
Director Birdsall said that if the Board
of Finance was acting in this manner
for the purpose of keeping down the tax
rate, in his opinion the people would not
stand by them.
Director Kennedy said he met Mr.. Griff-
ing at No. 81 School,. He had with him the
list of repairs proposed by the commit
tee on that school, and said that only
about three out of the whole lot would
be made. All the new windows asked for
would not be provided and the old ones
would be patched up. He said there
would be nc use for him to report to the
Board of Finance all that is wanted for
they would not hear to it. Director Ken
needy said that in his opinion the money
expended for the repairs Mr.. Grifing said
would be made would be wasted.
President Mulvaney said he would offer
to the Board of Finance the suggestion
that it would be cheaper to buy old hats
than glass and plug the windows up with
them. He then offered the following reso-
hutton, which was adopted by unanimous
vote
Resolved, That we protest against the
action Of the Board of Finance in delay
ing action with regard to repairs to pub
Tic school buildings and in the appoint
ment or a mechanic as architect, Who is
not qualified to act as an architect"
RFpCf6dnf Nj 1IXrln nay 1fdy thar In = "a hrf
Justice to the Board for him to state
that the delay in getting the appropria-
ton made for repairs to No. 10 School
building and to provide accommodations
and transportation for the pupils Of No.
20 School was attributable. solely to the
inacffon of the Board of Finance. the ap-
plication having been made in April last.
The appropriation has just been made and
placed In the hands of the Board Of Edu-
cation which has, he said, been unjustly
criticised for the delay.