The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-12-05
HIGH SCHOOL site
Discussed Last Night by
Merchants Protective
Association.
HARRISONESTATEAPPROVED
Oakland Avenue Rink and
Lots in Bergen Section
Also Mentioned.

Considerable time was devoted to a
discussion of the High School site at
last nights meeting of the Merchants
Protective Association, at the Avenue
House. Various sites were discussed, but
the action of the Board of Education in
recommending the purchase Of the Har-
rison estate was finally endorsed by a
vote of s to 8.
More than half a dozen of the mem
bers refused to vote on any site. Mr.
James e. Banks brought the matter be
fore the association. He called attention
to the fact that various organizations OF
business men and property owners had
endorsed the Board of Educators rec
o~mmendation of the Harrison estate site,
land he considered it but proper that the
association should take some stand on
the question. He himself favored the
Harrison estate site and after arguing
the advantage of it's location he moved
that the secretary be directed to COM
municate with the Street and Water
Board, Board of Finance and the Mayor
and inform them that the association
favored that site. The motion was sec
onded by Andrew J. Knox.
Alderman Howeth said he thought the
Board of Education and the Board OF
| Finance fully competent to act IN the
matter of choosing a site There were
| several serious objections, he urged, to
the Harrison estate site, one of which
is the proposed cut for the Erie Rail-
way tracks through a portion of that
property; the noise of passing trains, DUR
49, +Lo ~ ~. r1nnfhc when the WIN
| dows would naturally be OPEN, would In
| ~terfere with the studies of the children
and showers of cinders were likely to be
| almost continually floating through the
| windows. THE question Of the view
which the high location promises, ABOUT
which so much has been heard, ne con-
| sidered more or less farcical; ne saw notn-
! ing beautiful in meadows, half filled IN
with garbage.
MT. Beach said that undoubtedly the
site would be located somewhere near the
brow of the hill. He did not think a better
site thar the Harrison estate could pc
| selected. He did not believe that the rail
road would interfere; the site considered
was the most central. Il think" he said,
sit would be a wise thing for us to en-
dorse the Harrison estate. If we have
any influence let US. throw it in that al
rection."
Andrew J. Knox said:-"I have SUI
preme confidence in the Board OF Educa-
tidn in this matter. I believe the Har-
rison estate site the most elevated one we
can get in a central location. Not a more
suitable one can be found in the city, and
1 believe this association would do lssel1
a good turn in endorsing the acton Oh
the Board of Education
William G. Meyer said:-"I believe there
is a better location than the Harrison
estate site. nave no personal interest IN
the matter and am not connected with any
one who has. / think / can recommend a
site, just a little better than the Harrison
estate site. and that is the site of the old
Oakland Rink. There are not many houses
in the vicinity and the property can be
bought at a reasonable figure. No trolley
car tracks would be run in front Of 1t, yet
it can be reached from all sections of the
city for one fve-cent c~arfare. Some OBJ
lection has been raised against such close
proximity to a police station, but | can't
see that that objection mounts to much;
in fact, l should think it would have a
tendency to improve the discipline of the
children.
Mr.. Meyer also alluded to the old swamp
at the foot of the Harrison estate as an
Objectionable feature. He said that the
associations experience in holding their
food shows at the old rink had demon
s1trated that it was the best place for gel
ting people from every section Of the
county. He said that the Oakland RIM
site had not been given the consideration
it merited. Even from a sanitary point
of view its location was superior to the
Harrison estate site. 'If we would throw
our influence in favor of the Oakland
Rink Site" he said, 1--WE would not make
a mistake"
Mr.. Banks, who offered the motion en-
dorsing the Harrison estate site, said
that he was almost convinced that Mr..
Meyer was right; he thought both were
good sites.
Mr.. Beach called attention to the fact
that the meadows were fast filing up n
in a short time, he said, there would be
no swamps. He said the Harrison estate
site is higher tina the Oakland Rink site
and its drainage is unsurpassed. He had
seen the Oakland avenue sites condition
such that it almost required rowboats IN
OIQ6T TO get dDOul III llS fiCiiiltt. 49,
he said, howeve might be overcome by
the new Hoboken avenue sewer now in
course Of construction. Mr.. Beach said he
still believed in the Harrison estate.
Sumner Smith, a member of the Ninth
Ward Democratic Club opposed both sites,
saying, he could see nothing inviting
about either of them, he thought the
school should be located in the
Bergen section, where there are several
admirable sites n where the school
children would not ave to pass SO many
saloons. Mr.. Smith called attention to
the fact that in few cities in the union
would the members find High Schools
located in the business Sections.
Mr.. Knox, wanted to know of Mr..
Smith, If he would like to see a school in
the vicinity of the Junction or the coal
docks.
The subject was also discussed pro and
con by Messrs Leroy, Anderson and DAILY.
and a vote taken with the result above
recorded.
William G. Meyer. of the committee APP
pointed to investigate the credit reporting
system in vogue in Newark, reported that
the committee had spent three hours in
Newark interviewing the managers and
the committee was favorably impressed
with it. however, the committee thought