The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-15
SCHOOL PUZZLE.
Board Of Education's Special.
Meeting to Provide for
Greenville Scholars.
PROPOSAL TO HIRE HALLS
The Finance Board Will Meet
Tonight to Make an
Appropriation.

A special>meetin of the Board of Edu-
cation was held yesterday afternoon in
the Mayors private ONCE. Thu meeting
was called for the purpose of devislng
means by which the children now deprived
of a school can be accommodated in the
Greenville section. In response to tele-
phone and telegraph messages sent to the
various member of the Board. Directors
higgins, Mersheimer. Nirnmo, Mulvaney,
Firm .and Quinn were present. Superin-
tendent Snyder, Finance Commissions
Simpson and Mayor Hoos were also on
hand when the meeting began shortly
after three o'clock.
The Mayor questioned the members as
to the amount of the annual appropriation
left, and after a rather short discussion
1t was decided to consult with the Board
of Finance. A special meeting of that
body will be held tonight at eight o'clock.
1t was also decided to call another meet
ing of the Board of Education for this
evening, when all the Directors will lave
9 chance to be present and express their
views in regard to accommodations for the
Greenville youngsters. This meeting will
be held at seven o'clock. At the con-
c4uSlOu lQ6 HlGLiD0IS Wlik flSit JIG lldiiIC
Board and express their opinion on the
matter. The Finance Commissioners are
expected to appropriate enough money to
provide for the children.
Mr.. Simpson told the directors that he.
had examined the ruined building in a
most thorough manner. In reply to a
question as to whether the annex could
not be hurriedly rebuilt for school pur-
poses, he said that the walls would have
to come down as far as the first floor,
as it would be unsafe to use the standing
walls. He added that scarcely a dozen
seats and benches were saved from the
flames and that the whole school was a
total wreck. The members spoke of visit
ing the burned building, but some one
suggested that the members might get
stalled n freeze to death. The plan
was abandoned.
The plans mapped out by the Board, as
neal as can be a~scertained. will provide
for the hiring of a numbe of halls in
Greenville in which to hold school ses-
sions. There are at least half a dozen
buildings suitable for this purpose and all
are neal the old schoolhouse site. CO.
lumbia Hall, at Ocean and Gator ave-
nues, will accommodate nine hundred
youngsters, and then there are Belvedere
Hall, Bamber Hall and several smaller
halls, so there need be no lack of room.
All the members said yesterday that this
plan was the only way out Of the present
predicament.
While the conference was still on, the
Mayor brought up the question of No.
II School and inquired how far the work
had proceeded and what had been done.
Architect Dickinson was on hand to ex-
plain the cause of the delay, which he
did in a very forcible manner He said
that the school could be put in condition
for use in three lays if the work was
pushed, but hat the contractor. Neil
Campbell, let matters go along in q slip
shod manner
If this continues he said, the school
won't be ready for occupancy in three
years. I ave repeatedly urged the CON-
tractor to push the work, but he pays
no attention to my appeals. Only last
Thursday I mentioned the matter.
"The work is now fourteen days behind
time. The weather should not Interfere
with operations and in three days the
work could be finished II men were put
to work. The work has practically been
abandoned. and the building is full of rub
bish. The completion of the building is
delayed by the contractor and he has re-
peatedly ignored any requests to hurry
the work.
Mr.. Dickinson was asked what work re-
maine to be done. He said the toilet
room in the yard and the work in the
basement.
Mr.. higgins said he understood that
the contractor was delayed for about six
days because of the action of the Board
Of Health, in compelling the contractor
to put in an additional sewer.
Mayor Hoos remarked that the matter
needed immediate attention, as the city
was forced to pay $40 a day for Has
brouck Hall, while the school Is UNDER
going repairs.
Mr.. Mersheimer remarked that, he UNI
derstood the walls and the roof were in
bad condition. The architect explained
that the roof was bad and that the cell
ings in several rooms were in poor eondi-
ton. He added, however, that many of
the schoo rooms could be used while the
work of repairing the roof and ceiling was
going IN. All he wanted, he said, was to
have the ontractor finish his work and
the other work will be attended to I'M
medfately.
It was finally decided to serve the con-
tractor with a three days notice, to the
effect. that if at the end of that time
the work is not finished, it will be done
BY the city at his expense. This notice
viii be served as soon as possible, as the
member are determined to have ths
further delay. They declare that they
have stood too much monkey business
already and will tolerate no more. Sev'
eral OF the meTnber remarked that the
coal contracted for had not been deliver.
ed regularly. All the schools were shor1
Of coal they said.
onunnI Nh on TnnAV