The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-08-03
SCHOOL REPAIRS.
Financiers and Educators
Confer on the Matter
With No Result.
ARCHITECT GRIFFIN is IHPUDEET
President Mulvaney Resents
His Conduct and Abrupt
" Leaves the
Conference.
ARCHITECT GRIFFIN is IHpUDEEY

the Board of Finance yesterday after.
noon his report of repairs required Z
school buildings and his estimate Of thu
cost of the same, the Board of Education
was invited IN to consider the report ant
give Its opinion thereon. All the mem
bers OF the Board of Education were
| present excepting Curren, Culver ane
| Hulshizer and Superintendent Snyder
| The criticism of the architects report
was quite pointed and dissatisfaction with
it was expressed by all in very emphatic
terms.
Director Egbert. referring to the state
r1ent Of Mr.. Griffin that no repairs are
needed to School Building No. q, said
he knew thai the architect did not enter
that building at all or make any inspec-
ton of it.
Mr.. Griffin replied that he was told by
the ~janitor that men were then at work
putting in furnaces, CRATES and making
all the repairs needed and he did not think
it his business to interfere with them
Director Egbert said the repairs be-
ing made to the furnace were previously
ordered and had nothing to do with what
the architect was sent there to examine
and the janitor was not an authority on
school repairs.
Director Barker inquired of Mr.. Crit
fin if the repairs reported by him to be
necessary can be made at the cost esti-
mated by him.
Mr.. Griffin said they could. He would
be willing to do them for the prices
named.
Director Egbert asked Commissioner
Ringie If he had not agreed with him hat
the closets of School Building No. IS were
IN a very bad condition and should be en-
tirely removed and new ones substituted.
Commissioner Ringle confessed that he
had SO expressed himself
Then Director Egbert called attention
to the low estimate $500 made by Mr..
Griffin for this building which. he declar-
ed to be entirely inadequate and abso-
lutely absurd.
Mr.. Grifing said that the closets Of
this building were as good as any in the
city. and If they were rotten all the
school closets were rotten and needed
new buildings around them.
Director Egbert objected to the manner
in which the architect made his replies,
which. he said, were not gentlemanly.
Mr.. Griffin said he did not mean to be
insulting, he was only standing up for
himself.
Director Lewis said the report and esti-
mate submitted by Mr.. Griffin was ex-
eeedingly unsatisfactory. It pretends to
give Details. but no amounts were ear
lried out, and. therefore, it was impossi-
Bile to judge as to the correctness of
what he stated.
Mr.. Lewis said he made out a detailed
statement of the repairs required upon
School Building No. 8, and obtained esti-
mates from two competent builders on
the work, one being 1890, and the other
81 800. for closets alone, and now they
were told that $1.g00 would cover all the
repairs required. Such a report was very
unsatisfactory, and could not be justi-
fed. Mr.. Lewis also Thought that he as
the Committeeman on that school should
have been consulted in regard to the re-
pairs needed. He also referred to the es-
innate Of only 100 for school building
No. s, and said he couldn't see how the
work could be done for that amount.
Director Barker called for the reading
of the communication of the Board of
Health on the %unsanitary condition of
School No. 13, and what improvements
were necessary and charged that these
requirements had been entirely ignored
by Mr.. Griffin.
Commissioners Ringle thought the archi-
tect's figures could be easily verified by
getting estimates from builders.
Director Birdsall said that it would
take another week and there was no
time to spare. He thought 1T would be
better to empower Mr.. Griffin to make
the repairs and place him under bonds to
do the work at his prices.
President Mulvaney called attention to
the peculiar wording of some parts of
Mr.. Griffin's report, where he says sft
would be WISE and sft might be weir
to make certain repairs and yet reports
against them being made. He was sat
isaed that $500 was not sufficient for
what were required at No. 9 School.
Mr.. Griffin replied that he would give
bonds to do all the work required at No.
3 at his figures. President MuIvaney ask
ed what it would cost to have the flag
staff of that building painted?
Mr.. Griffin's reply was THAT is my
business,
President Mulvaney took exception to
such q reply, remarking that it was the
business of the members of the Board OF
Education to know these things and also
their right as gentlemen to b treated
with due courtesy and lave their ques-
tions answered in a gentlemanly manner.
If these things are not our business we
might as well get out, and, suiting his
action to the word, Mr.. Mulvaney took
his hat and left the room.
Commissioner Ringle admonished Mr..
Griffin that it was his place to keep his
temper and answer all questions put to
him in a polite manner.
Director Bergen objected to the allow
ance of only 81, 200 for No. 6 School. The
floors, he said, were In a dangerous con-
dition, being completely rotten, and the
furniture had been in the building thirty
years.
Commissioner Ringle and Midlige said
that building had cost the city more than
any other.
Director Bergen said he was not respon-
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