The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-16
THE JOURNAL"
DENOUNCED.
Finance Commissioners In
dignant at the Charge
Of Politics in the
Schools.
SAY THEIR BOARD WAS ATTACKED.
Figures for the Past Three
Years Will Refute the
Assertion of a Spur
ious Tax Rate.
SAY THEIR BOARD WAS ATTACKED.

AT the meeting of the Board of Finance
last night Commissioners Midlige called
the Boards attention to an article pub
lished in the Jersey City Journal" the
heading of which was, THE penalty of
politics in public schools" He said
THAT article was a direct blow at the
Finance Board over the shoulders Of the
Board of Education, especially in the
charge thai the editor made that we
liked up a fake tax rate, and that a prop
er and necessary appropriation was not
made for the schools. Such action as
was taken by that paper is detrimental to
the welfare and interest of the public and
the city.
81 would like to nave it impressed upon
the minds of the public" continued Mr..
Midlige, .that this Board has always
treated the Board of Education with the
greatest consideration, and that this at
tack is unwarranted.
"At one time our Board was prevented
from making an appropriation TO the edu-
cational Commission by the fact that a
doubt existed as to the loyalty of raising
money on temporary loan bonds. We
could not violate the law as it was inter-
preted by the Corporation Counsel.
During the past three years we have
made large appropriations for school
purposes, n l think the figures Will
speak for themselves. Yet we are charged
with making a spurious tax rate.
Amy one knowing the difhcuity
this Board had in making up the
tax rate will commend us for what We
have DONE continued the speaker. "Ihe
increase this year over last year is but
81, 900, making it but a 2ha per cent. OASIS
on 81. 500, 900 ratables. Still an attempt is
made to injure the reputation OF this
Board. No city within fifty miles OF US
has made so much progress as has Jersey
City during the past year. Everything mas
Improved and the credit has gone above
par. A few years ago we *could not sell
a bond. Now buyers are tumbling over
each other in their eagerness to get the
city's securities.
s"The editors of the paper who make the
charge against us that there are too
much politics in this Board, are mis-
taken. The charge is unwarranted, as
outside of it's organization politics do not
enter into it's duties. We are as one
family. looking after the interests of the
city. We also vote in harmony on all
matters. We are doing our best and /
cannot understand why any newspaper
should make such an attack upon US or
any other board of the city government
when It is doing its duty" concluded Mr..
Midlige.
The other members of the Board ex-
pressed their approval of the Commission
er's remarks.
Every member of the Board was indig-
nant and expressed himself forcibly
against the wanton assault upon them.
so far as the facts are concerned, the
Journal it would appear, made no eff
fort to ascertain them" said President
He~ppenheimer. 1.-THE charge that the FL
nance Board made no provision for the
repair of public schools is entirely un-
true. In 1896, under a Republican admin
istration, the records show that only ST.
997.1A was spent for the repair OF school
buildings. In 1897. $26, 1885 was spent,
while the present Board has expended or
provided to expend s35, S41. so. or $1,000 more
thar has been raised for expenditure at
any time during the past three years.
The charge of the Journal that the
fire in No. 20 School was directly attri-
butable to a bad and dilapidated fur
mace, amused rather than angered the
Finance Commissioners.
THE fact is that the furnace OF NO,
20 School is comparatively a new one and
was considered one of the best and safest
In the city. Not many months ago the
furnace was inspected by an expert and
was pronounced to be in almost perfect
order. The fire the Commissioners believe
was due to no fault of the furnace. They
do not know what caused the fire, but
they entertain the impression that some
waste paper became ignited in some
peculiar manner.
The entire editorial was characterized
by the Finance Commissioners as a It's
sue of lies, and the gentlemen did not
hesitate to intimate that it was written
from a purely partisan standpoint and
designed to injure the Board and the
city's standing generally. 1t is not at all
unlikely that the Journal will be re-
quested to make some retractfons.
Mayor Hoos Is particularly indignant
because of the attack. He does not wish,
to become involved in any con
troversy with the paper. Director Mig
gins and the other members of the Board
of Education say the attack was a most
tissue of misstatementS. Director Mig
gins observed this morning that when the
Board of Education was doing its utmost
to procure money for the repair and
renovation of the public schools the
Journal never lost an opportunity to
cast some reflection upon the Board and
to intimate that the money was not really
equired for the purposes which 1t was
asked.
Mr.. higgins said the attack was so un-
warranted and so cowardly that he hoped
the public would show it's disgust for
paper in some way that would teach
the Journals managers that the city's
was not to be asSailed with
mt cost to themselves. l.