The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-30

The special committee of the board
of control which is to recommend the
passage of such legislation as may be
necessary for the Scranton school dis
trict under the second class city clas-
sihcation. has now been appointed ana
the members expect to get right down
to business at once.
President Jayne has announced the
personel of the committee. He
himself will act as chairman
and the other members are
as follows: w. A. May, II. j. Jen-
nings. Jacob Schaeffer. A. u. Eynon
and A. l.. Francois. This is u thor
oughly representative committee ana
1t has deal of work ahead of it, which
calls for careful and Intelligent
thought.
The members who were most active
in securing the passage of the resO-
luton providing for the appointment
of the committee are especially de-
sirous of having 1t announced that
there is no selfish motive behind the
movement. In other words. the COM
mittee was not appointed with the OH
iect of fu:thering the interests of the
present hoard Of twenty-one. but ra-
sage of legislation necessary when this
city becomes q city of the second
class.
MIR. JENNINGS VIEWS.
Mr.. jennings, who Is one of the
members of the committee. gave a
brief and pithy summary of the work
which could be accomplished by such
a body to Tribune man yesterday
afternoon.
The only general act" said he,
governing school districts in cities ot
the second class is the act of 1898. and
this has been declared null and void
by the Supreme court and no school
district can operate under Ii. 1t may
be that the Supreme court might re-
verse it's ruling declaring the act un-
constitutional. but until this is done,
and | don't think it ever will be done,
the act is imperative.
at will be necessary for Scranton to
have some kind of legislation adopted
for its use. Pittsburg and Allegheny
have old special acts under which they
are operating and they do not need to
pay any attention to the act OF 1879.
But these old acts are cumbersome ana
complicated and the necessity for t,
new general law is becoming more
apparent every day.
"If Pittsburg and Allegheny are go
ing to agree upon an act governing
school districts in cities of the second
class it behooves Scranton to get into
the deal. to use an expression OF the
street. Scranton should have som"
say and that's just where this commit
tee can do good work.
This committee can send Il man
down to Pittsburg to confer with those
who are preparing an act down there,
il such an act is being prepared. He
could act under the direction of the
committee and make such suggestions
as the committee would in it's wisdom
recommend
AN ALTERNATIVE.
'Tf the people down in Pittsburg OF
Allegheny would refuse to consider
Scranton's claims then this committee
could get up an act of it's own and do
lobbying on it's own hook in Harris.
burg to secure it's passage or to see
that Scranton is considered in any
legislation being passed. This city
can't afford TO sit idly by and allow
other cities to say what laws shall
govern cities of the second class.
This committee wasn't formed O.
look after the interests of the present
board of twenty-one and see that it is
kept in power. That impression has
got out, but it is an erroneous one.
This committee was formed solely
to look after the interests of the Scran-
ton school district. We don't care
whether it's board of twentyone or
a board of fifteen, so long as Scranton
gets Il fair shake
The resolution providing for the APP
pointment of the committee gives it
practically unlimited power. 1t pro-
vides that it shall "have power to act
for the board in consultation or other
wise" These last two words cover
pretty nearly everything that one could
imagine.
Until some new act providing for Il
system of government for school dis
tricts in cities of the second class is
passed or until the supreme court re-
verses itself and declares the act of 1896
to be constitutional the present system
will continue in operation and there
are some members of the board. in
Guiding President Jayne, who are of
the opinion that it will continue for
many years 10 come.
.
Scranton Business Colleoe