The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-01-12
NE w HIGH SCHOOL
Director Egbert Makes a
Statement as to
Site.
Mr.. YAM ETTEAS CHANGE OF FRONT
Opponents Influenced By Hos
tility to the Erection of
a New Building.
MR.. VAN ETYEA'S CHANGE OF FRONT

tloH HSi1 last evening, DlfSctoA ISpSie -
of the Committee on New High School,
made the Following statement in regard to
the selection OF an appropriate site for
said proposed school building in vindica-
ton of the action OF the board and COM
mittee in relation thereto.
Gentlemen OF. the Board of Education;--
The question which has interested us all
so much ia1eiy, namely, the selection OF q q
School. has assumed a form which 1t dld
hot possess When considered Dy TINS
Board tMo months ago. Those VINO at
that time urgad the Board OF Educatlon
to immediate action have, since the selec-
t.oll of the size, become SolicltouS Tor the
fllsaneiai ~ sifare of the city ana have ex-
pressed themselves as surprised al tue ne
aucac;1y u sh:s Board in advocating SO
great an exp aniitura OF money at TINS
Tina. Ihose who We're willing snort
time ago 70 spsndr 100000 on site which
they preferred now draw themselves
aside and sagely remark that certain
members OF this Board do not understand
the imam cial condition of the city as Well
as they 90. Now, gentlemen, 90 not
propose that this Board, who with such
unanimity selected a site. or that my
self, VIA have SO earneStely advocated a
new High School, snouio appeaar 70 nsase lSs,
unadvise,ly taken action which the con-
dltacn OF affairs did not justify, and
therefore here declare that the very per-
sons who urged action, or at least agreed
l.
claim that the city cannot stand the ex-
penu:ture of the money. Have these gen.
tiernent been playing with the Board OF
E.ducasioa, or has the flnanclal condltlon
OF the city changed within month: Or
perish t.sa tnought-have these gentlemen
never intended that the school should pc
built by this administration, or by this
Board, particularly if the first step was
nos aasS pEaole to them?
In consequence of this condition of af-
fairs, nave prepared the follow g state
h
with this matter, in order that the situa-
ton may be made perfectly clear to our
fellow .izens and they may see that this
Board has acted in perfectly good 1altn
in its en- Ieavor to accomplish what 1t be-
lieves would be of true and lasting benefit
to the city.
wa Invited by Mr.. Hulshizer, chairman
of tie New High School Committee, to
accompany Mr.. Mulvaney and himself in
a cali e.s,on The Mayor no urge upon His
in the gIigh School matter. We found
the Mayor ready and enthusiastic, so
much ~ that he at once invited US TO
meet t..s Board of Finance in conference
on this subject. This meeting was held.
and taere were present the Mayor, the
CorDoraJion Counsel and all the members
of tn Board of Finance. The Board OF
FINANCE. with entire unanimity, directed
us as 1e.egates of the New High School
Committee to say that they were ready to
issue bonds for 100000 for the purchase7of
S.so ana the erection Ol pHt DultQdi45.
and that we should Immediately proceed
To the selection of a site. We were tod
t1st while we should consider $4,000 as
about the price to be given for the site,
o.ti-sriTes hampered by this hgure. was
informed personally by Mr.. Lembeck. at
this time, and later by Mr.. Ringle, that
they preferred the Harrison site; and in
a conversation with Mr.. Midlge a rev
6ays later was informed by him that he
favored the same site and believed that
opinion. on October IA, with the ac-
adolescence of Mr. Hulshizer, the chairman
] called at the Grand Central Station and
discovered that Mr.. Van Etten, General
should apply for information as to the
Harrison property. AS he was not in his
Office, left pencil memorandum asking
if the entire Harrison estate could be
purchased. To this l received reply,
dated October 49, stating 1--WE have price
and will sell the whole of the property
at once to Mr. Hulstizer. and was re-
quested by him to learn the price. l
therefore called upon Mr.. Van Etten and
discussed the entire subject. He agreed
to telephone to the committee on the fol-
lowing morning what price was demanded.
This telephone message merely stated that
the president, was unwilling to sell the
eastern lot, No. 20, on the face of the hill
A week later, at the request of Mr.. Hull
shizer the chairman, / addressed a letter
to Mr. Van Etten asking him for definite
for this sudden change of front, and hint
ing that the purchase of another site was
cont templated. Mr.. Van Etten replied
Il am satisfied that II / cannot get a
ertv. 1t can be arranged to dispose of the
whole of it to you. Please advise me what
would be the most yo%gr our people would Of
for the Board of Finance to consider, and
/ therefore asked the unofficial assist
OF the Mayor and of the Board of FL
1aittee on Harrison site, | might make
some definite statement to the entire COM
Tnittee in order that we might act intel
ligently either in dispos1ng OF the ques-
tiSn at once. or in selecting the site which
We had been given to understand The
m e1nbers of the Board of Finance ia
vored. His Honor the mayor anu S.,;th
myself, met Mr.. Van. Etten and wnlle no
price was determined upon 1t was seheT77
ally understood that the company "ebaq ts9a !
ask s85 600 1t should be understood tnat
this offer included all the property owned
by the company in what IS known as the
Harrison estate, and extengang ll 1i,ag}l lT4Ili
and from Palisade avenue to line 5o
feet from the railroad, making IN all more
than nine acres.
Individual members Of the Board OF FL
nance placed before the New Hlgn
School Committee, and the result was lne
hoard Of Education, calling for the selec-
fion Of the Harrison site and the sub
Sen,1ent adoption of the resolution re-
ouesstiug the Board of Finance to pur-
cha se fhe property mentioned On the
95d of November, received from Mr.. van
Eileen tn definite figure Of sS5,O00. which
7 incmediately sent to Mr.. Lembeck, Presi-
5ent nj, Of the Board of Finance, as the mat
ter had by that time been placed in their
Now. gentlemen Of the Board of Educa-
4;on. ii is very evident from what nave
said that this Board has shown much IN
ferest and earnestness in this importan5l "a !
matter and has successfully accomplls,ne99 !, l y
its share of the preliminary WORK requIfeo ~ 20
by law There can be 70 question as %
fhe sincerity and purity of your mo
lives. Every action of yours and OF your
committee has been open and apoVe
hoard Every step has been taken with
fhe entire consent of the Mayor ana ana
Board of Finance and with the iulI
Enowledge Of both. And yet, strange 70
saw. no sooner is the opportunity olefeu
for the purcase of a site which, as nave
sbowr1 we were given to understand was
favored by the members of the Board OF
Finance, than it is discovered by some
that the city's financial condition VIII NOT
,,a,.,,aff thfar erection of High Schooi at
f,,is lime. am confident that whatever
T might say concerning the nnan~'ai con-
difjon of the city would not be regarded
as Of much weight, and i IS not, lners- e
sss1fffciemt for us to know that we nave aye
s,a,' acting in entire accord with the
zTaxoIs ffe elected ard Responsible nead
II 3he city, in who's oe ns9n al4 s3. Juesee
11er1t concerning tho f;faaaesaa eohuleion "
fls.s ssifxr we have fatll sa lS1dance.
when we consider titaf me events,
which / have narrated, aiad the suuuen