The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1900-03-02
HEARING ON
SCHOOL BILL
Comparison Of School Districts in
Morris under the two Systems.

GVAAIPulAOUh VI CGaiUUh UICtIfCLO Ill
Morris under the two Systems.
Large Attendance of Prominent Ed
ucators. Members of Boards OF
Education and Federation of
Woman's Clubs Main Features
FavorabIy Received Padding of
Census Returns Hereafter Inn
possible Good Work Of the codi-
fication Commission.
The large attendants at the hearing
before the Senate Committee on Edu-
cation in the Senate Chamber ON
Tuesday relative to the bill introduced
at the instance of the Codifcation
Committee evidenced the interest TAX
en- in the revision of the school
laws of New Jersey.
The Federation of Women; Clubs
of the State was represented by
committee: Mrs. Emily Williamson,
of Elizabeth, and Mrs Julia Howe
Hall, of Plainfeld, spoke in behalf Of
the committee endorsing the bill and
urged its passage. The consensus of
opinion of those present was in favor
of the main features of the bill, but
amendments of minor points were
suggested.
The two features of the measure
which elected the most discussion
were the method of organizing Boards
of Education in cities and the pro-
posed change in the method of appor-
tioning school moneys. The bill pro-
poses to elect members of Boards of
Education in cities without regard
TO ward lines. Some of the cities in
| the northern part of the State advo-
cate the appointment by the Mayor of
the members of the Boards of Educa-
tion. At the next hearing before the
Committee, which will be in the
Senate Chamber ON Tuesday at
O'Clock. it is quite likely that this
feature of the bill will be further dis
cussed. There is so much difference
of opinion as to which is the best
method of organizing Boards that it
is impossible to predict the method
which will finally be adopted by the
Legislature.
Considerable misunderstanding evil
IDENTIFY exists as to just what is pro-
: posed by the Commission in the
method recommended of apportioning
the State School Tax.
, There is no change made in the
? method of apportioning the tax among
the counties 1t only effects the
apportionment among the several dis
tricts in each county. Under the
present law there is apportloned to
each district 5000 for each teacher en-
ployed and the balance of the money
is apportioned ON the basis of the
school census. If the proposed method
becomes law the districts will still
receive the 5000 per teacher and the
balance will be apportioned on the
! total days attendance of the pupils in
the public schools instead of on the
basis of the school census as at
present.
Concerning the school census the
Codification Committee reported
We learn that the school census is
wholly unreliable and dishonest. In
many districts, especially those which
have large populations, false census
returns are made.
In more than one large city a pad
ding of the census roll of many
thousand has been discovered, and it
is the judgement of the Department
of Public Instruction, communicated
to us, than an exact census called
for by the law is not obtainable.
The compensation of the census
enumerator is based upon the number
of names returned by him, and this is
a constant temptation to him to dis
honestly swell his list
But the school census is more
vicious as basis of distribution of the
tax than of raising it.
The school district benefits directly
by the fraud of its census enumerators,
inasmuch as its false census is the
basis of apportionment to it of the tax,
and the larger its census can be made
to appear, the larger share of the
money raised will it receive.
1.-THE greater the dishonesty. the
4 greater the gain; gain clearly at the
expense of the districts which do in
fact render true census returns
THE amount which has beeu raised
by the State School tax in each of the
past five years has been ascertained,
and its equivalent amount in mills
upon each dollar of taxables through
out the State has been determined.
The average for these past five
years is 2.77 mills. We recommend
that instead of tax, the amount of
which shall be determined by an un-
/ trustworthy census, a census which it
costs nearly $40, 600 in each year to
take, we return to the old mill tax,
and fix the State School tax to be an
amount which shall be 2.75 mills upon
each dollar value of taxable real and
personal property in the State.
An added advantage in this sys-
tenn will be the stimulus in it to
| full and regular attendance in the
schools. ANY community that can see
an increased school revenue in an in
creased school attendance, will see to
ii that pupils attend, truanoy will be-
come unpopular and the system will
become an invaluable aid to the COM
pulsory education law.