The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-01-14
THAT COON SCHOOL
Messrs. Birdsall and Null
vaney Disagree Touch
ing the Transfer
to 1t.
WAS SCHOOL NO. IL IN IT?
Director Says the Agreement
Wasn't Carried Out, and
President Says That's
a Falsehood.

President Mulveney, of the Board Of
Education and Director Walter K Bird
sail disagree as to the balk over the
transferral of one hundred or more pupils
from Nos. IL and IA School on the Heights
to No. Is on Harrison avenue. Mr.. Bird
sail says he withdrew from the matter.
owing to a difference of opinion with Su-
perintendent Snyder and Director Mul-
vaney of No. 12 School,
The original plan, according to Mr..
Birdsan, was to relieve the pressure on
NOS. u. on Astor place and Crescent ave-
nue.. and IA on Union street. About one
hundred children were to be taken from
these schools and sent to No. 16, which
lies about midway between the two above
mentioned school houses, at Harrison and
Monticello avenues. The district to be
drawn from was Atlantic street to Bel
mont avenue and from the Boulevard to
Crescent avenue This was decided at a
conference between Directors Birdsan and
Mulvaney and Superintendent Snyder.
When the time came to carry the order
INTO effect, Mr.. Birdsall found he saws.
that Mr.. Snyder and Director Mulyaney
had cut off all that district lying north of
No. Is School which affected No. 12. He
asked Tor an explanation. Mr.. Snyder said
standing regarding the original lines. Di-
rector Birdsall, who in the meantime had
neen beseged by angry parents, who pro-
tested against the enforcement or the
new rule, sent a letter to the principals
OF Nos. IA and H. notifying the pupils
tnat no changes were to be made The
notlce was not read in No. IL because that
pullding was closed owing to repairs. The
note, however, was read to them this
morning when the school recpened after
being closed for almost a month owing to
defective boile rs h
Mr.. Birdsall in speaking of the matter
said that when he discovered that the
original plan was not to be carried out as
proposed, he saw no other course than to
back down.
I'VE agreed to the transfer" he said
for the best interests of all concerned
This matter we settled at private con-
terence, and it was to have been carried
out as explained some time ago We
all saw the necessity of some remedy
ior the badly overcrowded schools and
hit upon this as the best plan devisable
But when found out that about half
the district had been cut off and No. IL
left unaffected l Immediately withdrew
the order and the pupils were told to
I regarded the transfer plans as benig
drawn up to affect both schools. know
that there was considerable opposition to
to my home frequently to kick against
the order going into effect. But If the
other district had been included in the
shirt the public would have seen no
change of heart on my part
Another matter, that regarding the
question of adopting portable schools for
the oyercrowded districts Register James
Z. Clarke was represented as making, this
suggestion to me some time ago to relieve
No. IA. Let me state here that the Board
had conference on the question of re-
commencing these $500 two-roomed affairs
and it was decided not to bother with
them.
The members of the Board said that il
We resorted to such a plan for the seat
ing of children in the overcrowded dis
tricts, the Board would have to be con-
tented with these small structures for
years to come, and that no money would
be appropriated for the building of SUBJ
stantial school. Mr. Clarke, however, did
when mads mention of the matter to
him, agree to be one of eight who would
subscribe 500 toward the purchase of one
of these schools for No. IA.
No, IA is just as crowded as ever and
no rel1ef can be expected until new build
ings are put UP, in that section
Superintendent Snyder was asked this
morning ii he had anything to do with
schools. He said that Mr. Mulvaney. the
Director of No. 12, had made the plans
and he had carried them out. He referred
the reporter to Mr.. Mulvaney for further
particulars.
Mr.. .1ulvaney, when seen today, said
Mr., BrdsalFs statement that the under
standing abotu transfers from No. IL was
not carried out, or was modified, is un-
true In fact in an interview had by Mr.
Birdsall with Mayor Hoos, and with
others he never even limited that the
plans for No. 70 had been abandoned on
the contrary, he asked me in the presence
of the Mayor what proposed to do about
No. IL and told him my action as to No.
u would be determined by his action on
No. IA.
II consider Mr.. BirdsalPs statement to
be a charge that l had deceived him in
the matter of transfers from No. H. and
as such denounce it as an unqualified
falsehood, it's being given as an excuse
for his haste in ordering the transfers,
and his lac kof stamina after the order
wasm ade is an exhibition of puerility and
weakness. which is not beftting a mem
Der of the Board of Education. However,
1t is only in line with other orders and
revocations made by him, too trivial to
notice.
II only make this statement sn justice
to myself, not in the spirit of evading
responsibility, but that the public may
have the truth"