The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-03-15
IGNORANCE
IS BLISS
City Officials Blind or Seem
So, Regarding the Out
rageous Batoheller
Bill.
MAYOR FACAN WON'T TALK
Street and Water Comm is.
sioners Say That Every
Effort Should Be Made
to Defeat Bill.
DR.. M'GILL'S CAUSTIC CRITICISM
School Superintendent Snyder
Says 1t Is a Dangerous
Measure and Should
Be Beaten.
DR.. M'GILL'S CAUSTIC CRITICISM

The publication in sThe News last
evening OF Assembly bill No 231 introduc,
ed by Assemblyman Bachelor of Newark.
which revokes all mandatory laws and
gives the Board of Finance absolute pow
er over all expenditures in every departs
ment of the city, caused great deal Of
astonishment throughout the city today
Its effect if passed will be far reaching.
The perusal OF the bill and the details
of all that it means to the city caused
general comment. Views were expressed
by all sorts and conditions of men, chiefly
those employed by the city. On all sides
the bill and those who advocated it were
condemned. All save those who are mem-
bers of the Board OF Finance are bitter IN
their denuneiation.
The Board of Street and Water Commits
sioners are of the opinion that every af-
fort should be made to defeat the bill.
They say that should the Board of FL
nance have absolute power over the mon
eys to run the department it would surely
fall into worse state even than was
ever feared.
Policemen. flremen, school teachers and
NASA ho eAi bCi4oHAASihS liz ttc1SAi otA go
sides.
Mayor Fagan had nothing to say yes
terday about the bill save that he had
heard OF it, but was not familiar enough
with it to speak intelligently. Last night
he admitted he had read the bill in The
News but was not yet prepared to talk
about the matter.
Il have nothing to say he replied to
g question.
Corporation Counsel Record said.-
II don't think about it at ALL / have
enough to do to do as I am told. I don't
care what bills they introduce or pass"
The story in 1.-THE News" of yesterday
relating to the bill introduced in the Leg
islature by Assemblyman Bacheller, of
Newark, was read with interest by school
teachers of this city. One school teacher
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Bachelors bill is a.
decidedly unwise measure. AS / under
stand it, the Board of Finance will. If the
bill becomes a law, have absolute power
to regulate the salaries of school teachers
as well as other city employees. Under
such a condition of affairs, no teacher
would know what salary she would re-
ceive one year hence, and perhaps when
she had taught a dozen years or more
she would be earning less than when she
started; or, if the Board of Finance was
generous, she might earn the same
amount
"As matters stand now Jersey Citys s
school teachers are paid poorly enough.
The servant girl wages they receive are
discouraging. | say servant girl wages
because any good servant girl can earn
$40 per month. Allowing $40 per month
for her board, which is reasonable, she
really earns $40 per month. This is as
much, If not more. than many school
teachers receive after years spent in
preparation.
IF the bill is passed and the teachers
salaries are regulated by the Board Of
Finance at its pleasure, there win be abb
solutely no encouragement for young
women to enter the profession, nor for
those who are already in it to advance
themselves by extra study. Teachers Of
ability, who could command better sal-
aries, would simply leave the city. In
other words, the public schools would
eventually lose many good teachers IN
addition to those they have already lost
The Board of Finance, if II wielded
such remarkable power as mentioneu In
Mr.. Bachelors bill. might, II its. mem
bers lacked discretion, be very danger
Gus body. While it is the duty of the
board to look carefully after the finances
of the city and economize as much as
possible. 1t would be too great a risk to
leave the public schools so completely
within its power.
'sWhom the gods would destroy they
first make mad, quoted DR.. McGill after
carefully perusing the bill. This bill evi-
IDENTIFY originated in the fertile minds Of
some of the members of the Board of FL
nance or their friends and some members
of the city's law department 1t is part OF
an attempt to Scentralize all power, be-
cause the boardAtbat controls the finances
of city is the foundation of the power OF
the city government. It Is dangerous
power to lodge In any board.
1T is dangerous to any political party
responsible for it--Democratic or Repub-
lican. Such bills II enacted BY a party Is
by a Republican Legislature, It will mean
III time an Overwhelming Democratic vic
tory. not only In the cities of the first
class, but In the state: Y would be au
Chief of Police Murphy said:-'T haven't t
read the bill carefully enough to express
an opinion for publication l haven't {
time lust now to do 50. / read along Win ,s'sa,
the bill Finance Commissioner Ringae 3
views as expressed to News reports
IF he is correctly reported. am very
much surprised at his opinion. To my
knowledge he has favored increasing 5ne
pay Of policemen in times past Only rs-
ceEtsy he voted to increase tho Sa-arse
of police sergeants and OF defect YES ~
said on one occasion: bslieve poliIcS Ie
officers should be well paid. IL the Posfce
Commissioners and The Chit think these
men are worthy of an increase In salaries
via vote for such increane; and ne do
Colonel Elsbert Robinson, the venerable
clerk of the Poisee board, said The OH
would never 80 taaraf ..s 4. ~
ss s sss saySss 4 IS: - ds isss