The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-03-14
NEW SCHOOL LAW.
No Difference as ofiorristown Pub
tic school.
Lspecial Correspondence.l


~ the same in its provisions as the
law recently declared BY the Court Of
Errors to be unconstitutional The
objection of the court to the Stokes
law" was that the classification was
unconstitutional. No objection was
made to any provision of the law re-
lating to the practical operation Of
the school system.
The bill now before the Legislature
is intended to remedy the defective
classification. In the Stokes Law
the municipalities were divided into
two classes, viz: Municipalities di-
vided into wards" and Municipal
ties not divided into wards In the
proposed law the provisions of the old
law which affected municipalities
divided into wards apply to cities and
the provisions of the old law which
affected municipalities not divided
into wards apply to all municipalities
except cities. The effect of the new
classification is to give to all cities,
townships and boroughs and to all the
towns, except five or six, the same
powers as they had underline Stokes
Law Provision is made, by which
any town or borough may, if it SO
desires, by vote of the people change
to the other class. This enables any
district to avail itself Of those pro-
visions of the law, which, in its judg-
ment, are best suited to its needs.
There is some opposition to the me-
thod proposed for determining the
amount of local appropriations in Oh
ties, but this opposition comes from
those cities which refused to act un-
der the Stokes Law. = The cities which
accepted that law are unanimous in
praise of it's provisions. Prior to 1900,
local school appropriations in cities
were made by the Common Council,
and the Board of Education, which were
thoroughly familiar with the needs of
the schools, but had no voice in determ-
lining what amount was needed. The
act of 1900 provided, and the same
provision appears in the new bill. for
a board consisting of two members Of
the board of education. two members
of the Common Council and the May
or, to be known is the Board Of
School Estimate. This board decides
the amount needed, and if the amount
does not exceed three fourths of one
per cent. of the value Of the taxable
property in the city, the decision of
the Board is final. If, however, the
Board thinks larger sum should be
raised, it reports to the Council, and
that body may order the additional
sum raised, or it may reduce the
total amount to the limit fixed by the
Flaw. While this method gives to the
board of education two votes it gives
to the city officials majority which,
while securing for the schools suffi-
oient appropriations, guards the vari-
GUS departments Of the city govern
ment. from injury.
The new law contains the same pro-
visions regarding the government Of
the schools of Morristown, as were
found in the act of 1900. If the bill
passes, therefore, the conditions here
will not be changed
There may be some amendments but
it is probable that the law will be
passed, practically as introduced.
There will be hearing before the
Committee on Education of the Senate
next Monday afternoon.
There was an unusual push at
Trenton on Monday night owing to
the fact that there is in all
probability. bnt fortnight more
for active work before the
close Of the session. Almost every
important measure of the few that
have been introduced has been pruned
and amended until hardly recognize,
able by those who drafted it. The
School bill may be mentioned as one,
which, as again amended on Tuesday,
will probably pass.
The special legislation in which
Morristown is interested in addition
to that is the sewer bill and ii is
only with great deal of difficulty
that an act permitting it can be
passed owing to the trouble encoun-
tered with plans in use in or contem-
plated by other municipalities.
Judge Vreeland, ex-Judee Cutler,
Alderman Hurting and Medical Di-
rector Evans and Warden Everett
from the State Hospital were seen
about the corridors on MONDAY and
Tuesday. Mr.. Cutler spoke in favor
of the bill prohibiting pigeon shoot
ing in the state at the. hearing on
Monday. From present appearances
it would seem that the measure,
which.is an important one, and should
pass, will not be reported by Mr..
Horner.
The Governor has announced that
he will approve or vetoe such passed
bills as come ta him for considera-
tion in his own good time, as he
does not propose to sign any measures
whio hhave been railroaded through
the closing days Of the session during
Last year the total number of bills