The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-06-03
BONDS HAL TED
Board of School Esti-
mates High School
Half Million in
Serious Peril.
FIEAECIERS CONTROL
General School Law Does
Not Repeal Their Power
of Reviewing APP
preparations.
THAT POPULAR VOTE CLAUSE
Financiers Date Back to the
Charter of 1889 Which
Was Submitted to
the People.
THAT POPULAR VOTE CLAUSE

AS indicated by '.The News" the stir
made by Mayor Pagan and his officials
about building new High School is
mere bluff It is now known that there
is no authority in law for any such IN
dertaaing. The belief is general around
City Hall that His Honor has been aware
OF tho fact all along.
The request recently made 10 the Board
of Finance for She issue of $500. 900 worth
OF bonds to construct the building was
based upon supposed provisions in that
nonstrosity of legislation, the General
School Law Finance Commissioners
Henry Lembeck has been looking the
matter up He has read the school law
over to find out just what its require
ments are. AS result of his study, he
: VIII ten The Board Of Finance at its meet
ing tomorrow that in his opinion the
bonds cannot be issued or the school built
at the present time.
Section 25c. Chapter Sc of the school law
reads as follows
All school districts shall hereafter
be governed solely by the provisions
OF this act, and all acts and parts of
acts. general, special or local. so far
as they are inconsistent with the pro-
visions of this act, are hereby repeal
ed: provided that this repeater shall
a.4+ III F,ra H.
and provided further, that this act
shall not repeal or affect the provis-
lens of any general act which may
have been or may hereafter be ac-
cepted by a vote of the people in any
city or school district in this State.
Sections Is, 76, II and 7s of the same
Charter repeal some of the powers OF the
Board of Finance, compelling it to ap-
propriate such money as the Board of
whether the Finance Commissioners think
it wise to appropriate the money or not.
Now Commissioner Lembeck points out
that the City Charter at present in opera
tion was adopted by vote of the people
in 1889. Having been thus adopted, no
PSOeAS ~ SAedlSS Can DS dilScted
by the school law, in consequence of the
section quoted above.
The Board of Finance was created by
the Charter of 1889 1t has never been re-
modelled or changed in any way. It's
powers are defined in that law and have
never been changed or abridged in any
way SINCE they were endorsed by the vote
of the people
These powers include complete review
of the school budget, just in the same
way as the estimates of any other city
department, and so the special situation
created by the Board of School Estimate
has no significance whatever as applied
to this city. Its arbitrary power of de-
manding money is destroyed by the un.
repealed power vested in the Board Of
Finance
1t is believed that this will place the
High School question wholly in contro
Of the Finance Board, and as Commits
sioner Ringle joins with the two Demo
cratic members in thinking more of ths
citys solvency than of schemes of DO
litical advertisement. a halt win be called
on the bond issue until the financial con
dition of the city can be gauged afte1
Mayor Fagan's other fads and the neces
sary expenses of the year are provided
for.