The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-04-18
Board of Education in q
Tangle Over the Gen.
eral School and
Baoheller Laws
FAGAN'S LAWYERS SNEAK
Neither Mr.. Record on Mr..
Carey Present to Help the
Directors Out of
Their Quandary


Eight members of the Board of Educa-
ton inet n executive session last night
at the City Hall and vainly endeavored
to learn where they are at. The enact
ment Of the general school law and the
Bachelor act concerning appropriations at
the last session of the Legislature has
thrown the Board if Education her into
such state Of chaos that no one can now
see way out of an awful muddle they
are In. For more than three hours the
members discussed the situation and ex-
changed views. No one had any Idea how
to act that was acceptable to anyone else.
All had ideas which no one was sure of
and the result was that the meeting ended
with the same hopeless condition that pre-
vailed before it went into session. A COM
mittee composed of President Ward, Di-
rectors Lewis and Ridgeway and Super
intendent Snyder was appointed to confer
with the Mayor, the Board of Finance,
the City Clerk. Comptroller, Treasurer
and Corporation Counsel Record next
Wednesday. AT this conference the whole
matter will be gone over again carefully
and an effort made to show just what the
position of the Board of Education is.
Corporation Counsel Record was not at
the meeting last night, though the Board
Of Education asked him to act with them
in his official capacity. Corporation At
torney John Wahl Queen was there, how
ever, and he interpreted the law for the
Board. He was called upon at the last
moment. however and did not have suf-
ficient preparation to do what it was Mr.
Records business to do.
The general school law provides for the
appointment of Board OF Estimate to
fix appropriations for the Board of Edu-
cation. This Board is to consist of five
members. One is to be the Mayor two
members of the Board of Finance and
two members of the Board of Education
The Board of Estimate is to fix all ap-
preparations. It win be a sort of cor
poration within the corporation of the
city and on this account some members
OF the Board of Finance are opposed to it.
There is some doubt whether the part of
the general school law providing for this
board is in force. Some ask if the Bach
eller bill NO. 2s1 does not repeal this
clause. If it does the Board of Education
Is stripped of almost all its powers No
sum for appropriation can be asked for
Finance is made the absolute governing
body of every department in the city and
the Board of Education can get only
what the Board of Finance sees fit to
give it. The sum may be adequate or in
adequate for the necessities of the Board
of Education, but this state of affairs
this board cannot improve should the
Board of Finance refuse to listen to its
appeals.
The general school law says the Board
of Estimate is. to fix the appropriation
for the current year. This is different
from the old method of fixing appropria-
tions for the coming fiscal year. Then
there is the qquestion of who is to fix
the appropriation for next year and when
is it to be fixed.
So puzzling is the situation that the
Board of Education is afraid to take any
action on any matter, and therefore the
whole school system is tied up. The stu
alton is the worst that has ever existed IN
this city The Bachelor law was passed
for the benefit of Newark There the city
is run mostly on borrowed money THIS
city must act under the same law. Tha
difference in the two cities is such that
what is beneficial to Newark is worse
than useless here
Nothing could be learned of the various
views expressed last night but 1t was
practically decided that the only thing to
do would be to follow the law literally
until the first obstacle is met. Then the
law will have to be taken to the courts.
The concensus of opinion is that the first
obstacle will be met very soon after the
Board begins to work under the law.
II has been suggested that Counselor
Charles Corbin be engaged as special
counsel to interpret the law in question.