Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-10-27
HIGH SCHOOL IN
SPECT0RSH|P JOB.

0E LUllJIl0IllI UUD.
Some Of onr Republican friends appeared
disturbed because the legal right Of the
State Board Of Education to use part Of the
teachers institute money to pay the salary
of High School Inspector has been criti-
cised. This action of the Board, however,
clearly invites comment, as Il High School
Inspector is not authorized BY any law we
have been able to find, unless it be that the
vast, underlined powers vested in the State
Board permit it to create offices at pleasure
irrespective Of enabling statutes.
The facts as to the High School Inspee-
torship appear to be these; The State Board
Of Education endeavored to pat through
the last Legislature bill creating this
Office, but the measure was defeated. But
High School Inspector having been de-.
termined on, such trifIe as failure to Sc
cure law authorizing the Office could not
be allowed to interfere with the plan: some
way must be devised to compass the purpose;
the money must be found somewhere, and
it was found, whether properly, or not, is a
question.
Section 232 of the State School Law reads
as follows: ''The State Superintendent Of
Public Instruction shall procure instructors
and lecturers for teachers institutes. To
defray the expenses incurred in holding
said institutes, there shall be paid annu-
ally by the State Treasurer, upon the war
rant of the State Comptroller, a sum not
exceeding four thousand dollarsn Rule
50 of the State Board of Education reads
1.-The State Superintendent shall secure in
structors, prepare, programs, and provide a
county institute for each county OF the
State, but shall hold joint institutes wher-
ever practicable.
1t will be observed Shat the law author
ICES the use of 81 900 for teachers insti-
tutes, and for no other purpose while the rule
of the State Board orders an institute for
each county, either individually or jointly
In conformity with the State Law, the
Appropriations Act Of 1908 contained the
following tens: Fos azpsl.s1s ef sseaeIs
er's institutes, four thousand dollars
Before the Appropriations Bill Of 1904
came to vote, it was evident that the High
School Inspectorship measure would not
pass, and an attempts seems to have been
made to whip the devil around the stump
by variation which made the bin read I;
ssFor expenses Of teachers institutes aad
high school inspection, four thousand dol
lars =
Now, mark the outcome. There is no
law creating the office Of Inspector Of High
Schools; the State School Law (Seetion
1922 undoubtedly restricts the four thou
sand dollar appropriation to paying the ex-
penses of teachers institutes; Rule 80 of
the State Board of Education orders that
the State Superintendent shall provide an
! institute for every comfy {joint institutes
directed, where practicable): nevertheless
the State Board, apparently law unto
itself, diverts fve-eighths ($2, 500 Of the
institute appropriations ordered by both
State Law and rule of the Board, to pay
the salary Of high school inspector for
which no warrant exists in law The re-
suit is that this year no institutes are held
in nine counties Bergen, Burlington, Es-
sex, Hudson, Mercer, Morris, Passaic, Som
erset and Union
In view of the APPARENT disregard Of
law shown in this business, tits rather up-
| pleasant to learn that a recently resigned
member Of the State Board, Dr. Louis Be
vier, Jr, Of New Brunswick, has been
appointed High School Inspector at salary
Of $4,000 year
Bat it is nothing new to provide com
Portable jobs IN the schools for members Of
the State Board Of Education and relatives
of these gentlemen and OF the State ad-
minissration. When the Legislature made
the Teachers Retirement Fund part of
the New Jerseys public school system, it
designated the State Treasurer as custo-
dian Of the fund, but the then treasurer,
George B Swain, a Republican, refused to
receive the money or fulfill the duties inn
posed on him by the law until the trustees
Of the fund had made an appropriation
from the fund to pay the clerical and
other expenses in his office. The trustees,
mistakenly, we believe, having acceded to
the demand Of the State Treasurer, that
official proceeded to place his son iii charge
of the business at a salary of 81, 200 year,
which salary was paid out Of the contribu-
lions furnished by the teachers for the pur
pose Of caring for their aged and infirm.
comrades, and Of relieving the schools Of
broken-down instructors
The Bureau Of Information for teachers
at Trenton has been managed for several
years, we understand, by a son Of Mr..
S. R. Morse, member OF the State Board
of Education, who, himself, draws hand
some salary from the State
Lawlessness aud nepotism in high places
are repugnant to American ideals Of govern
! ment.
Is ii not about time that there was o
change in the management Of affairs IN