The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-05-12
Special Committees Report
Declares the Accusations
Of the Aldermen Unjust.
CHARGES HASTILY PREPARED
Protection Of the Buildings
Against Fire Generally
Ade quate.

The Board Of Edueation vent back
at the Board Of Aldermen Iass night IL
adopting report submitted py 4 special
committee 70 whom Was referred the
recent communication Of the Aldermen,
accompanied by 4 report Of Building In
spector saul declaring that many il
the public schools were veritable Ore
traps and dangerously nlenaeed the lives
Of thousands OF children
Some time ago. reads the report Of
the special committee of Directors i
committee named by the Board Of Ed
ueation, ii connection with lie Mayor
Chief Engineer Of the Fire Department
and President Of the Board Of Fire Con-
missioners, whe the Board of Education
is Informed, had supervision Of the com
struction and inspection of fire escapes
carefully inspected all the school builds
iHgs. AS a consequence Of this careful
inspection. the Supervising Architect Of
the Public Schools made a report 10 The
Beard If Education, embodSing the rec
concentrations Of the officials Of the fire
department mentioned. The Board Of
Education tiereupon took action toward
increasing the number of exits in the
schools, and made a request upon the
Board Of Finance for an appropriation.
Tie committee in its report declares
the report Of the Building Inspector
bears evidence Of having been prepared
hastily and Of having been based On care
less inspection z 1t says the Board ef
Aldermen ignores the fact that NEST
Of the buildings contain protective tire
walls. fire apparatus and numerous and
commodious FIRE proof stairways'' re
frains FROM giving any recognition to the
many protective features now contained
in our schools" and makes no distine-
ton between the school buildings, but
make It appear that all the buildings lack
efficient means Of protection
After telling what the Board of Edu-
cation has done to protect the children
against fire the report coneludes
Eve notice that the ordinance ef the
Board Of Aldermen requires that all
,,t,;f,,;na :; 1,-h;..h AVIAN,
u or more persons congregate Or
are employed : shall have
one or more fre escapes.
Ii will be observed that this ordinance
applies to many buildings in the eIly
other than public schools. We are com
PEELED to say that in its enforcement af
this ordinance the Board Of Aldermen
has taken special pains TO give the pub
lie school buildings an undeserved MOTOR
iety II the Board of Aldermen has
given any attention TO buildings other
than public schools, and which, neverthe-
less. are Included in the requirements If
the ordinance mentioned, nothing char
the Board Of Aldermen has done pnblieiy
has been brought to our notice We do
not desire TO impugn the motives OF the
members Of the Board Of Aldermen but
it is only fair to the Board If Education
aud to the citizens to emphasize me faet
that of all the buildings in the city subject
to the ordinance Of the Board Of Alder
men, that body has singled out The public
school buildings as the only ones worthy.
III its opinion OF adverse criticism. diIl~
cially and publicly expressed
The members Of the special COMMITTEES
were Directors Diffenbaeh. Ramsey.
Clute and Ward
a cnpy Of the report WAS ordered sent
to the Board Of Aldermen