The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-09
CITY BEG? NOT MUCH!
y
KIB0SH OFFICIALLY PUT ON
CARNEGIE "J0KE."
Chairman of schoolhouse Committee
Makes a statement-Did Not Indorse
Suggestion.

When is a joke not a joke? is the
question that the members of the
schoolhouse committee of the Board of
Education are asking each other since
Architect Nathan Myers asked the COM
mittee Monday night IL they would al
low him to try and procure the trifiing
sum of $780, 00 necessary to complete
the proposed technical high school
from Andrew Carnegie, the multi-mil-
lionaire. and thus put to shame the
Board of School Estimate, which re-
fused to make an extra appropriation
for the Lincoln School. and conse-
auently frightened the members of the
committee from asking for the small
change" to complete the work on the
high school.
Chairman George Varley deplores the
fact that the newspaper men have not
a sense of humor. and presents a state
ment claiming that the Carnegie APP
peal was a joke when proposed, but
since the papers have taken 1t up. 1t
Is not a joke; consequently the ques-
ton, When Is a joke not a joker"
MI. Varley makes the accusation that
the reporters present at the meeting
Monday night laughed with theccom-
mittee when Mr.. Myers broachA the
subject, and then darkly hints that
they wrote it in a serious vein. causing
the educational body great discomfort
With a bow to the public, Architect
Myers modestly admits that he made
the suggestion, and adds that 1t was
merely a joke, but Mr.. Myers later
seemed a little worried over the mat
ter. 1t Is no more than fair to the
architect to state that the Carnegie
idea did not originate with him, al
though he introduced it at the meeting,
and If Mr.. Myers thinks thatG his
health will be benefited by his being
relieved of originating the plan to get
Mr.. Carnegie to help build a Newark
school. the representative of the press
who wrote the suggestion and handed
1t to n of the committee, will make
a martyr of himself.
Following is the letter of Mr.. Var
ley. and 1t speaks for itself:
an very much surprised at the serious
consideration given by the press of this
city to the remark made by Architect
Myers that Andrew Carnegie be appealed
to for a donation Of $400, 900 TO build the
School, according to the plans submitted
by him, as the remark was made in Jest,
ana was so considered by every one who
was present at the meeting when the re-
vision OF the plans was under considera-
ton.
l would like the press and the people OF
the city, to know: and to. know it so EN-
phatically that there will be no question
about IT, that the committee did not and
had absolutely no intention of endorsins
the suggestion Of the architect or to
countenance his appeal to Mr. Carnegie
and the architect himself stated that hi
did net make the remark seriously or will
anyl thought of its being considered b,
the committee.
The representatives of the local pres
present at the meeting laughed with tn
committee when the suggestion referred t
was made, and it seems that only after tn
committee practically forgot the matte
the press began to take Il up seriousI,
and make Newark appear as a mendican
when there was no thought on the part o
the committee to place this city in such
sponsible for any casual remark that ma
be made by any one present at its meet
ings, except when such q remark take,
the form of a motion and is regularly actet
upon. GEORGE VARLEY.
rLzE.--