The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-01
MAKES FUN OF
EDUCATION
BOARD
Commissioners Remedy for
"GrOSs MiSmanagement."
Small AppOintiVe Body.

One of the most ardent advocate
for a small Board of Education Ii
Commissioner ]. Edward Smith, OF TN
Board of Education, chairman OF th'
rtpairs committee, and member or th'
schoolhouse committee of that body
who at the meeting of the latter com
mittee, voted against passing th'
technical school muddle over TO tht
next schoolhouse committee to settle
Mr.. Smith mas been frequently asked ms
position in this connection and his reasons
for voting with COMMISSIONS Courier
against a majority of the schoolhouse
committee. which laid over the plans for
the high school until 1908 after Architect
Nathan Myers had told the committee
that he would expect new pay Tor new
plans IL he drew them.
The commissioner declares that his ex-
perience as n commissioner taught MN
that the methods pursued by the Schooi
Board were "antiquated, inadequate, ana
needed revision He declared that the
city was losing money every year by hav-
ing its school affairs conducted according
to the present system. He explained his
stand on the new High School postpone
ment by condemning the action OF the
committee of 1906, which appointed MI.
Myers architect, declaring, In forcible ian
euage, hat it acted in a manner detri-
mental to the city's interests and without
regard to keeping the faith of a contract
Commissioner Smith said further:
"Shall the Board of Education remain as
it Is, or shall the board be appointed bS TIE
Mayor? Shall each ward be represented OF
said board, or shall the board be appointed
at large? Shall the board consist OF thlfIy-
two elected members. or shall tue saIhe
consist of nine appointed members2 Prob
ably the people of the city of Newark 90
not thoroughly appreciate the great I'M
portance of this issue.
This subject Is not, should not pc OF a
political nature, politics has no place In TINS
issue. The reorganization of the Board or
Education is n matter of expediency. me
question Is whether It Is advisable TO let
the board remain as 1t Is with its old ana
unbusinesslike manner OF conducting our
educational affairs, or shall that board be
reduced to nine members, and said mem
bers be appointed by the Mayor: 1t Is a
business proposition; a question OF economy
and good Judgment. This question which
now confronts the voters Is probably one
OF the most important issues that has been
presented to us for intelligent consideration
for a decade.
fion have been subject to severe criticism,
perhaps justly, but, while we may critieise
the board as a body for the manner that 1t
conducts the educational affairs of this
city, the individual members feel and know
that they are bound down under the weight
of a bad system, and under the circum-
stances are doing the best they can. / do
not criticize a single member of the present
board; / feel that each commissioner Is
honestly and sincerely doing all in lis
power for the general good. but we are
working under an old and WORKOUT system
good results cannot be accomplished un-
less only best and approved modern meth
DDS are taken advantage of. The present
system outlived Its usefulness ten years
ago-years ago this city should have had an
aAoofr4f.ro Decd - Trl,,aoftA~s NJ. -.--.
rience on the present board and as a mem
Der of two of the most important commit
tees, being chairman of the repair commit
tee, teaches me that under the present con-
duct of the boards affairs there is no one
upon whom responsibility can be placed.
general condition of the repair depart
ment is extremely poor and poorly man
aged, thousands OF dollars are spent an
nually witt unsatisfactory results. The
schools are not kept up to a perfect condl.
tieR,~ and for that reason 1t Is extremely
difficult to get repair work done promptly
when necessary, and done properly and
thoroughly. l would entirely reoIganize the
repair department.
THE plan heretofore adopted for the
building of new schools Is simply ridicu-
lous and childish. We are spending bun-
dreds of thousands of dollars of the peo-
pies money, and We are giving them
schools that any first-class city would
blush TO own. One million two hundred
thousand dollars spent this year, and what
49, 49, 0L6hAoF ~ : - ~ oR1"
ond-rate school buildings that within the
period of five years will have ceased to
be useful. It would be far better for the
city to adopt a systematic plan of school
building. For instance. suppose we should
have an annual appropriation of 81. 900, 900
II then build five schools at a cost of
S250.OO0 each, In ten years we would have
fifty school buildings that would have no
equal In the United States, and the same
would be useful for school purposes for
fifty years, and save money in the bargain.
see the good sense Of this proposition. But
what are we now doing? We are building
additions 10 old buildings.
are building inadequate new build
ings. The only way to remedy properly
this condition is to entirely r~eorganize the
present system. Adopt the small board.
Appoint such men on the board who, by
their success in business life, give you
manage you school affairs. We are
now sowing the seed that will pro
duce future citizens. 1t Is proper and
Just to future generations that that seed
be sown upon and in fertile ground, and,
when sown. 1t is our duty as we'll to nuture
the planting until 1t has developed into the
most perfect manhood.
ut would seem ridiculous to the ordi-
nary mind that with $400, 900 at our dis
posal we are unable to produce a Com
mercial High School. The answer is simply
younr building committee of 1906 was un-
qualified, ignorant and mentally untitled to
cope with this matter i~ntelligently. Such
important matters, put In ignorant hands,
must naturally produce the present result.
Is II possible that II Is impossible to build
q commercial high school for the sum of
S400. 600?
Il say that the school can be built
for that amount, but If it was not pos
siblc to build same for that sum it was
The duty of the committee Of 1906 &c
drop the proposition, and not hand 1t down
to the present committee. Happy is the
city that there was some or the present
committee who was honorable enough and
had the conscience to appreciate the ele-
ment of a contract and had the backbone
to call a halt upon such fragrant violation
of the law. So I might go through the
different departments of the Board of Edu-
cation with the like result, and the only
~loeical. verdict Is that tho present system
is productive of gross mismanagement and
will be a continual source of extravaganza
and recklessness. What we need are small
appointments to the Board of Education,
members selected from the very best of
our citizens. men whose integrity and
ability are unquestioned, and whose sue
cess in business gives evidence of perfect