The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-01-25
PLAN TO DEFEND
SCHOOL MONEYS
FROM .P|LLAGE
Boards of Education and Civic
Societies Arm Themselves
for Coming Battle.
LOCAL OFFICIALS IN
FIGHT TO SAVE FUNDS
President Guild and Supt. Po-
land Deny Charges of Extrava-
gance in Management.

Governor Forts scheme to take sew
era1 hundred thousands of dollars from
the State school POUNDS collected an
nually from the tax en- railroads and
canal companies on their main stem, or
frst-class property, and use the money
to pay q deficit in State funds caused
by extravaganza In the State govern
ment, will be vigorously opposed by
the Newark Board of Education when
a bill is introduced in the Legislature
to push the scheme through. President
Frederick F. Guild and Vice-President
George w. Tomkins, the latter chair
man of the committee on finance and
legislation of the board, said yesterday
that the board will fight harder than
1t did last year against any measure
similar to the Avis bill.
The bill fathered by Senator Avis at
the last session was drawn by Gov
ernor Fort, who championed it. but it
was defeated by the combined vigorous
work of the school boards in the State,
the influence of the 49, 900 voters in the
councils of the Junior Order of United
American Mechanics, and also many
thousands Of parents and taxpayers in
every county. All these powerful in
fiuences will oppose any bill in the
Legislature his session, providing for
a diversion of the State school funds
to other State purposes.
President Guild said yesterday that
the Newark board may not AXE formal
action until a bill appears in the Legis-
1ature and it's purpose is known. A
year ago, after over $400, 600 had been
collected from the tax on railroads, as
Newark's share, it was kept in the
State treasury instead of being turned
over to the Newark board. 1t was final
ly ascertafned that the money was re-
tained to make a good showing for the
State nance in the annual report TO
the Legislature.
Newark had to raise the $500, 900 by
the issue of temporary loan bonds, and
when these came due and the State had
not turned over any of the money due
Newark the city had to issue perma-
nent thirty-year bonds, increasing the
permanent debt of the city at the ex-
pense of the taxpayers. Newark re-
ceived last year S407 900 from the tax
collected from railroads in 1906 and
$685. 900 from the tax for 1907, a total of
s780,000. 1t is estimated that the New
ark board will not get more than $780,
900 for 1908 from the railroad tax. and
it will have to raise by taxation this
year over $40o, 900. for it will not have
a 1906 nest egg again.
Governor Fort charged in a recent
finance message to the Legislature that
there was extravaganza in municipal
expenditures. President Guild yester-
day declared ~emphatical1y that there
has no been any extravaganza by the
Newark school board, that there are
not enough school buildings in the city
for all the children, and therefore the
State should give every dollar of the
money collected from the railroad for
school purposes.
Vice-President Tomkins said that
when a bill appears in the Legislature
the finance and legislation committee
of the board will get copies of 1t, and
if it provides for the diversion of any
part of the school fund raised from the
railroad tax the Newark board will
work with other school boards and the
Junior Order and other powerful in
fuences to defeat the bin.
DIR. Addison B. Poland, superintend-
ent of schools, defended in his annual
report for 1908 the Board of Education
against charges of extravaganza in the
use of money received from the State
school fund. He then shows by the Of
fetal records of the Newark board that
there had been no extravaganza by 1t
in the expenditure of school funds dur
ing the past twenty years He sub
mitted a table giving the amount ap-
propriated each year, beginning in 1890.
by the State and Newark for school
purposes, n the amount expended by
Newark for school construction and
general school maintenance.