The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1911-02-28
BOARD OF EDUCATION
MAKES A STATEMENT
Answers Many Criticisms Made
Against Its Administration

After hearing a communication from
the Woman's Town Improvement
committee asking that the polls at
the annual school meeting be kept
open in the evening, DIR. stephen
Pierson, president of the board u.s.
sued the following statement regard
ing the school meeting and various
other matters that have been crit
icised of late:-
Election of Board Members.
The terms of Henry NJ Smith, D..
Farrand Sturgis and William r. Halli-
day, as members of the Board of
Education of Morristown, expire this
year. The meeting for the election
of three members of the board will
be held at the Maple avenue public
school building on the 2tst of March,
1911, at four O'Clock in the afternoon.
In compliance with the law, the polls
W
and for as much longer as may be
necessary to receive the votes of the
voters present.
| Hour of meeting.
After careful consideration it has
been decided that these hours are the
ones most likely to secure the largest
attendance of those who have the in.
terests of the public schools most at
heart.
Finances.
There is no bonded or other indebt-
edness upon the school system. All
bills are paid monthly. The board is
not obliged to borrow money in antic-
ipation of taxes, but on the contrary,
receives quite sum from the banks
as interest on deposits.
Sanitation.
The common drinking cup and the
common hand towels have been abol-
ished in all the buildings Sanitary
drinking fountains and Individual
paper towels have been substituted
The installation of the sewer system
in Morristown will probably make the
abandonment of the old style privies
and toilets compulsory. The board
is carefully investigating this matter
to ascertain what is the most ap.
proved and practical way of meeting
this problem. The change will in.
yolye the expenditure of considerable
money, and cannot be made before
the long summer vacation begins.
F. Fire.
While it is true that there are nc
outside fire escapes upon either the
Maple avenue or Speedwell avenue
buildings, this is not because the
board have been negligent or parsimc
nious. We are within the terms oil
the law, and have believed that the
children were safer without them be-
cause in the former case they use
exits which are in daily use and
familiar; in the other, mass of chill.
dren huddled upon fire escapes would
probably mean manning or loss of life
or both. Fire drills are had frequent
| ly in both schools. The stairways
and exits seem to be ample. The
Speedwell avenue school building
has been emptied in two minutes, and
the Maple avenue building in less thar
three minutes, on tests made with.
out previous notification. Il Teachers
| fully prescribed, and a janitor is
constantly in each building during
school hours. However, the board is
again considering the advisability of
outside fire escapes.
Course of Study and Special Class.
AS to the course and hours of
study, such notifications are made
from time to time as seem advisable.
The hours for the youngest children
are now the minimum allowed by law
The matter of averaged and back
ward children, who crowd class-rooms
and interfere so, much with the pro-
gress ofssnormal children, has been
considered. AS soon as suitable
teacher can be secured separate
class for such children will be opened.
STEPHEN PIERSON, ,
Pres. Board of Education.
DIR. Gustav A. Becker, a medical
examiner of the schools, reported.sto
the board of having visited the Maple
avenue and Speedwell avenue build
ings and toilets and finding them