Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-03-28
Senate PrOberS Would
Abolish State EduCa-
tiOR Board.
SEVERELY CRITICISE
SCHOOL BOND SALES
Finds Corrupt, If Not Criminal,
Practises in Many
Districts.
rspecial to the Newark star.l

Especial to the Newark Star]
TRENTON, March 2S.--"The state
Board of Education should be abolished.
The Offices of State superintendent and
assistant State superintendent should be
abolished. The Office Of a single COM
missioner of education, with four as
sistants, should be created. Such
commissioner should be selected with
out regard to whether his place of resi-
dence Is within or without the State of
New Jersey. He should be appointed by
the Governor for a term of five years,
commencing July 1, 1911, at an annual
salary of about $4,000"
The foregoing are the important rec
concentrations in the report of the
Senate school Investigating committee
which was submitted to the Legisla-
= ture today
The report was submitted by Senator
Frelinghuysen A resolution authoriz-
ing the printing of 10000 copies for
general circulation was adopted. The
Senate decided that the several thou
sand pages of testimony taken by the
committee be open to the public for
their inf NATION.
Asks Attorney Generals Opinion.
Frelinghuysen offered another resolu-
tion, in which the opinion of the at
torney- general was requested as to
whether people who had been SUBJ
poenaed and refused to attend the
meetings of the committee We're in con-
tempt of the Senate, and If so whether
they could be punished for their failure
to answer subpoenaes.
Fielder thought the resolution was of
too great Importance to be hurriedly
acted upon.
Frelinghuysen earnestly urged its
adoption and cited case In North
Bergen which he regarded as especially
fragrant. He read from the report to
sus. in his argument.
Prince thought the resolution should
go to the committee on municipal cor
porations.
Bradley could not see why there
should be any objection to asking for
an opinion of the attorney general on
this or any other subject.
Osborne said that if Frelinghuysen
thought that it was of the first i'm
portance TO obtain the opinion of the
attorney general he did not see why
there should be objection to such a
trivial matter.
Prince withdrew his motion to refer
a committee.
Edge believed the Senate would be
entirely justified in getting all the in
formation it could on the subject COW
cred by the resolution.
Silzer indorsed the resolution. 1t was
entirely proper. 1t was important to
reach the recalcitrant witnesses in
some way If the attorney general said
the Senate had not the authority to
reach and punish them law could be
passed which would enable the Senate
to summon and punish if such action
should prove to be warranted by facts
and evidence.
The resolution was passed. 10 to o.
The report reviews the condition of
the public school system in New Jer-
sey in its every branch. 1t tells of
the corrupt practses which it found
existing in many school districts, and
goes so far as to brand some of them
as criminal.
Bond Sale Criticised.
1t criticizes the methods used in the
sale and purchase of bonds by Howard
K. Stokes brother of former Governor
Edward Casper Stokes.
The report deals with the political
conditions existing in New Jersey, and
tells of it's failure to get grand juries
of Mercer and Hudson counties to in
dict persons who deliberately disobeyed
the subpoenas issued by the Senate
committee. calling upon them to attend
its sessions.
The committee, which was appointed
by the Senate in 1909, is composed of
Senators Joseph S. Frelinghuysen, of
Somerset; William J. Bradley, of Cam
den, and George S. Silzer, of Middle
sex, ano. William G. Schauffier. William
H. Morrow and 5. St. J. McCutcheon,
members of the State Board of Edu-
cation. The senator's and Mr.. Schauf-
fer signed the report as approving all
its recommendations, but Mr.. Morrow
and Mr.. McCutcheon dissent from the
recommendations to abolish the State
board.
The report deals with every phase of
the public school system. from janitors
to the investment of the State school
funds.
The report states that almost one
fourth of the bonds held by the trus-
tees of the State school fund at the
close of the last fiscal year were sold
to them within the past six years by
or in behalf of two individuals.
Howard Stokes, the report says, was
at some period a partner of r. S.
Grant and was also engaged in busi-
ness under the firm name of w. f.
jackson & Co. This paragraph ap-
pears In the report concerning the bond
deals with Mr.. Stokes during the years
when his brother was the governor of
the State:
During 1905, 1906 and 1907 sales of
bonds to the trustees by Grant & Co.
and of bonds in which Howard Stokes
appears to have some interest aggre-
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