The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-04-04
TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 1911

AFTER long and careful investigation of |
the affairs of the public schools of this
state, the special committee appointed to
look into that matter reported to the SEN
ate and made many suggestions concern
Ing the future conduct of the schools.
Inc report was long one and covered
various points. One of them was the
purchase of securities for the school fund,
and In that item the committee apparently
overstepped the mark and showed animus
by attempting to bring the administration
OF former Governor Stokes into disrepute
when the facts do not warrant any such
result. In referring to the purchase
OF bonds the committee calls attention to
the fact that Howard Stokes sold to the
stats, Indirectly during his brothers term
as Governor, and directly at other times,
bonds on which he made profit. There
was such an evident desire to cast
reflection upon the former Governor that
ne replied to the report In an open letter
which Is full OF ginger. 1t was shown
during the investigation that the trustees
OF the state fund, OF which he was
member, were very careful In their
method OF investigating school moneys,
and Governor Stokes says he discouraged
the purchase of bonds from his brother
This statement is corroborated by Howard
Stokes, who has issued letter in which
he sets forth his side of the case. He
appeared before the committee on two
occasions and took with him a complete
transcript showing all the bonds which he
had sold to the state. giving the price he
paid and the price at which they were
sold, Instead of asking Howard about
his transactions with the state the COM
mittee made inquiry about his transactions
with other bankers. He told the commit
tee that he had no interest whatever In
sale OF bonds to the state school fund
while his brother was Governor, and did
not sell any bonds to the state during
those years. Howard denounces as a
deliberate untruth" at least one of the
charges made by the committee and shows
conclusively that there was more desire to
cast reflection upon his brothers admins
tration as Governor than there was to get
az the true situation regarding the bond
transactions. The chairman of the COM
mittee has made brief reply to Governor
Stokes letter. and seems content to
rest on the fact that the former executive
did not go before the committee and give
testimony, but Towards letter shows that
when man went before the committee
he was not asked questions that would
clear the atmosphere. but was merely in
terrogated on what would bring out mat
tiers that seemed to suit the Investigators
Tor their own purposes, they evidently
being after the former Governors scalp
The report calls attention to thedeposit of
school moneys in the bank of which he is
the president, and insinuates that a per-
son, trustee for fund and at the same
time at the head of financial concern,
cannot do his duty If he favors his bank
with business. This is rank nonsense,
and after reading the report which is
overrunning with animus on the points
named one is inclined to inquire why
this evident desire to throw discredit upon
the administration of Governor Stokes r.
Is 1t because he Is feared in certain quar-
tiers as political foe, and the intent is to
squelch him In any way possible 1t looks
that way. Former Governor Stokes, in
his reply, left no room for doubt as to
whom he held responsible for the attack
upon him, and his remarks were plain and
to the point. He gets back on Senator
Frelinghuysen by calling attention to the
fact that the latter sold bonds to the
school fund, although the seller claimed
to have turned the profit over to another
party. The estimation in which Govern
or Stokes 10 held by the people of this
state, has been shown In many instances,
especially in the contest for votes on the
Office of United States Senator, which is
sufficient to dispose of any insinuations
that may be thrown out from any source
for spparent.political effect The admins
tration of Governor Stokes was honest
and one of the best in the history of the
state. One item may be referred to,
quoted by the Newark Star. 1t says: "a
single accomplishment by his administra-
ton. the increase In the railroad taxes to
the state by two and half millions an.
nually, Is an achievement without any
parallel in state administration, and it was
the idea of Governor Stokes himself that
the great bulk of this Increased revenue
should be used for school purposes only"