Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-01-31
mo ACTION ON
NEW SCHOOL
South Amboy City Officials
Hear Matter Discussed.

the city hall last evening The full
council and full board were present,
also City Solicitor Pearse. Presi-
dent Davis called the meeting to or
, order and stated the object for
which the meeting was called, viz. to
talk yer quietly the proposed new
high school with the county super
intendent and discuss any obscure
points in connection Herewith. Mr..
Willis stated he presumed all knew
that the conditions OF tho schools
we're such as to require attention;
that there had been put on patches
and new parts until the buildings
had really become quite out of date.
In reply to the question as to
when the last school-house was built
Mr.. Pearse informed him 1t was in
1872 or 1873. Mr.. Willis stated
that WIS a long time and nearly all
conditions had changed. He stated
his attention had been called to the
conditions nor particularly by the
state department and read report OF
the state inspector and commented
upon the unfavorab1e conditions as
described by the inspector. Mr.. SUIT
lii called attention to the fact that
the state board had approved the
new school building at Woodbridge
whereas the criticism made on toll
cts at School No. 2 existed In the
new building at Woodbridge which
appeared rather peculiar.
Mr.. Willis stated he understood
South Amboy paid fo~rty-seven cents
on the dollar for school taxes and
compared 1t with smaller towns and
townships who we're paying a great
err amount: he also exhibited a chart
showing the amounts paid In various
places which be stated indicated that
from the standpoint of taxation we
had not any excuse for not having
good school accommodations. He
did not think the figures were In any
way a reflection, that we had our
buildings up until now and now the
time had come when he had to
branch out. Our bonds amounted
to practically nothing--dve or six
Thousand dollars-while some OF the
townships were carving from one
hundred to one-hundred and TWEEN
tty-four thousand dollars bonds. He
thought tt would be an unwarranted
expense to try to make all the old
rooms conform to the law and
thought the only conclusion we
could reach would be that we
| would have TO have q new building.
He stated IL we issued bonds to the
extent of S100,o00 to cover q PEE
riod OF years the increased AK would
be so small as to be hardly notice
able on anyone's tax bill. In an
swer to question Of Mr.. Pearse If we
should dk away with old building
and erect'a new one MIR. Willis stat
ed the industrial work wa a coming
Feature IL school mofn which the oid
building would be very useful for.
What he thought we should erect
was q building to be known as the
high school OF the City of South Ann
boy which would admit the grammar
grades as we'll SO as not TO crowd
either building.
Counsellor Pearse made the sug-
Igestion tina tn;stead of building a
third school and maintaining all
three. that two should be all we were
required TO maintain and that one
old one should be torn down and a
new n built and not require the
city to gosto the expense OF main
tanning three schools. Mr.. Willis
stated the question of tearing down
buildings, ETC.. vas one for the
board to settle, but he wanted to Inn
press them with the necessity for q
new building as we had needed it
for the past five years and to get a
proper building we should pay $780,
600 OF 100000. He stated the city
lshouid not put up a building that
in ten years we would be ashamed
of, but should erect a building In
the proper location that we would
be proud of. President Davis called
upon each of the councilmen indi-
yidually, but they all stated they
had nothing to say. Mr.. Willis stat
ed he thought the counciImen ought
to express themselves whether they
thought the idea a good one or not
he would rather them express their
opinion. MFR. Slower, upon being
asked to express an opinion stated
he would want to consider the mat
ter. Mr.. Stanton stated he thought
the new school was necessary, but
whether the peoples pocket could
stand 1t raj another question. Mr..
Stuart stated there was no question
but that we need a change La cur
schools. II have felt satisfied the
facilities are not what they should
be-" he declared, "but this Is q new
proposition to us and we will have
TO go q little deeper In the matter.
II we have 60 build a new school
building we will have to build ac-
|cording 10 the pocket as we'll as We
can afford. 1t may be all right TO
build Ia SS6,000 or 500, 600 school,
bat IL this city cannot afford Ii we
Will have TO cut down a little SO I
think we ought TO 20 a little further
In the matter. Dir. OsGonnor stated
he did not think there was enough
civic prtda in the Board Of Educa-
SIon of South ATnboy. Speaking OF
Light etc. tive years ago had the
honor or being q member Of the
Board OF Health and we had a con-
fagious disease ana wac called to
visit the school by DR.. Hunt. He
told me ne would send O gentleman
down from Trenton to fumigate the
school and the gentleman aaad this
school don't want fumigation. IL
wants t be scrubbed frona the out
aide OF the aoor-knob tc the xarree.
He discovered fakes os duat Tying
around Ia the ruome@w1tf the doors
closed tbs Uathouses we're III a de-
plprable eoDdittons the grounds ad-
Joining onw schools are mt III prop
sr condition IN the ether small
places mentioned you Will ana thu
grounds veil kept and tho schools