The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-10-28
REAL FRIEND OF
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Edward C. Stokes Has Done
More For Them In New Jer-
Soy Than Any Other Man.
BUILT UP PRESENT SYSTEM

Newark, Oct 21.-When Edward G
Stokes entered the legislature in 1891
as member Of the house of assembly
he took with him an absorbing purpose
to devote himself to the interests OF
public education in New Jersey.
AS superintendent of the public
schools of Millville he had studied the
state school system and learned its
manifold il1perfections. He saw that
much of the money paid In school tax
es was either uselessly expended OF
misappropriated. schools were poorly
built and equipped, the school laws
were crude and there was in the sys
TEN Of instruction no branch to At the
boy or girl for vocational occupations
or even for the practical duties Of life
Industrial training was unknown. The
girls had no tuition In domestic occu
pations such as sewing and cooking
Manual training was yet to be intro
duced for boys. There was no medi
cal inspection of the schools. Santa
ton was little regarded. and the gym
nasium was undreamed Of Such O
thing as fire drill for school children
had vet to be thought of.
But the money available for public
education was limited. and the schoo
districts provided according to theii
means. All the help from the state
they got at that time was 100000, the
income of the state school fund dis
tributed among the twenty coun
ties, and this was but "a drop in the
bucket"
Necessarily teachers salaries were
low. and In many country districts the
public school conditions were deplora
BILE because the people were compare
lively poor and the most moderate tax
rested heavily upon them
The man who met the needs of the
hour was Edward c. Stokes. who earn
ed in the legislature the name Of bene
factor of the New Jersey public school
system The great need of the public
schools was money. The counties were
well taxed for school purposes. The
districts paid the state taxes and rails
ed large sums besides for the purchase
of sites and the building of new school
houses.
Happily the revenues of the state
were increasing from the gradual ac
cretions of railroad and corporation
taxes. the income from the collateral
inheritance tax, first collected in 1892
from the banking and insurance com
mission and other sources. Mr.. Stokes
aided In getting this additional reve
nue.. The state could then afford to
lend financial aid TO the counties.
The state on Mr. Stokes initiative
then provided an annual appropriation
approximating S1.0OOC00 to be distrib
uted to the counties for school pur
poses. This appropriation was paid by
Republican legislat lures year after year
until the Republican legislature in 1906
in the second year Of the administra
ton of Governor Stokes. passed til,
law prepared by him increasing the
railroad taxes threefold and providing
that the great bulk of the states share
Of these taxes should be paid to the
counties for the public schools. The
amount paid last year was S2.S27.-
Gill
While looking after the financing OF
the public school system Mr. Stokes. rs
member of the legislature. addressed
himself to the remo3eline and imprnv
ing of the state school laws. He VIZ.
the author of the comprehensive schao
law which preceded the present one
and was such great advance in schno
legislation that it was quoted in Other
states as model system Compared
with the laws that existed wien Mr.
Stokes began. it was revolutionary.
Without the careful and progressive
nursing that public school interests IL
New Jersey received from Edward Gas
par Stokes during the long term he
has been IN public life the publ,
school system in New Jersey could
never have attained the position it has
today. He made the rev conditions
wrote the new laws and provided the
new income. The new state schoo
policy was created by him. He i'm
bued legislatures with a new interest.
Of great value to the state was Mr.
Stokes labor in identifying publ,
education with the agricultural inter
ests of the state. He took the initia
tive His faith in public education
made him believe that these interests
would be vastly promoted by the teach
ing of the principles of agriculture al
the public expense.
During is two years in the assembly
and six years in the senate it was
known that when any attempt was
made, as there was during Governo'
Abbett's administration. to impair the
integrity of school funds: or to injur,
public educational interests Edward
G. Stokes was always on hand for the
defense.
To-day the teacher who receives D
higher salary than was paid twent,
years ago can thank Edward C. Stoke.
for it. The pupil who gets industrial
and technical training. who has medi
eel supervision aud sanitary school
house. who has gymnasium to exer
else in-nay. even the playground
which are a development Of publ
school progression look to Mr. Stoke
as the originator of these blessings.