Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-05-15
URGES new
SCHOOL FINANCING
Ex-Governor Declares Present
system Wrong-Says Stu
dents Have 1t Too Easy.

Former Governor Edward G. Stokes
urged the adoption of a new fiscal
system in raising money for the sup
port of schools throughout the State,
and declared that things were being
made too easy for school children
during his address last night before
the Board of Trade, which met In
the Central High School. If the 46S
school districts of the State were
abolished and the State considered as
unit, he asserted, the burden to
municipalities of taxes on schools
could be relieved II two and three
quarter mills were added to the
amount now raised by the State.
"There is no reason" said the
former governor. why we should not
devise a different fiscal system for
financing our schools. which would
reduce the cost, and that not at the
expense of efficiency. Wouldn't 1t be
possible to unite our 46S school dis
tricts, each having financial de-
partment of its own. into twenty-one
with the county as the unit, or even
into one for the entire Slater"
The speaker declared that the cour-
try was suffering from modesty, in
stead of egotism, and one of the
things which gets on his nerves Is
to see the so-called political leaders
with admirers and followers VINO
know great deal more than the
leaders. The tendency to merge the
Individual into the mass is one which
the schools should deal with. he as
serted, and arouse the latent talents
of the thousands of Millions, Lincolns
and Gladstones, who only need to be
awakened to be discovered.
isn't it possible that we are
making things too easy for the stu
dents?' he continued; that we are
paying too much attention to inertia,
which, after all. is only laziness, and
that we are raising up a lot of hot
house darlings, instead of giant
mem"
The former governor asserted his
belief that New Jerseys school sys-
tenn is the best in the Union, but
added that there is room for i'm
provement. The faculty of warding,
off evils by projecting the pupils into
the future, developing their magma
ton, is not being cultivated, he said.
To illustrate this. the speaker de-
clared that three days before the Ohio
floods the people were warned that
the rivers were raising rapidly, and
by using a little imagination could
have opened the floodgates of the
reservoirs and left them empty.
Prof. William Wiener was the next
speaker, and called attention to the
plan of securing vocational coun-
selors for the children. He expressed
regret that the Board of Education
had found it impossible to grant the
request of nearly 500 students to have
the schools open during the summer
months in order to finish their
studies quicker.
Members of the Board of Trade
were conducted about the school
building and acquainted with the
progress being made by the pupils in
the various departments. The visitors
expressed considerable admiration for
the work accomplished.
At the business session of the
board Bernard Lewis, Maurice Readey
and Thomas Girvan were elected
new members. Notice of the invita-
ton requesting the board to send
delegates to the annual convention
of the National Association of Manu-
facturers, to be held May 20-21 at
Detroit, was read. The members
were also invited to cooperate with
the Newark Motor Club in making
Orphans Day success. Children
from the various Institutions will be
taken on long automobile ride.
James M. Reilly, secretary of the
board, announced the standing COM
mittees for the ensuing year.