Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-07-09
Disposed Supervising PrinCi-
pal OF South Amboy School
Claims Unfair Treatment
TELLS ABOUT HIS WORK
Endeavors to Prove He Wa:
Not incompetent Other Wit
ness on This Afternoon.

Russell NJ. Fitch, deposed supervis-
ing principal of public schools in
South Amboy, today endeavored to
prove that he was not incompetent
and that his time was largely taken
up with school work each day, in
a continuation of the hearing on ap-
peal before Assistant State Commits
sioner of Education J. Brodnard
Belts at the high school building
here today. Through questioning Of
his counsel, Thomas Brown. Profess
sor Fitch, endeavored to show that he
] had been treated unfairly, particular
I ly by DR.. e. E. Haines and Alonzo
Grace, of the Board of Education of
South Amboy.
Professor Fitch went on the wit
ness stand when the case was con-
tinued at 1925 o'clock this morning.
He said school board meetings in
South Amboy for the past three years
mad been held in the supervising
principals office and that previous to
that they had been held in city hall,
and furthermore, that a meeting at
which attack was opened forcibly
against him was held in Alonzo
Grace's house, which was followed
by feast. He said members of the
board and Principals Miller and
Dawson attended. DR.. Haines pre-
sided as usual, he said. Following
very short form of business, DR..
Haines and Commissioner Grace be-
gan rapid fire of questions at him,
concerning efficiency In the schools
and his work.
Prof. Fitch testified that DR.,
Haines asked him to be present at
the meeting for the purpose of tell
ing about running of the schools.
At the meeting Haines and Grace
claimed before the supervising prin-
cipal that the schools were not up
to standard and that they had heard
some parents had complained. Fitch
asked Haines to melton the names OF
some complaining parents, which he
failed to do, Fitch testified. Fitch
then claimed the schools were up to
the standard, and that they compared
favorably with others. He consider
ed they were doing we'll and holding
their own, considering trouble of
condemnation of one building neces-
stating half day sessions and the alb
sence of an Industrial department.
Mr., Fitch said he had recommended
viz AAiohtildblSi VI SUN u utpdl tluSuI
to encourage scholars to remain at
school.
At this juncture Mr.. Brown refer
red to testimony of school commis-
sioners last Thursday. Fitch denied
that he had answered at DR.. Haines
had testified he did to a question as,
to efficiency in the schools Haines
had asked Fitch at the meeting II
the sci 'ols were up to standard, and
according to Haines' testimony, Fitch
replied no" This Fitch emphatic
ally denied declaring he said They
were not advancing as he would like
to have had them but were holding
their own, considering disadvantages
and the condemned state of one
schools. Here Fitch said DR.. Haines
became severe with him at the meet
ing, despite the fact that he had first
stated he was going to be fair. Fitch
denied emphatically that he had an
swered mo" as Haines testified be
had, to a question as to II he could
tell why the schools were not up to
standard. Fitch testified that crowd
ed conditions OF the schools had i'm
peded personal instruction and had
caused a weakness which was carr
ried on from one grade to another,
In some instances causing scholars to
become discouraged. 1t was for thai
reason, to some extent, that he, Fitch
recommended the installation of an
industrial department to induce pu-
pills to remain.
Laughter was caused at the hear
ing when Fitch testified that after
DR.. Haines concluded "Grace went
at him" He questioned the profess
sor about the efficiency of teachers.
Fitch replied there was a weakness
among some of them. Grace asked
him to name the certain ones. When
Fitch started to do that and Grace
stopped him, claiming he did not
want to hear them. The professor
testified that he was then up against
it, not knowing what the commission
ers wanted to hear from him
Further testimony of Predecessor
Fitch showed that the schools had
not been approved when began
work in the department in November
of 1895 He made recommendation
at the first meeting of the board fol-
lowing his engagement that the high
class in his room be united with the
high class in school No. 2, making
two classes In a room. The supervis-
ing principal next testified concern
Ing a report of inspection of school
buildings and upon several other
subjects leading up to a point to
show that he had had little time for
supervising work the last year. He
testified that an inspector of the de-
partment of public inspection had
condemned school No. / building. 1t
had been erected in 184S and was en-
larged in 1898. 1t is an old two
story affair, not properly lighted nor
ventilated, with poorly designed and
unsafe staircase, the inspector had
reported. Walls and ceilings were IN
danger of falling, class rooms were
crowded and In ths basement the
ceilings were but ten feet high.
which was entirely too low. The in
spector recommended that conditions
be remedied or the building be
abandoned.