Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1913-08-26

In statement issued today by
Mayor Ferd Garretson, who is ex-
ofi1cio chairman of the Board of
School Estimate. the mayor explains
why the board has not taken action
in passing the certificate for a
100000 school bond issue for the
erection Of new school in the Buda-
pest section and building an addition
to No. school in Smith street, as
recommended by the Board of Edu-
cation. Mr.. Garretson explains why
the Board of School Estimate has not
yet been called together for the pur-
pose, and cites the Indebtedness of
the city as the only reason the board
Is loathe to grant the request of the
Board Of Education. His statement
follows:
IAN article published Friday un-
der the heading Urge relief for
schools In this city," and apparently
inspired by some one connected with
the Board of Education, calls atten-
tion to the expected congestion of the
public schools when they reopen in
September and places the RESPONSE
bility for that congestion on the
Board of School Estimate because
they deferred action on a recon-
mendation of the Board of Education
in June to ask the Board of Alder
men to Issue bonds for 100000 to
build an addition to school No. and
a new building in the Budapest sec
ton. This is unfair because no
member of the board opposed this
provision of additional facilities. 1t
was the conditions existing in the
ri at nd nOt "a anipiOp nf
the members of the board as to
whether new buildings should be
constructed or not that caused them
to defer action at that time. The
council, for the same reason, de-
ferred all street paving work so far
this year against the wishes of the
residents of ten or more streets who
sre clamoring for paving.
1--WE are told in the article In ques-
tion that as the city has found
market for $4,000 worth Of bonds
they can now dispose of 100000
more. The proceeds of the $97 900
bond sale are for improvements
made some time ago, including Penn
street paving now over two years old.
The first effort to sell the bonds was
a failure and although they were 8
per cent. bonds no bids were received.
On the second attempt, through the
personal work and influence Of the
city treasurer, the sale was coaxed
through at par with an understand
ing that the purchasers would be al
lowed some time to make final trans
fer. The sale was invalidated ON a
technicality and e. third effort is now
under way and no funds in the
hands of the treasurer as yet. The
treasurer Is a pretty shrewd student
of financial affairs and he appeared
before the Board of School Estimate
at their last meeting and urged that
because of the situation existing In
the money market that no further
attempts be made to float bonds for
the present. I have confidence in his
Judgment of financial conditions.
"While seeming to have no connec
tion there may be another motive in
this attempt to throw responsibility
on the Board of School Estimate.
The organization now in control of
the city is making frantic efforts to
prevent an increase in the tax rate
this year. The June budget was
"slashed." Ten thousand dollars was
cut from the school appropriation in
spite of the fact that 1t was repre-
sented to the board that the educa-
tional fund was falling about $4,000
short for the previous year and that
len thousand dollars was the amount
absolutely necessary for repairs to
school property this year. We were