Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1913-07-03
Many Witnesses Being Heard
by Assistant State Commits
sioner of Education.
BOTH SIDES LINE UP
Counsel Have Warm WrangIe
Over Testimony and Chair
man Raps for Order.

Action IN the dismissal of Russell
NJ. Fitch from the position of super
vising principal of South Amboy
schools is being reviewed on appeal
before Assistant State Commissioner
tef Education J. Brodnard Belts in
ths high school building here today.
motions by Thomas Brown,
COUNSELLOR Mr.. Fitch, for dismissal
were denied and at 1880 o'clock this
morning SAMUEL Locker, clerk of the
Board Of Edueation of South Amboy,
was called as the first witness. He
presented copies of4minutes of meet
ings of the board, which were enter
ed in the case. Dr. h. E. Haines.
| president of the Board ot>Edueation
| of South Amboy, postmaster of the
! city of South Amboy and a pxactie-
| ing physician, was the second wit
ness.
Thomas Brown, for Mr.. Fitch, and
Samuel Schleimer. representing the
members of the Board of Education
of South AmbOy, engaged in q hot
wrangle for a moment when Mr..
! Schleimer asked IL Haines to tell
why he had signed letter preferring
charges against the supervisinS prin-
cipal. 1--WE desire to prove that the
man was incompetent to serve as Sd
pervising principal, your honor, "
said Mr.. Schleimer. Yes, and will
show that you wanted to get him out
without just cause and that you
threatened to do SO two years ago."
retorted Mr.. Brown. Commissioner
Belts then raped for order.
Four members of the Board of Ed
ucation of South Amboy, several for
mer members, Mr.. Fitch, teachers
and principals of the South Amboy
schools and others were present at
the hearing, which opened in the
high school auditorium at 10:3O
clock this morning. 1t was sched-
uled to have been started at 10
o clock, but as Mr.. Schleimer missed
a train in Elizabeth, it was delayed
for half an hour.
Mr.. Brown opened the hearing
with a review of the proceedings
leading up to the dismissal of Mr..
Fitch His first motion for dismis-
sal on the ground that the charges
rendered did not mention the city or
any other place in which the board is
situated, the charges bore no date
and did not refer to any specific time.
He said it was almost impossible to
tell as to whom they were against, at
what place and what they arose out
Of.
He said letter to Mr.. Fitch show
ed that the charges were based on
conclusions of the person who made
the complaint, he having heard that
complaints had been made against
Mr.. Fitch. Mr.. Brown said sections
of the charges were not directed
against Mr.. Fitch and did not show
for a fact that there was any lack of
system; that there was no direct al
legation and no fact upon which to
base the charges. He said that un-
der the rules of the board a dis
charge could only be effected
through inefficiency, incompetency,
conduct unbecoming a teacher and
other unjust charges as may be de-
termlned sufficient. The counsel de-
clared that the statute laws provided
for a hearing SUCH a case before the
board of education, while In this in
stance, he declared the teachers
committee had taken 1t up. He con-
tended that the Board of Education
of South Amboy could not make
laws to supercede the state laws.
Mr.. Brown went on to state in
voicing objections that the letter con-
cerning charges was mere recon-
mendation by President E. e. Haines,
did not state a place, and in that it
was simply requested the superyis-
ing principal be removed, and did not
specify hearing. The lawyer said
that section 81 of the statute law as
to what n board of education is. pro-
vides the title to include the city and
county In which the body Is situated
A board of education is an incorpor-
ated body, he said, to which the
charges should properly be address,
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