Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-23
PARISH SCHOOLS
GET WATER FREE
Orange Commissioners Make
Allowances for Three Free
Institutions.

Despite the opposition Of Commits
sioner William A. Calhoun, the Or
ange commission yesterday passed an
ordinance allowing three parochial
schools free water. Commissioner
Calhoun doubted the legality of the
ordinance. He said he had the ques-
ton up to City Counsel Arthur 3.
Seymour and expected an opinion on
Monday.
Commissioner Harry D. Wethling,
head of the water department. had
killed the ordinance presented at the
meeting of the commission last week,
in order to pass a smaller worded
measure, thereby saving advertising
expenses, and offered the new propo-
sition which allowed free water,
totaling S1,305 annually to the public
schools of the city and st. Johns,
Our Lady of the Valley and st.
Venantius's School. The commissioner
explained he had made the exception
in favor of these nine schools because
they did not charge tuition to the
children who attended the classes.
| The hospitals, public bath and charit-
able institutions were not given al
lowances of free water, although the
| firehouses were permitted a reason
able allowance.
"I realize that the Catholic schools,
by educating without cost to the city
about a thousand children annually,
save Orange 1000 to $4,000 a year."
said Commissioner Calhoun, as he
| opposed the section. I'VE seem to be
favoring these three schools, which
are charitable institutions, and leav-
ing out all the Others"
Mayor Favors Allowance.
Mayor Daniel F. Mlnahan called
attention to the fact that the city
would pay the sum charged the public
schools for water, but the Catholic
schools, which saved the city $50, 600
a year, because the education of their
pupils would cost the city that
amount, would have to pay for the
water used in excess of the allow
ances. He considered it an injustice
to saddle the entire cost for the water
used in the parochial schools on
them, after the material saving they
effected for the city. Mr.. Calhoun
thought the same argument would
apply to the other private schools,
which also save the city $50 per year
on each pupil they educate.
Under the ordinances now in effect,
| and which will be displaced by the
| new department rules when adopted
on final reading, the schools, hos
| pitfalls, etc, are given water free of
| charge. st. Johns School, it was
| found on investigation, had used
| ninetytwo cubic feet per child dur
| ing the past few years. BY adding
an allowance of eight cubic feet, the
new ordinance allows each child 100
| cubic feet in each school free and
| efforts will be made to reduce the
| consumption of water in the schools
! by stopping the waste which the
! commissioners found in their investi-
| cations. In one public school the Of
| ficials found water running twenty
| four hours day, although pupils do
not use the building one-third of that
| time.
Objects to Minimum Charge.
| Commissioner William F. Kearney
also objected to a clause in the new
ordinance which establishes a mini
mum annual charge of IS to every
user of water. He said some families
in the poorer districts use water that
has been billed at half that sum and
he thought the minimum fee should
be dispensed with. None of the other
| commissioners, however, agreed with
him. Mr. Kearney voted aye on the
| first reading, however, after explain
ing he will oppose the section when
the measure comes up next week on
second reading.
Commissioner Calhoun alone voted
no when the ordinance went through
on its initial reading because of the
| schools clause.
Commissioner Wethling said in
vestigation of water used in the fire
houses in the city showed that the
largest used water worth $50 per year,
vet a smaller company quarters con-
sumed 500 worth. The schools alone
had used $500 worth of free water
| last year. The hospitals brought the
free water cost up another 81 400