Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-12-23
NJ 'KINLEY SCHOOL
SITE PURCHASE
CAUSESADEBATE
Board of Education, However,
Decides to Purchase Proper
ty for SIS, 900.

The purchase OF property at Eighth
avenue and Factory street for the
purpose of erecting the new McKin-
ley school was decided upon by the
Board of Education last night The
new site is the property of the city,
the city stables being located there.
The purchase price is s55 900 The
board also decided upon the acquisi-
ton of the Twelfth Ward German
English School. which will be used
as a school for detectives. The price
to be paid for this building is sS, 900.
The plans and specifications pre-
pared by the construction depart
ment for the new Mckinley school
we're adopted. The plans provide for
fourteen class rooms, a community
room, an auditorium and a gymna-
SUM. The bid Of E. II. Waldron q
Co of s11.572 for the foundation work
was accepted.
Prior to the general meeting Of the
board the committee on construction
met to take final action on the pur-
chase of the Mckinley school prop
erty.
A vigorous protest against the pur-
chase of the property was made by
Commissioner r. Elmer Throsseil
Mr.. Throssell said that the soil there
was very poor because the ground
had been filled in. and that a sewer
ran through the property.
Commissioner Gaetano NJ. Belfatto
took Mr.. Throssell TO task for op-
posing the acquisition of the prop
erty at this time, after negotiations
had been entered into with the Board
of Works for it's purchase and plans
and specifications had been prepared.
II am certainly amazed at the
stand taken by Mr.. Throssell at this
late hour" said Mr.. Belfatto. After
the board has succeeded in bringing
the purchase price down from 500, ,0n0
to s55. 90, and passed a resolution to
buy the property, can't understand
why Mr. Throssell should want to
hold up the deal. This Is not a ques-
ton of living conditions, but Involves
the granting Of a school to a dis
trict that has long since wanted 1t
and been promised it,
Mr.. Belfatto said that perhaps Mr..
Throssell thought that by voting for
the purchase of the property he
would please him (Belfatto).
Reason for Opposition.
In reply, Mr.. Throssell said he had
been opposed to the purchase Of the
site from the outset. He asserted
that Mr. Belfatto was mistaken In
his remark that a resolution had
been passed by the board affirming
the purchase Mr.. Throssell further
said he had no intention of voting to
please Mr.. Belfatto.
Charles P. Taylor, president of the
board. said that while no resolution
had been passed to acquire the new
grounds, motion to that effect had
been passed.
Ernest F. Guilbert, architect to the
board. said that tests had been made,
and that the ground was In every way
suitable for the purpose. Upon in
quiry by Commissioner Frederic L..
Johnson, Mr. Guilbert said the cost
OF construction, because of the pecu-
liarity Of the soil, would probably be
81 900 more than 1t would under nor
NAL conditions. Mr.. Taylor later ex-
planned that he thought that this ad-
ditionsl outlay was necessitated by
the fact that the building will rest on
piers to afford a recreation centre
under the building.
On the resolution In both the COM
! mittee meeting and the general
board meeting Mr.. Throssell voted
in the negative on the purchase of
the property.
Property TO Be Appraised.
Plans for purchasing property ad-
Joining the Alexander Street and
Lincoln schools also were discussed,
and it was decided to have the prop
erty appraised before taking steps for
its purchase.
A request from the Clinton Hill
Improvement Association, that the
schools In the Clinton Hill district
be Illuminated Christmas eve
was denied on motion by Commis-
sioner Edgar r. Brown. Mr.. Taylor
said he did not think the illumination
would be conspicuous enough to war
rant the expenditure of $500 or more
for lighting the schools.
A request from the Wouan's Po-
,itieal Union for the use OF the Girls
Industrial, or some other centrally
located school for a lecture on
Wednesday evening, January 8, with
out charge, was denied, on the
grounds that the lecture would not
be strictly an educational enterprise.
which is the only condition upon
which the board can grant the use OF
the school building gratis.
John j. Burkhardt, chairman or
the board of trustees OF the German
Engnsh School, appeared to give the
board additional information regard
ing the purchase of that school. He
was questioned regarding the efforts
of the Day Nursery to acquire the
property, but said that the commit
Tee from that institution had prac-
icalIy been eliminated from the field
of purchasers, because 1t did not