Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-11-03
OPTION
ON SCHOOL SITE
Summit Board of Education I'm
able to Get Council TO
Pass Appropriation.
speeIal 70 the Evening star.


SUMMIT. Nov. S.-The option held
by the Board of Education for the
purchase as a high school site of
the tract OF land in Maple street, be-
tween the Y. M. C. A. building and
the free public library, and which
option expired October 30, has been
extended to December II.
This information was impaired to
the members of the Board of Edu-
cation at last nights meeting Of
that body by President James w.
Cromwell. The requirement of the
land, at cost Of $4,000, has been
neld up by Common Council, the
ordinance providing for a bond issue
for the purchase price being tabled
by council three months ago after
the Board of School Estimate had
certified to the need of the appro-
priation by council, and despite the
fact that City Solicitor Cora N.
Williams long ago advised the coun-
Gil that the law is mandatory after
the Board of School Estimate has
declared tho appropriation necessary.
Mayor Francis H. Bergen has OBJ
posed the appropriation, as has the
president of the council, Clement X.
Corbin, and Councilman Doremus.
When the condition of the bond mar
ket was given as one reason for
councils action in refusing to pro-
vide the money by bond issue the
Summit Home Land Company, own
ers of the proposed school site,
agreed to accept payment for the
land in bonds bearing interest at
four and one-half per cent. This ex-
tended clause of the option, Presi-
dent Cromwell told his colleagues
last night, still holds good.
Mr.. Cromwell said that Mayor
Bergen had stated that he would not
oppose the purchase of the property
next year. and the school board
head believed that possibly there
may be o chance of closing the
option by December II, as that will
really bring the actual purchase of
the land over to next year. 1t is
likely strong efforts will be made to
get Mayor Bergen and the council
men who are opposed to the school
site purchase to provide for the ap-
preparation before the expiration of
the extension of the option.
According to President Cromwell,
the School Board is now paying 500
in rental for stores and other rooms
used as classrooms because of the
overcrowded conditions said to exist
in the school buildings.
1.-THE purchase of the school site
would be only good hard-headed,
parsimonious and economical bust
ness" said Mr.. Cromwell. I'VE are
now confronted with the proposition
of having our children parade the
streets to classrooms in stores and
other places, none of which is suited
for the purpose"
Commissioner Morgan declared
that the teaching of pupils in store
rooms and other places other than
the school buildings is absolutely
ruinous to the discipline of the
scholars. Commissioner Miles S.
Sherwood believed that, even though
the school site is purchased in De-
cember, it will be 1918 before a new
building is provided.
School Superintendent Marsh, In his
report to the board, wrote that 'the
schools have now well started on the
years work. The spirit of applica-
ton on the part of the pupils was
never so evident in the high school
as now. The absolute absence of
mischief is without doubt effected by
three or four elements-a strong
corps of teachers, the working out
of new courses of study, in which
pupils find genuine interest; the en-
thusiasm and school spirit generated
by school athletics and the avoid
ance of the necessity of OBTAINING
pupils after school hours, every in
ducement being offered to attract the
pupils to outdoor games"
The total enrolment in the schools
the superintendent reported as 1,410;
attendance during October, 1889, mnd
the average attendance, 1,267534, or a
gain of ninety-one over last year.
! The West Summit School Is to be
known hereafter as the West End
School, in accordance with a resolu-
ton adopted at last nights session.
The school win be equipped with
electric lights, as requested by
the members of the West End Asso-
citation. Vreeland Sc Voight, of this
city, were awarded the contract for
the wiring and placing of light
outside the school building, at cost
of $32 The home economies course
of studies, which had been approved
by the State department of educa-
ton, was adopted for the local high
school