The Penn's Grove record., 1914-04-24
The PENIS Grove Record
FRIDAY, APRIL "a, 1914
Proposed School Legislation Failed


Proposed School Legislation Failed
During the past three years under
the new administration III State school
affairs, the State school funds have
been ordered withheld i'll iorty-slx
places because Boards Of Education OF
the voters have failed to supply suit
able buildings. In some places school,
house have been condemned as unit,
because of unsanitary light, heat OF
condition of stairways. LII other cases
new buildings were not erected to &C
commodate increasing population.
In some places expensive changes
were made TO satisfy the opinions OF
officials. New heating apparatus was
Installed to satisfy superior authority,
but the heaters did moi heat the houses
aud in places where enough heat was
supplied it was at e~xtravagant costs.
Some citizens declared they are will
ing to spend money when they get
practical values in return, but some OF
the recommendations by the State
authorities have proved to be not
practical and others too exOrbitantly
extravagant. To use the opinion OF
BENJAMIN Franklin, they paid too
much for their whistle-the hot air
20 blow thru a building and then out
o chimney, to crafty mel in authority
afflicted with germ-aphobia.
The Changers thruout the State took
up the case and made a political issue.
The candidates Of both parties pledged
themselves to- enact legislation TO him
der the enforcement of the drastic
building code.
PROPOSED LEGISLATION
The larger number OF objections to
State authority's arbitrary action came
from country districts. AS a conse-
Quence Senator John A. Ackley, OF
Cumberland County, introduced bill
Nc 252, which prohibited the with
holding Of school money only when the
voters failed to provide facilities, as the
board of education determine suitable
not the State authority. But no
building of TWO or more stories IN
height and containing more than four
classrOoms shall be erected until the
plans are approved by the State Board
of Education. Also the plans and
contracts shall be filed with the State
Board of Education.
The bill passed both houses but fail
ed to meet Gov. Fielder approval. His
REASONS FOR VETO
The evident purpose OF this bill is to
suspend tie operation of the school
building code so far as school buildings
containing not more than four class
rooms are concerned, but i'll attempt
ing to do this, section l30 of the school
law has been quoted for amendment.
This section provides that classrooms
shall have doors leading to the corridors
and from the corridors TO the street,
opening outward in all school buildings
OF two or more stories i'll heighth, for
the purpose Of speedy exit i'll case of
fire or panic. Tue section that should
have been amended is Section I3I,
which is a general specification cover.
ing oil schOOlhouses. To amend section
$50, "a this bill proposes, would wipe
out the proper provision for exit from
school buildings and would also conflict
with section I3I as it now stands, and
Ii section III were amended by this
Nill, it would leave no specifications fOY
school buildings having more than four
cl8sSrOoms. ssSw -
feel that the building code is too
drastic for the small school Districts
aud should he modified in some par
ticulsrs, but if this bill were properly
drawn, / would have to consider very
carefully whether or not it would be
wise to omit protection in fOur-roOm
ischOolhouses against fire from heating
apparatus and the requirement of fire.
proof construction tor %staircases and
their supports. A senate committee
has been appointed TO consider the
school building code, and the changes
this bill proposes can well he left tC
such committee.
Another school bill which failed to
pass the LEGISLATURE was one requiring
q member of the board OF education to
have AN eighth grade, grammar school
education. The legal requirement now
is the ability to read and write ones
owe name.