Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1915-01-16

which this tax was applied Ex-
penses department public instruction,
64,785.91; salaries county superin-
tendents, $53,172.1O; expenses state
normal schools, $137, 1892; expenses
school for the deaf, $63,323.57; ex-
penses school for colored youth, $685.
515.41; evening schools foreign born
residents, $4,000; school house plans,
$321.71; legislative manuals, $4,000;
and last, but not least-current ex-
penses of schools, 1928, O98.29.
Sums appropriated by any school dis
trict for any of these purposes would
be duplicated by the state from this
fund, as for instance, if an evening
school for foreign born residents
were to be stated, the state would
share equally with the district in it's
support. Owing to a shortage in the
state treasury of 1925, 639.75, Mr..
Wooster feared that the amount al
lotted to the schools his year would
be reduced by $225,000.
In referring to the State School
Tax as anothr source of state aid
to the schools, Superintendent Woos-
ter said that originally this was a
direct state tax, the rate being 3A
mills on every dollar of state ratables;
he said that there was time when
there was, strange to say, surplus
In the state treasury, and the state
began the custom of making payments
of 100000. at time to reduce the
amount necessary to be raised by
state tax. 100000 was paid out, and
it began to be believed that the rev.
enues would increase to such an ex-
int that the state school tax would
be entirely eliminated. But needless
to say 'there had been a change of
mind" at wouldn't surprise me-" said
Mr.. Wooster, "if this winter saw the
finish of the item: Reduction of State
School Tax"
In the matter already referred to
of the gift to New Jersey in 1886 of
100000. from the National Govern
ment, this was redivided among the
various counties, with the provision
that its income be paid for school
support. In return, each county gave
the state bond, which bonds are still
held, subject to any possible demand
on the part of the United States
dONcIHIlcHG lOE UIelT fGIuTH.
In the mater of the distribution of
moneys, Superintendent Wooster said
that as they were collected on a basis
of property value (not children), SO
they were distributed in the same way.
Somep laces were richer in children
than they were in dollars. Common
sense would say that distribution
should be made on children basis"
a place with two hundred children
should receive twice as much as one
with one hundred.
Hudson and Essex Counties with
big valuations get large sums of
money. Atlantis and Monmouth coun-
ties which have valuable resort prop
critics, but an inconsiderable winter
population, receive, however, very
large appropriations, Atlantic County
receiving 16 cents for each school
day for each child, while Cumberland
County just next to it on the west,
receives only cents day for each
child. Monmouth County just south
of Staten Island received IL to IL
cents day per child, Hudson County
IL cnts, and Bergen County only ga
cents. An attempt has been made to
rectify this evident injustice, but has
been strongly opposed. Of the amounts
raised by the counties for the state
school tax (total $6,196,S68), 80 per
cent. is returned to them intact.
In the course of the discussion which
followed the Superintendent address,
the fact was brought out that Cliff
side Park High School was at the
present time a two years approved
high school, but that negotiations
were under way to make it three
or four year approved school. The
mattr of improving the school cleo
tions; the fact that the school laws
are in rather bad shape; the possible
codifying of these laws; the ousting
of the State Board of Education and
the State Superintendent as result
of the Freylinghausen investigation in
1907; the perennial fight between local
and centralized government; the stow
and centralized government; the
"town meeting" character of school
elections; the feasibility of prepar-
ing a polling list for elections; and
the inclusion of women in the same;
the fact that there are GA towns dds
tricts) in Bergen County, and 100
schools; that 80 districts in the coun-
ty are big enough to have supervising
principals-these were some of the
many points discussed between the
audince and the speaker.
A charming touch was lent to the
evening by tn singing of Miss Elicita
Deshon.