Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1916-04-01
Again, Mr.. Editor, you quote me a

Again, Mr. Editor, you quote me as
saying the following: ~ do not want
to hear from the Supervising Princi-
pal, l want to hear from the Board,
as they are the responsible parties.
| want to know what they are doing,
whether they are doing right; and, if
not, | want to remove them" Now
first of all, those words are not NINE
It's good plan, especially in quoting,
to use the exact language. This gives
me an opportunity to say word of
appreciation that / am very glad to
offer to the Supervising Principal.
Mr.. Chase is one of the men who
knows his bushes, who attends to it,
and who is getting results. We are
always glad to listen to his state
ments about the schools because he
knows. But the real point is that the
School Board is the body making re-
ports to the voters, and it is the
School Board that was asked to do it,
and it is the School Board that laid
down on the job. We do not want to
know what the Board is doing, or
what they think they are doing, and
why they are doing it; and we have
the right to know. Why should be
referred to as trying to "start some-
thing" simply because / am willing
to say that the Board should do in a
plain, square, and open way the very
thing that every Board or commits
sion the world over is expected to do;
that is, make comprehensive and
fundamentally sound and understand
able report on the work entrusted TO
them. l said that if the Board
wouldn't do it then it is time we were
getting a new Board. Such an atti-
tude is fundamentally vicious. If
they can't do it, then they are simply
incompetent for the kind of work en-
trusted to them.
1t appeared from certain remarks
heard at the meeting that the Board
thought l had some trick game to
play on them. Now, gentlemen, take
this from me, | don't play the game
that way. You can count on it that
| have said exactly what l meant to
say, and l have no trap laid for any
Cody. l have no designs on anybody's
preserves. But if you are really as
incompetent as you appeared from
your own comments to be, or as
neglectful (if you prefer that) as you
appeared from your own actions to be,
or as deliberately unresponsive to the
wishes of the body that gave you the
opportunity to represent them as you
now appear to be, if you, any of you,
or all of you, are any of these things
that you appear to be, then the sooner
we get rid of you the better chance
our children will have. From any
thing that the Board of Education
said in their formal report, one would
never suspect that this body of men
actually are responsible for the edu-
catlonal destinies and opportunities
of $50 children-the most important
enterprise, either public or private,
engaged IN by any man living in this
borough. Unwise plans or poor choice
or selection or inadequate support
may do incalcuable harm to hun.
dreds OF helpless children. l have
lived here long enough to see some of
it done. l am interested in the school
a lot. | regard the proper education
OF the children as the chief line of
progress and improvement in the
world. 1t isn't enough to have
pretty good school. The only thing
that any intelligent community ought
to tolerate is as good school as is
possible under the circumstances.
MY purpose will be accomplished if
out OF it all there may come a due
sense OF the responsibility and oppor-
tunity belonging to this matter; and.
as perfectly natural result, an i'm
provement that will ultimately make
the schools of this borough what they
ought to be- You may forget me.
Charles P. Berkey
Palisade, N. j., March 20, 1916.