The Penn's Grove record., 1919-05-09
new yTING FOR
State CAPITOL
Francis H. Bert, Architect, So
Busy Outside Help Help on
Plans Found Necessary.
WORK BEGINS ABOUT JULY l.
Kordall offers Advice on Employing
Teachers-one Suggestion Is That
Graduates of State Normal
Schools Be Engaged.

Graduates of State Normal
Schools Be Engaged.
T,renton-The State House Com.
mission. consisting of the governor,
sfate romptroller and state treasurer,
decided that it will be necessary to
o,nnlov outside assistance in preparing
,Ians for the new wing of the State
Hf,;se. for which an appropriation was
r,ada by the legislature. 1t is the de-
s.re of the commission to have the
rl3nS prepared as speedily as possible
i'm order that work may be begun i'm
mediately after July l.
The state architect, Francis II. Bent,
* now confronted with the task of pre-
narfng plans and specifications for
obout So 100000 of construction work.
His department. therefore, lacks the
facilities 10 undertake at this time the
work of designing the new wing, which,
uudrr the plans contemplated, will
practically determine the entire char
meter of the State House as it will ap-
pear years from now.
The State House Commission is
somewhat doubtful as to the best
course to pursue in securing the serv-
ices of a first class architect or archi-
tects. one plan discussed and viewed
with favor by the commission was to
call q conference of representatives of
-. CO.. d., al IF Nrchifnatc VnoI1nc+
ing that the board select three archi-
tects to have charge of the preparation
of plans. 1t was thought it might be
possible to have the actual preparation
of the plans performed by one archi-
tect or firm with two other architects
serving in an advisory capacity. This,
however, will be left to the conference
to determine.
Minimum Pay for Teachers.
Remarking that the employing of
new teachers is one of the most i'm
portant duties devolving upon local
boards of education, Commissioner
Calvin n. Kendall has sent a COM
municatiOn to district clerks and Sec
retaries, calling attention to the new
Jaw fiXng a minimum salary of $40
Il month for teachers and offering a
number of suggestions respecting
their employment.
Among the suggestions made by DR..
Kendall were that local boards con
suit the county superintendent, super
vising principal or superintendent as
the case may be; that boards beware
of letters of recommendation concern
ing teachers written by persons they
dc not know; that the applicant be
seen, if possible, before being m
ployed, and that normal school gradu-
ates be employed if it is possible to
get them.
DIR. Kendall also called attention to
the fact that 240 students will be
graduated in June from the State Nor
nal school in this city, that the State
Normal school at Montclair will have
l22 graduates available for positions
in September, and the Newark Nor
mai school $50. Some of these teach
ers have already been employed.
Or. Kendall said boards of educa-
ton or principals desiring interviews
with prospective teachers should, if
possible. have a representative visit
the normal schools rather than re-
quest groups of candidates to travel
to the locality, as the latter method
is expensive. Concerning the scarcity
of teachers, DR.. Kendall said he was
glad to see that many boards of edu-
cation are meeting the situation
c~ourageously by increasing salaries of
teachers. He remarked that a new
duty confrOnts boards of education
to make teaching more attractive, and
said this can be done in the follow
ing ways:
by paying such salaries as will
meet the competition of other employ
ment and enable teachers to meet the
high cost of living. While the aver
age salary of the teacher in this state
a increased in five years from
SS16.3s to $94s.29, or s131. 91-about
sixteen per cent.-the increase in the
eost OF the necessities of life has been
FAR greater than this. Considering
the purchasing power of a dollar, the
average teacher does not receive as
much money for his years work, TAX
ing the state as a whole, as he re-
ceived in 1913-six years ago-and
this in spite of the increasing demands
made upon him.
by helping the teacher to get a
good boarding place. re
by giving sufficient supplies, such
as paper, pens, books, maps, etc, and
by furnishing these before the first
of September; also a neat, attractive
and well-repaired schoolhouse and out
buildings.
by keeping politics. favoritism and
sectarian p~rejudices out of the
schools.
by asking the teacher occasionally
what help the board can give to make
a better school"
Potash Assessment Vacated.