The Penn's Grove record., 1920-06-04

and country districts, which must be
content with $500 for each of the ele-
mentary teachers. Theoretically at
least, the grade teachers are supposed
to pass the same qualifying examina-
tions as the ones more favored by the
existing law.
State Needs More Room.
Negotiations designed to lead even
tually to the purchase by New Jersey
of the WINS and Reddan properties on
the south side of West State street,
just beyond Willow, have beer opened
by John A. Smith, custodian of the
State House, at the direction of the
State House Commission. These dwell
ings are wanted at this time to make
room for the transfer Of a couple OF
overcrowded departments from the
State House to the home buildings in
volved.
1t is understood that the state has
succeeded in arranging with the Red
dan family for a short lease on their
home at No. 113, with an option to
buy at the expiration of the lease. n.
r. WINS, who owns No. 115, has been
approached for his house, too, but up
to this time has not agreed to the lease
purchase plan suggested by the state,
his desire apparently being to sell out
right.
There is no state money available
for the purchase of these two proper
ties now, but the plan of the State
House Commission is to get them I'M
der lease for the present and then to
ask the next legislature to appropri-
ate enough money to buy them. This
is fhe procedure that was followed
when the several other houses in this
block were bought several years ago.
Street Railway Valuation.
Under the law State Comptroller
Bugbee and State Treasurer Read can
go ahead with the valuation of street
railway property without the assist
ance of Governor Edwards. Though
the act passed over the governors veto
designated the chief executive of the
state as a member of the Valuation
Commission and provided that he
should act as its chairman, the law
further provided, however, that Gin
the absence of the governor one of the
other members may be designated to
act as chairman"
New Jerseys Efficient Schools.
The high rank given New Jersey in
the comparative efficiency of its pub
lie school system in the report of the
educational department of the Russell
Sage Foundation should dispel any ex-
listing fear that this state has not been
keeping pace with the procession in
educational progress in the United
States.
There have been some who have not
been backward in asserting that New
Jersey was losing ground where other
states have beer advancing. The sum-
mary of the Investigations conducted
by DIR. Leonard P. Ayres of the founda-
ton, who is rated among the very fore
most of school analysts. places New
Jersey fourth in school efficiency
among all the states and territories
and ahead of all other eastern states,
and this should be enough to silence
the pessimists and reassure the timid
who have been unable to Measure the
progress which this state has actually
been making.
1t is not creditable to the eastern
states generally that their showing is
not so good as those of the west. Mon
AM Is placed in the honor position,
leading all the rest, with California
second and Arizona third. Then come
New jersey and the District. of Column
bia. With more western states. Wash
ington. Iowa and Utah following be-
fore Massachusetts finds its rank as
the second eastern states and ninth
on the list. New York isin thirteenth
place and Pennsylvania in twentieth.
The summary as a whole shows that
in the last thirty years the western
states have been making progress so
much faster thar their sister common
wealths of the east as graenaHy to dis
place them in leadership n progress.
New Jersey is tie only eastern state
TO show a gain in that period.
Farmers Give Up in Disgust.
There are many farms for sale in
South Jersey, and in other sections
farmers are resting on their ears"
declaring that because they. cannot get
help they do not intend to work 16 to
Is hours a day and Sundays. too, to
feed men working only eight houRs at
other businesses. More farms will be
absolutely idle if this condition holds
much longer.
This statement was made by n of
the largest farm owners in the Had
donfeld section, former Assemblyman
Ephraim T. Gill, owner of fhe Had
don farms one of the largest diaries