Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-02-27

that Il is hardly fair to III taxpay-
ers to enter upon such an elaborate
program while building costs are at
their peak when by waiting a year
or two until conditions are more
settled the same building may be err
ected not only within the estimated
cost given last November. but pos
sibly for less
But the necessity of providing
school room for the children of the
city is realized by Mr.. Wester and,
IL there is no other way out he de-
clares he will agree to anything that
will uphold the high standard OF the
present school system. The 700 or
more children who will be clamor-
Ing for admission to the schools next
fall must be accommodated regardless
of the cost. in the opinion of Mr..
Wester. If they can be provided for
and still save the taxpayers the ex-
! pense of extensive building operations
at this time he wants to do it.
Mr.. Wester's suggestion is that the
plans for the big school in Hall ave-
nue. be put aside for the present
| until building conditions are more
propitious and that an addition be
built at ice to school No. 8. which
Is only a few blocks away from the
site of the proposed school on Hall
avenue.
hAiC YEVVEONV WHICH the IUdEu
of Education wants appropriated now
for the start of the new school MIR.
+ Wester claims that an eighteen room
addition can be built to school No. 8,
J capable of taking care of the 700 chill
dren who will be unprovided for nex
fall If some such program is not
adopted.
To spend 5000, 900 now on the new
building with the idea Of issuing
mora h0ndS nnyf Npa1- 70 annop1pto t6r
structure you'd solve the problem of
congestion In the schools This next
fall, Mr.. Wester claims, because the
plans for the new building are such
that it is impossible to complete any
one part of the new building now and
add the rest of the building later.
The whole building, 1t seems, has to
be constructed at once so that with
but $500, 900 to spend this year the
new building might be carried up to
the econd story or t~hereabout. but
no rooms would be ready to receive
children until after another bond Is
sue next year enabling the finishing
of the whole building. Thus the
proposition of the school board to is
sue bonds for 5000, 600 now to get the
new building started and have the re-
mainder of the money appropriated
next year would not solve the prob
lem of the 700 pupils hat will be
CID lllOIllB lOI dulIllSSLOH ASAb q
with no place to put them.
On the other hand, Mr.. Wester
points out that the plans for school
No. 8 provide for fou wings with ar
interior court. Each wing contains
ten rooms. so that when all the wings
are built it wiz make a building Of
forty rooms.
AT the present time school No. .
consists of but one wing and q part
Of another wing, making fourteen in
all. Furthermore. h heating plant
at No. 9 Is so constructed that it a
easily be added to In order TO take
care of the additional wings as they
may be constructed.
Allowing forty pupils to a room Mr..
Wester figures that by the addition
of eighteen rooms. which would mean
the completion of the second wing
already partly built, the erection of
an entirely new wing and the erection
Of a part Of the fourth wing, the 700
pupils that must be provided for next
fall will be accommodated. These
eighteen rooms, 1t Is estimated. can
be erected for the 100000 that the
school board would use to start the
new building.
What Mr.. Sheehy Says
John X. Sheehy. president of the
Board of Education, when questioned
as to his opinion upon the suggestion
of Alderman-at-large Wester that an
addition to No. 8 school be made at
once instead of beginning the erec-
ton of a new school in Hall avenue.
declared that an addition to No. 8
school would not relieve the situa-
ton.
The school board, Mr., Sheehy said,
are not anxious to spend the peoples
money but they have studied the
matter thoroughly and find that
erecting a new school In Hall avenue
Is the only way in which present
conditions can be alleviated. The
Board Of Education, the president
continued, is working in the best in
terest of the city schools and the
children Of the city to whom an ed
ucation Is due. If additions could
be made to present schools with the
resultant relieving of congestion and
present conditions. MI. Sheehy said.
the school board would be only too
glad to accept this method of solving
a big question.
Mr.. Sheehy declared that no new
schools a been built IN this city
since 1914 despite the fact that there
is a large yearly Increase in the num-
Der of children who must be accom-
modated. IF Mr.. Wester is satisfied
the new school IS not needed. the
Board of Education Is satisfied to
leave the matter in Mr.. Wester's
hands" Mr.. Sheehy said.
MANY children who would be able