Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-02-01
INTRODUCE NEW
SCHOOL BILL
AsSembIyman Peterson Is
sues Statement Today--B Bill
Will Govern School EIeC-
lions

Assemblyman Edward J. Peterson,
Of this city. today issued a state
ment to the public announcing that
"a definite step will be taken within
the next week to pass a bill correct
ing existing conditions in connection
with school elections in towns. town
ships and %boroughs throughout the
state. Mr.. Peterson last year intro
duced a bill to readiust tho method
of school elections but late with
drew if. His statement, issued today,
follows:
at gives me much pleasure to be
able to that after spend
ing considerable time with the chair
man CT TIL committee on education
of the lower bous4 OF the legislature,
Hon. John Y. Dater. n of the Ber-
gen county assemblymen and hav-
ing received much aid from the Of
flee of the attorney general as well
as many persons interested in school
matters Throughout the state. a def
mite step Will be taken within the
mex. week to pass q bill to correct
the conditions in connection with
The school elections of the towns,
townships and borpughs of the state.
I'm recognition OF my efforts to
remedy the abuses which / found in
my own county, the choice of amend
ing my bill, accepting a committee
substitute OF withdrawing my mea-
sure will! re left for me to decide.
This is, hCWeVer, q matter of secon-
larry Importance a. the evils which
| desire t. eliminate existed in many
counties otfer than MiddleseX and
the changes planned will include all
districts i'll which boards of educa-
H., 80 o1.afn1 instead nf limiting
the operation of the measure to the
larger municipalities where the
competition for election to the dis
trio. boards has become so keen that
conditions, apparently legal due to
the -ack of legislation. had cache a
stage where there seemed no choice
but action On the part of the legis-
lature.
Whatever method of placing the
measure before the legislators is IL
nally adopted, my constituents inter-
asted in cleaner school elections may
rest assured that the reforms 1of
| which | have fought during my two
| wears of office will be included and
| made applicable to every school dis
trict in the state. Chief among then
are included: nomination by petition,
a standard form of ballot; reference
TO the registry list of the preceding
election; space on ballot for personal
choice: election to be held in n OF
more schoolhouses; changing II
extending the hours of voting to per-
nit the industrial worker to take
mart in the election: heretofore I'M
possible owing to the fact that the
POLLS were opened during the early
afternoon "for a period of one hour
or as much longer as may be deemed
necessary which was usually con-
strued to mean until all OF those
present had voted.
l regard the enactment OF the
changes to the school laws hereln
| mentioned as a big step in the rlgh'
direction; Notwithstanding any mi
! nor changes which may be asked bS
AssembIyman Dater h | REGARD
as an authority on educational mat
ters due to his service as a member
of the board of education for a quar-
ter of a century. The fact that the
need for a uniform method IN con-
nection with the c~onduction OIL
school elections has finally been CIV
en- attertio~ will automatically cor
rect THE lesser evils" which Will moi
meet with the same opposition Wheh
covered by amendments in later
| wears, as has been conferred asalns,
the measures which l have fought
for during my two terms in Office.