Evening journal., 1922-06-21
NEWARK TO Vote
ON BOND ISSUE
Saturdays Election Will De-
eide New. School Building
Proposition
UNUSUAL LARGE
VOTE is EXPECTED
Special to The Evening Journal.

time have a modern school building.
will be decided on Saturday OF this
week. on that day a vote will be
taken on the proposition Of bonding
the school district for SI65.OOO.
with which 10 erect at least por-
tion Of the proposed building.
More than a year ago the district
voted in favor OF a similar bond
issue for the same purpose. but ow-
Ing TO conditions over which the
local Board Of Education had no
control, the bonds were never is
sued and nothing done towards the
new building proposition. The neces-
sary land for the building and
school grounds, including athletic
field, had been secured at that time
on South Academy street, below
Delaware avenue. and II is on that
site that the proposed building will
be erected.
After the taxpayers OF the strict.
more than a year ago. voted for the
bond issue. the financial market was
in such shape that the bonds could
not be disposed Of. The vote was
also taken with the understa nding
that the Delaware School Auxiliary
would, In addition 10 the S1e5. 900.
provide S225.0O0 extra towards the
building to make II one OF the most
modern and complete school build
ings in the State. The conditions
that made IL impossible TO satisfac-
torily market the proposed bonds,
- cd. Of
the auxiliary, so that funds from
that source would not have been
available at that time.
Under the law in effect when the
last vote was taken. only taxpayers
voted and they had one vote for
each doller of tax paid. That law
has since been changed and on Sat
urday every man and woman in the
school district who is entitled 20
vote at a general election. will be
entitled to one vote, regardless Of
whether or not he or she is a tax
payer.
This election on Saturday, will be
what Is generally known as
straight referendum. Contrary 10 the
general opinion. tse vote IS not re-
stricted TO those who were regis
tered at the last general election. All
that is necessary is for the voter to
satisfy the school election officers on
that day that he or she is qualified
TO vote in the district al a general
election, regardless Of whether they
were registered or not at the last
general election.
This law has had the effect OF
arousing more than the usual inter
est in the coming election, as 1t
gives every voter an opportunity 10
have a say in the matter. The cleo
tion will be conducted by a board Of
fve officers, TO he named by the
local Board Of Education. DR.. wal
ter H. steel. who has been presi-
dent Of the Board of Education for
the past year, was reelected last
Saturday for three-year term. as
a member Of the board. The fact
that no one filed against Dr. steel Is
an indication that his work es a
hoard member has been satisfactory |
There is no locality in the State |
where the need OF a modern school |
10 house all departments of the pub /
lie school system of the town is more I
urgent than IN Newark. and espe- /
cially as 10 the High School What ,
IS known as the Old Academy. is
now used for the High School This !
building Is inadequate in every par |
.icuiar. The ventilation, equipment, /
etc. are such as TO shame every ,
resident of the town interested in /
he schools and that the teaching 4
staff and students have made the ,
good progress that they have, under
he conditions, in the past year. Is .
The Academy Is simply loaned for !
school purposes by the Academy
Trustees. This property was grant
from the Penns. to be used perpet-
Ially for school purposes. 1t Is rich
as to history. as three : gners Of the
Of Independence attend
ID the school nearly 150 years ago,
,ut the building. while II might have
,een modern in those days, is not
TO educational purposes Of
oday. Outside Of the many other
criticisms Of the building. the most
erlous is the fact that IL is more or
ess a fire trap and for that reason.
T no other. the people OF Newark
ire entitled to a modern building 10
louse their children during school
lours. This fact is expected to be
m important issue in the election on
saturday.
DR.. Walter Stel. president OF the
,oard OF commencement exercises.
asst Friday night explained the plans
# the board in case the bond issue
hould get a favorable vote. He said
hat the board had been promised
" the school auxiliary. that Newark
would be the first district TO secure
Inancial aid from the association
when the market was such that its
ecurlties could be disposed of with
mt a sacrifice.
DR.. Steel said that Il was the in
ention of the board, IL the vote is
avorable for the bond issue, to go
head and build as soon as possible.
e least. wing OF the proposed
chool TO house the high school and I
possibly the two upper grades OF !
he grammer school and then when |
he Auxiliary Association funds are |
vailable. 10 finish the building. He
aid that while it was uncertain as
o when those funds would be Sc (
ured. yet it was possible they might |
e available before the Sl65,000 {
rould be expended.
The matter Of taking care Of the
onds by the school district was
lso discussed by DR.. Steel at the I
me and he explained that the {
suing Of the bonds would probably 4
ssult in a raise of the tax Of 45 II