The Monmouth inquirer., 1924-04-17
Commissioner Enright Advocates
Distribution on Basis Of 3 Cents
Per Days Attendance.
RADICAL CHANGE IN METHOD
$33o,ooo Set Aside for Jersey Roads,
$4,000 Going to Absecon BouIe-
ward and $4,000 for White
Horse Pike.

scented to the State Board of Educa-
ton and met with vigorous opposition
from the superintendent of school
departments of some of the principal
cities of the atate.
The tentative program for the dis
tribution of school moneys was pre-
pared and presented by State Com
missioner of Education John Enright,
and the basis proposed is similar to
that provided in the Whitney bill,
which was defeated by the legislature
during it's last session.
Under The present system school
moneys are distributed to the coun-
ties on the basis of ratables and en-
rollment of children. Commissioner
Enright advocates that the distribu-
ton be made on basis of not less
than cents per days attendance.
Opposition to this plan was expressed
by Superintendent of Schools David
B. Corson Of Newark, Superintendent
Edward A. Murphy of Jersey City and
Superintendent William j. Beckett Of
Trenton
Trenton schools Fear Loss
Adoption of the proposed method,
Mr.. Beckett said would result in the
loss of substantial financial support
by the schools of Trenton and would
have a corresponding effect upon the
efficiency of the school system and
also upon the financial burdens to be
borne by the taxpayers of the city.
An equitable allotment, with some
source of additional income, is neces-
sary for the schools of the state, Mr..
Beckett said He said that the prob
lem of assisting the rural districts
without at the same time penalizing
the larger municipalities is one that
the state board is called upon to solve.
A similar view was taken by the
heads of the Newark and Jersey City
school departments, who argued that
the method would result in taking
money from the more populous cities,
where tax assessments ere high, and
turning it over to the rural counties,
where taxes are VIGOROUSLY low.
Statistics were submitted by Superin-
tendent Murphy purperting to show
that the really deserving school dis
tricts in the smaller counties are not
benefited by the allotment of funds,
while wealthy communities like Nor
ristown, in Morris county, receive as
sistance out of proportion to their
needs.
Action is Deferred
In order to permit of further study
of Commissioner Enright's suggested
plan the question of approval or re-
lection Of Commissioner Enright's
plan was laid over for action at the
May meeting The funds are for dis
tribution in September next.
The school moneys In question,
amounting to approximately 100000
000 come from the taxes on main
steam railroad property There is a
fund designated as 10 per cent re-
serve amounting to $1,00O,O00 The
state board on recommendation of the
state commissioner distributes this
$1,000,0 900 to various counties where
needs are deemed to be most urgent
There is retained out OF this 81 ,000,-
600 the sum of 100000 for extraordi-
nary emergencies, or requests from
improyident school districts. Last
year these requests amounted to SAL
$50. The balance was not allotted.
At the suggestion of Commissioner
Enright the two and one-half hour
school day for first grade pupils,
adopted during the war because of
limited school accommodations
throughout the state, was discontin-.
ued and the four hour day will be re-
sumed.
County Read Projects
Eleven road projects in nine coun-
ties will receive aid to the amount of
$330,OO0 from the State Highway Com
mission under an allotment formally
approved. The funds will be taken
from the motor vehicle reserve ac-
count, established from automobile
license receipts to meet emergency
requests from counties. Because of
the numerous requests none of the
counties was allowed the entire
amount sought.
Middlesex county received the larg-
est grant, 100000, as the states
share in building four miles of con-
crete road between Old Bridge and
Matawan.
For the Absecon boulevard, from
Atlantic City to Absecon, the Atlantic
County Freeholders will receive $780,
000 The cost of paving the boule-
ward, it has teen estimated, will reach
$500. 900.
To complete the unimproved sec
ton of Kings highway from Coles
town to Moorestown, affording bet
ter outlet for White Horse pike, Bur-
lington county will be allowed $4,000
toward the two miles of concrete it
will have to put down and Camden
county $4,000 as share in it's half
mile. Burlington county will also re-
ceive $4,000 to help improve the
Browns Mills-Lakehurst road ifit will
agree to take It over and properly
maintain it in the future as a county
thoroughfare. The two nile link of
concrete will complete hard surface
biRhway from the Burlington pike to