Normal School Theft

New York, 1895

CHILDS CONFIDENT THAT HE WILL BEAT THE ROBBER BILL.

No One Looks to Assemblyman Vacheron for Help in the Fight — A Jamaica Bill Signed — The Tax Arrears Bureau to Have Four Commissioners.

ALBANY, March 7.

(Special Correspondence of the Fanner.)

"The people of Long Island," said Senator Childs to me, "need not fear that they will be robbed of the Normal School. I will beat the Brownell and O'Connor bills, that provide for transferring the school to Binghamton, clean out of sight, and Jamaica will get the school."

The Senator does not exaggerate his ability to knock these bills in the head. They are rascally measures. Lieutenant Governor Saxton, Secretary of State Palmer, Controller Roberts, and the Department of Public Instruction are all on the side of Mr. Childs, and Governor Morton can be relied upon to see that the state keeps its engagement with the town of Jamaica.

"You see," said Senator Childs, "the town of Jamaica has filled every condition of the law, and the case has assumed the form of a contract between state and town. The people of Jamaica voted $10,000 to buy a site for the school; the site was purchased, and the title has been vested in the state. The commissioners to build the school have been in office nearly a year, and have contracted liabilities on the part of the state, and state money has been paid out on account of those liabilities. Plans for the school have been adopted and architects appointed, but the plans have not been approved by the state officers as required by law because of the obstructive tactics of Superintendent Crooker, but he is out of office now, and I apprehend no further trouble. Jamaica will get the school all right, you may rest assured."

There are people here who believe that the Binghamton job originated with Mr. Crooker, whose motive was to get square with the local board of commissioners for refusing to accept the plans of an architect whom Mr. Crooker wanted appointed.

No dependence is to be placed on Assemblyman Vacheron to oppose the bill in the Assembly. If he cared anything at all about the welfare of his district he would have strangled the bill the moment it made its appearance. That he did not strangle it leaves him open to grave suspicion.

Governor Flower has signed the bill amending the tax receiver's act for the town of Jamaica. The amendment extends the time from 30 to 60 days for the service of notice on delinquent tax-payers. The amendment was passed at the request of Tax Receiver Haviland.

The oyster planting bill introduced by Senator Childs will receive modifications such as oyster planters have suggested, The Senator had a conference with a number of them on Saturday. Two things the Senator is determined upon that the natural growth lands shall be free to all the people, and that inhabitants of the respective towns shall have the first right to lease land. The nonresident planters will fight the bill, and they rely on the support of Assemblyman Vacheron.

The bill to create a bureau of tax arrears for Queens county has been amended to provide for four commissioners instead of three, the name of William A. Jones being restored to the bill. The life of the commission is limited to three years.

The amendment to the tax receiver's act of the town of Jamaica is as follows:

Section 7. It shall be the duty of said receiver of taxes and assessments to be in attendance at his office to receive such taxes or assessments and give proper receipts therefor during the first thirty days from the time of giving the above mentioned notice on every day, Sundays and holidays excepted, from 9 o'clock A. M. to 4 o'clock P. M. and thereafter during every week, on not less than two days, for at least six hours each day, such days and times to be stated in the above notice. He shall also use due diligence and faithfully serve within sixty days after the expiration of the first thirty days a written or printed notice, by mail or otherwise, on every person whose taxes or assessments shall then remain unpaid, specifying the amount of the tax and the extra percentage and interest to be added and he shall be entitled to add twenty-five cents for every such notice to the tax of any person paying such tax to him after such notice.

Favorable report was made in the Assembly on Mr. Madden's bill to increase the pay of the superintendent of schools in Long Island City to $2,500 and make his term of office three years.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, March 8, 1895, p. 1.