Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-01-05
,th Boards adiourned for one week.
For lhe spy.


Mr.. EDuoR:-The new Mayor of the CITY, in
his Inaugural Address has fallen into some errors,
unintentional on his part, I presume, but which,
as they injurious to myself and my associates,
1 beg leave, through your paper, to correct
He finds the expenses of the school department
for the last year amount TO abeut $S3, 900; an ex-
cess of nearly $4,000 over those of the previous
year. His impression seems to be, that this sum
has been consumed in the ordinary expenses of the
schools, and, furthermore, that the number of
scholars has diminished, while expenditure has in
creased. In both statements, he would have
found, on careful inquiry, he is mistaken.
In the first place, it has been usual, for those
who have had the care of the city schools, to
provide in the Autumn, (the most favorable sea-
son for doing it) fuel for the whole year The
gentleman who had charge of this duty, in Mr..
Davis's previous administration, provided only
enough to last through that administration, and
thus devolved upou the administration of last
year an expenditure, additional to the ordinary,
of about $3.50
In the next place. the school board of 1856, by
the increase of salaries and the creation of new
schools at the close of and during the year added
unavoidably to the expenses of last year, (unless
the board of that year would follow the bad prece-
dent Of dismissing the teachers, and breaking up
the schools established by their predecessors, )
about 5000 more.
In the third place, the board of last year, prac-
ticing upon the principle, so strongly recommend
ed by the Mayor, of leaving as small burdens as
possible for their successors, have paid promptly
and in full, for the visiting and supervision of
the schools under their charge, and in addition
to this, have paid S745 70 for the visiting of the
previous year, the year, it will be recollected in
which Mayor Davis had the honor to preside over
the affairs of the city.
In addition to these unusual expenses the school
department of last year has met the expense of
two new furnaces in the Walnut street school
house, OF ventilating the floor timbers of Pleas
ant school-house, to prevent their further decay,
and of re-laying the East wall of the schoo-house
lot on Ash street. have not the papers before
me at this moment, but the whole expense of these
Jobs could not have been less than another five
hundred dollars. Adding these sums together we
find $2,745 10 of the So ,OOO accounted for IN
Items which cannot be set down as usual expenses
Furthermore, 1T has been my aim, through the
whole year, to take Of the school house prop
erty, as If 1t We're my own. If the expenses thus
incurred have been unusual, hope they have
been honorably and wisely So
But this increase of expense the Mayor saws
or means to have understood has been for a
smaller number of scholars than those taught in
the public schools in previous years. and he sat
isles himself of this, by finding that the number
OF minors in the city between the ages of 5 and
10, is less-less by 81 than in 1856! In reply to
this admirable reasoning, will only say, can
not give the number actually taught in the schools
Tor the last year, as the statistics of the schools
have not yet been collected; but l am sure it
Will be found largely to exceed that of any pre-
vlous year And this increase of scholars has
added considerably to the expenses of the last
NFnaF f,- u ,
teachers having teen required for their accommo-
dation. Respectfully,
GEORGE BUSHNELL,
worcester, Jan. 4. Superintendent.