Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-01-06


4. N. APpsrson. President Peoples PrOsec-
tive Union:
In obedience 10 q resolution OF your
body, we presented ourselves TO the com.
mittee appointed under a resolution OF
the Board Of Education OF the Mem
phis City Schools to investigate their
general management and other matters
pertaining to the schools, and stated the
wish Of the Union that We should be per-
mitted TO cooperate with them in their
investigations 30 far as the interest OF the
public was affected financially. The
committee, consisting OF the Rev. w. Z.
| Bogcs, chairman; T. NJ. S. Rhett. John
| johnson. Thomas Boyle and Judge
| Henry G. Smith, from the citizens; and
NJ. B. Trezevant II. Townsend and DR..
r. w. Mitchell, Of the School Board,
received rs cordially and welcomed our
cooperation. These gentlemen had Wis.
tied several of the schools and proceeded
to some extent With their work before
our appointment. and communicated to
us the result Of their examinations. We
have not, for want Of time. been able to
make so minute an examination ss vas
desirable, but to the extent we did iHves-
tigate, we find nothing TO alter our con-
viction ,Sas tie system itself is radically
and fundamentally wrong. The City
School Board is a corporation indepen.
dent OF the people, and fastened upon
them for ninety nine years BY q Legisla-
ture elected when many thousands Of the
people Of this State we're disfranchised
Through its President elections may be
| ordered for the reelection Of its mem.
bers. and for its wrongful acts, however
hagitious, the people have no adequate
remedy. II is a government within q
government claiming practical perpetu-
ity, and may levy q tax Of ten dollars
per head for every person between the
ages Of six and twenty years, and make
ia own census OF the number within
those ages. In addition to this. it may
levy a tax of fifty thousand dollars per
annum for ten years to be expended in
buildings. 1t msy expend these large
sums in reckless extravaganza OF lavish
them upon favorites and jobbing con-
tracts; orit may, under the ample powers
of its charter, establish a curric-
ulum, embracing every branch OF
mathematics, from arithmetic to cal
culus; the whole range Of the exact aud
experimental sciences; every branch of
zoology, from entomology to the mann
malta; every branch Of calisthenics.
from dancing the polka to fencing and
boxing; all languages, from Hebrew to
Choctaw; and all history, from the siege
Of Troy to the close Of the war upon the
South. II not only may do these things.
but has already established a course Of
study, We think, far beyond the legiti-
mate scope Of governmental education.
Believing the system as organized under
the charter wrong, and that public edu-
cation should be limited to the primary
branches and be made equal and uni
form throughout the State, and be lin
tied to the scholastic ages. between eight
aud eighteen, or eight and twenty at
most, we do not hesitate to recommend
the repeal Of the city school charter and
the remission of the city schools to the
government Of the general school law Of
the State.
We do not indulge in an indiscrimi.
nate condemnation Of the School Board,
and 10 advance Of the matters Of com
plant which we shall point out. express
our belief that q majority Of the
members of the present and former
boards have eniaayored to advance
the interest of the schools with
entire honesty of pnrposeI but
there has not been hat watohfulness
and close scrutiny into its affairs by the
members necessary, TO guard against the
| faults OF mismanagement extravaganza
aud favoritism, and reckless extrava
gance has been the result:
l. Going back to the year 1866, we find
the Board leased a lot on Alabama street
at $500 per year and the taxes, and
erected thereon q building costing 49,.
000. We think the price for the building
exorbitant, but admitting it TO have rea.
sonable cost that sum, no prudent per-
son managing his private affairs would
have erected a 81, 900 house on ground
under a two-year lease. In 1868 the
lease was extended to September, 1870,
and afterwards TO September, 1873,
on the same terms, since which time we
find no written lease, but are informed
the Board occupy Il from year to year
under a verbal agreement.
2. About 1866, the exact date we did
not ascertain, the Board purchased a
lot on Auction street at q cost of $40, 600,
which remains unoccupied; aud about
the same year they purchased o lot on
Adams street at a cost Of SO, 900, paid
an architect about $500 for plans Of q
building, the erection Of which was com.
menced, and after the expenditure OF
several thousand dollars abandoned.
This information Ia derived from the
Secretary Of the Board.
3. In 1866, or about that date, the
Board purchased q lot ON Linden street
at a cost OF 500, 900, upon which they
afterward erected the building now used
as q school house at a cost Of about
$l3,800. These prices for the Auction,
Adams and Linden streets lots and the
Linden street house appear extravaganza
in q high degree.
Y OonlluA No"u W u muOu lhttl
period we find the Board erecting The
Market street brilding at a cost of $751;,
500 on a lot costing $4,000, maxim
building and lot cost $8l, 502; and The
Peabody building. erected at a cost q
$26, 542 on a lot costing $1,000, making
building and lot cost S3O,l92; aud ths
Clay street building, costing SIS, 766 on
q lot ccstipg $1,000, making $2l, l66 70.
building and lot. Whether the cost Of
these structares--the Market street, the
Peabody and the Clay street school
houses-is too much for the character Of
building or not, we have not the data 10
determine; but that il is too much for
the present overburdened condition Of
our people. none can doubt.
5. The Richmond house, on Adam,
street, formerly belonging 70 the county
was occupied by the High School for 4
number Of years until June last free d
charge. Upon its sale to Mr.. Woodruff
and others il was offered to the Board