The Morning herald., 1877-01-16

repairs, 2,OO(
Uue on Heatorin No school, 2,50t
Six mos. interest on $4,000. 6O(
Interest due Gordon, 3O(
Rents, u - I'M
Due on Noe school, (due in March, 1,ooi
Total, s59, ,7ot
Iht n we have the following receipts:
Cash on hand, $l2, ,0C0; less sinking fund
20 ,OOO, leavesa balance of Sc, 900 Amoun
believed to be collectable for school tax$1 [.
250. Total receipts, ST., $50. leaving a de
ticiency Of $33, $50. Amount appropriated
by Council, $74 500, less discount on non
collecfable, 5000, which leaves a balance
OF 800 500. Deduct from this the sinking
fund 5000, aud we have a balance to b.
used in the schools of $63 500. This leave.
deficiency $33, ,750. Amount of bonds
payable, less sinking fund, $4,000. Notes
discounted, $4,000. Total, 67 7,75O. Deduct
the balance Of tax collectable, s II ,25O, W which
leaves balance of $50. 500, which we will
be In debt on the 1st OF May. There is also
due on No. 5, 81, ,304; on No. Q, s., 900, total
$l2, ,3O4; deduct this from the $50, 500, and
we have the total Indebtedness,
which is 81, 200. We have balance ia
bank OF 81, 900, put when the February and
March pay roll comes in we will have to
borrow $1,000 more to pay them. We can
not run the schools longer than the first of
April, unless the Bank OF Wilmington and
Brandywine comes to our rescue as they did
on former occasion. People are under
the falseimpression that we get $74 900, but
we do not, we only got S65, 900. The aver
age cost of educating our children in the
public schools is only $17 per head, and in
the high school only $24, and the total cost
of the high school for the year is only
S9,0Sl5O The idea has been advanced tn ut
the school is only for the children of rich
parents, but such is not the case.
The poor man does not pay the
school tax, the property holders are
the ones that pays the tax. I have it
from reliable source that there is not
more than $500 head tax paid for educa-
tional purposes In this city. know OF some
who have sons in No. school, who pay
hundreds of dollars of tax, and know some
who DO not pay one cent, yet they have just
the same advantage in the school as the
boy whose father pays the heavy tax. I
know some men who have five or six chill
dren in this same high school, being
educated at cost of $l7 per head, yet they
do not pay one cent of tax. There are 64l
more children in the schools than the re was
last year, and is 1t not better for Council to
give us what we ask. If we are not fur
nished IL, we will have to pay SO per cent.
instead of % for schooltax. Where has the
money gomez lI'llt tell you, when was elected
a member OF the Board four years ago some
Of the school houses were in an awful
yes they were almost falling
down and we had to repair them. do not
wish to reflect on any of the ex-members of
The Board. We are in debt $65, 1000, so you
see the appropriation is spent before we get |
Il. / am here the champion of the children
In the schools, and l will speak for them as |
ong as I have breath.
Mr.. Fraim said, we are in conflict with |
another corporate body, the City Council.
The charter gives US the right to claim
enough for our use during the year, The
Board shall name the amount they require,
md the Council must grant the amount.
W. have asked them for $4,000 and they
lave asked lis to do with less. One man
q that body chose to cast reflections
lpon us as Board which
vas very ungentlemanly. The law
ays they shall require us to make our de-
nands by November l. They did not even
six for it. / for one am not in favor of
borrowing one cent, but as soon as the
money is spent, close up the schools, am
tax payer Of considerable amount, and
am in favor of going to the Legislature
nd ask them for sufficient amount, we
,ant TO be independent, and the sooner we
re rid of the council, le better of we will
9. If the Legislature will not grant us :,
be right to assess our school tax, for
ne am In favor Of closing them and putting
sign on the door, "We are not dead but !
eeping."
Mr.. Price said the gentleman from the :,
ecoLd Ward has shown up some very true =
CURES. 1t will take Sc, 900 month to run
ur schools, and he thought something
lght to be done. IL
Mr.. Baird said, we have 60 much to pay
nd have not the money to pay it-the 9 9
efficiency is about $4,000 we ought to u
, as careful how we spend the money as :,
9 are in our own business. The question =
i'd been asked, "how can we saveW We q
N save in the matter of books. Some :
hools of the same grade pay nearly double "
at of Others for books. We should - -
trench wherever we can. The Council -
Is appropriated $7O,00O, but we don't .. a.
It 1t. Two years ago we did not get what "
as collected. We should make some u
nd of statement to the people so they -
III understand it. =,
A great deal has been said about School = =
}. 1, but the people do not understand \.
l offer the following resolution, to % ..
point a committee to investigate the "a "a
hools. w
Resolved, That the Committee on Teach
J, In connect ion with the Visiting Com
4 tkon hI,o. kvv tnI ,,S, NJ,
hool, and examine into the course of study
d the arrangement of the classes, y X b
d If In their judgment any measures can Y,
adODted 10 reduce tho expense OF said ~,