The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-03-27
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
IS AN INCREASED LEVY NEEDED
TENTH DrsrR1or. March 22d. Is

TENTH DIsTRICT, March 22d, 1880.
Messrs. Longnecker There is an interesting
local item in the UNION of last week which clearly
indicates going to have the first instalment
OF the legacy left to the county at the election last
fall. The lean, hungry, poor and embarrassed
School Board have made their appearance before
the County Commissioners begging for settle
ment of their accounts and imploring them for
larger levy next year. There must be cause
somewhere for this pressing need, and the County
Commissioners should be exceedingly careful how
they act. Every item of expense should be close
ly scrutinized by them. A year ago they reduced
the levy for school purposes $500 on the ground
that the School Commissioners should practise
close economy in the management of school affairs.
If the School Board failed to heed this admoni-
ton, and rushed into greater extravaganza and
more lavish expenditures than they should have
done in the full possession of this knowledge they
should bear the consequences and not the County
Commissioners. body of officials who would go
into debt willfuy, conscious Of the fact that the
schools would have to be closed if the County
Commissioners failed to help them, richly deserve
all the blame attaching to suspension of the
schools. The people will lay it where it properly
belongs.
After having read your paper went over to the
teacher in our neighborhood and procured copy
of Mr.. Bruf's report. L had not read long before
[ found out what was the matter. Last year from
Oept., 1910, 10 Cept., 1917, the Ocnool DOnru eX-
pended nearly $50, 900. Of this sum about $780,
600 was for building, repairing and furnishing
houses. What amount to expend on credit !!
Mr.. Bruf's salary is put down at 800. Not be-
lieving he received much called the teachers
attention to it, and he replied that last year it
$3.50. The difference he could not account for !;
neither could l. Office expenses, $2S2.03; print
ing and advertising, $5S2.1O and paper for an
nual examination of pupils, 1888. The salary of
Rruff iQ asaiv xvha VIC air q
has an assistant at 81 900 to help him. So also
are the amounts for office expenses and printing
and advertising, and the paper for examination
belongs to stationery. The whole report furnishes
satisfactory proof that the entire financial system
needs reform.
The detailed statement on page rs of "houses
built or enlarged during the year" was a complete
puzzle to me and had to relinquish it. In the
written report Mr. Bruf refers to it by saying ait
will be seen by the detailed statement contracts
have been consummated for thirteen new houses,
seven of which have been completed 1 could
not them for there are in the statement fifteen
houses, four additions and one vestibule, &c. l
wish you would oblige me by getting copy of
the School Report and publishing the Statement"
In it lies concealed the key to their present en-
barrassment. Their legacy of debt should not be
hastily cancelled by the County Commissioners.
If the School Board acted in disregard of the adj
montion received year ago, the County Com
missioners should also disregard their appeal for
more money than the past justified them to expect.
II.
The following is the table referred to by our
correspondent. For convenience sake we have
omitted two items in the table, viz, amount paid
for grading outbuidings, fencing, repairs of old
buildings, &C., $2,912.1O," and ''cost of school
house lots, S425.30:"