The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-10-02
SCHOOL H0Usgs

Ono Of the greatest wants in the city of
Dallas ia public school houses. The public
school system of this city is, perhaps, consc-
erng the limited means at hand, the meagre-
ness of the public school fund, as good one
as could well be devised. The management
OF the Tree schools, so far as the board of
trustees and the teachers selected are con-
cerned, is in good hands, able hands, Jealous
hands, but they are crippled in their
efforts in behalf OF tho general
good by want Of suitable school
buildings. In Houston, Galveston,
Austin, San Antonio, Sherman, Brennan,
Denisun and Longview, and SO far as we
know number Of other towns and cities,
public school houses have been provided.
In some of these young cities the people
have, at tho polls, voted upon themselves s
special tax for the erection of school houses,
that the school fuad may be all devoted to
the education of the children. This shows a
proper appreciation Of the benefits of eouca-
ton. 1t shows that the people live for the
future rs well as for the present,
and they are willing TO give Of
their substance for the benefit of the rising
generation. This, to say the least of il, is a
commendable spirit. Every day we hear
complaints made by the people from the older
states against the want free school facilities
in Dallas, and some ofthese complainants,c cite
the cities We have named as being much
better provided in this particular than our
own city. The most those compliments talk
reasonably, making due allowances for tho
facts that Texas is comparatively young
state, sparse in population for its extent of
territory and that the school endowment of the
state, ere many years to be the grandest of
any state in tho union, is as yet but in IN
inchosto condition, just beginning TO develop
and swell into those magnificent proportions
it is destined to acquire, yet they say why
cannot Dallas do as we'll as these other citiess
1t is already agreat commercial centre and
every year is growing in Importance, in COM
mercial strength and power and in popua.
lion and is before great whilo destined to be
a magnificent city with numerous railroads
and a great trade mart, and why 81 Guild it
lag behind' The answers to these questions
are difficult TO make. We know that Just
now taxation in Dallas is necessarily heavy.
The people have some railroad subsidies to
pay, that is to say, the interest on those sub.
sides and stipend yearly for sinking fund
to take up tho principal when due, that is
heavy to BEAR and it would BIO gricvous to
meet many more demands in the way
of taxation and we have nothing
10 urge pro or con in this
direction. 1t is n matter that the people
must settle for themselves. BRENNAN and
Sherman and perhaps other cities in the state
settled the matter by submitting tito the PEG.
pie and the people Of their own volition voted
a special tax upon themselves to build pub
lie school-houses. Surely the people had
right to do this. Their property and their
money were their own and they certainly had
n right to tax that property ir their own behalf
aud pay out their money If thcy wanted to
do SO. No one will gsinsay tho proposition,
we presume, that the knowledge Of the fact
that city has ample public school facilities
Is OF advantage to that city abroad, and is
calculated to attract to it persons seeking
homes and investment for their means Sup
pose that Dallas could say to all the world
thnt she had in each of her wards commo-
dious, handsome public school building with
all tue modern improvements and convt-
nences for the children and teach ers, and
that here tho children of the city within the
scholastic ages We're given the benefits of free
education, would this not, with all her other
advantages I a commercial point, add great
~ to her importance and give her promi
nence all over the country that she does not
now possess. We simply make these points
snd otler these suggestions f,r the consilera.
ton OF our people. They are Interested and
1t is their business, and they surely can think
about the matter.