Morning journal and courier., 1880-09-09

on their general prosperity. With the health ful growth of the city in all branches Of man. ufacturing and commercial industry, there should be a corresponding growth in the comnieteness of our system of public in- struction. The schools have cost the city much money in the purchase Of valuable lots, in the erection of commodious houses, and in the annual expenditure for the education of more than ten thousand children. New Haven has been liberal in it's provision for the best possible elementary education For more than twenty years many of o1r fellow citizens have devoted much time gratuitously to their oversight and improvement. The result of this expenditure of time and money
 ought now to be fully apparent. The Board
 believes it expresses the general sentiment Of this community in saying that our schools
 are worth all they have cost. Probably few
 cities can be found where so large propor- tion of the juvenile population is educated together without distinction of race, color or
 condition as in the free public schools of
 New Haven That they have the general con-
 fidence and support of all classes of our fel-
 low citizens is matter of great congratula-
 ton. Each year indicates more unmistakably
 that public schools rightly managed and prop
 orly limited are an essential part of free re-
 public.
 To meet the growing wants of our city the
 Board has erected during the year one school
 house on Hallock street containing eight
 rooms with four hundred seatings, and sec
 ond on Lloyd street with four rooms and two
 hundred seatings, beside purchasing very
 eligible lot on Ferry street in Fair Haven,
 where the demand for @ new school house
 has become very urgent.
 Is was the original intention of the Board to erect only primary school house in the
 Washington district, but it became evident that it would soon be necessary to call upon the district for an appropriation to build second house in the immediate vicinity. Ali ter much hesitancy the Board contracted for the present building with but four rooms finished, leaving the entire completion of the building to separate agree ment. This
 arrangement will probably suspend the ne cessity for another school house in this dis trict for three or four years to come. When the Ferry street lot was purchased it was the purpose of the Board immediately to build upon it. but after further investiga- | ton it was found that this school house should for the present accommodation of Fair Haven, be located south of Grand street. The wis dom of this change seems at this time to be unquestionable. Both buildings are in every way creditable to the district. To provide for the instruction of the increasing number of children in our schools, increasing both by the natural increase of population, and by the increasing confidence of the community
 in the excellence of the public schools, has necessarily caused an increased expenditure Under ordinary circumstances an increase of population implies an increase of aggregate
 wealth But for the last five years the population has largely increas- | ed, while the grand list has decreased. In 1875 it amounted to $56, ,OOO, ,OOO. The 1 last assessment was on SAG, ,OOO, 900. The average number of children in the former | year was ,428. The present number is 1894. Not only had provision to be made for the | instruction of these additional children, but
 also and largely for the construction of school
 buildings for their accommodation. Under the most favorable view of the wants 1 of the district the Board cannot see it's way clearly to meet it's current expenses for the coming year on tax less than 24 mills. l General F. A. Walker having resigned, and | the term for which Maier Zunder and H. M. | Welch were elected having expired, these va cancies will require to be filled at the coming
 school meeting.
 1 school house is imperatively called for to l be built on the Ferry street lot for the grow
 ing population above Mill river and north of
 the Shore Line railroad track.
 | MT. Hemingway suggested that the Board
 had made a mistake that they did not build
 the Lloyd street school larger.
 l The secretary was appointed a committee | to prepare for the annual school meeting, | which occurs one week from next Monday. | It was agreed that the notiec of the school
 meeting should be publishc four or five days l in advance.
 1 It was explained that the revenue for 1879 was ''short' on a tax of 24 mills. This year
 it was increased to 2 mills, which wiped out | part of the indebtedness, and it was thought | that if a tax of 21 mills was recommended for | the coming year it would be sufficient. Ad- l iourned.