Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1881-03-09

by WAcn W5 mean WV p4os
that object is the public schools. An
ticipatiug wisely the wants OF the III
ture the Board of Education has askst
CT the Legislature the passage OF an sc
amsndatory OF the charter OF winning
ton allowing this City Council to borrow
sixty thousand dollars 70 enable th'
Roa1d Of Education to build at lsaa
three rev school houses in diferen
parts of the atty where most needed
That there is need for these additions
sehool houses oanno: be denied, as 81
the opening OF the schools af!er the
summer vacation nearly every avalla-
BILE seat ia occupied and many cannot
be accommodated bat by assigning them
to schools at inaonvenient distances
We believe that NJ. Is school at Thir'
tssnth and Walnut streets was the last
new public school building erected IL
Wilmington and that was erected som'
i've or ak years ago, since which lime
our CITY has increased at least Ave
thousand in population. As that sohoo
bailding at the best does not scconmo
date more than Avs hundred pupils
and A there ars at Least enc thousand
more children OF school age in the city
than there wsrs at the time that school
house was built, there is really more
need for increased school facilities nov
than ever before.
As the City Council has to raise 81!
the money needed to carry on the
schools by taxation, tia question arises
whe.Aer it is beat to empower that body
with tina privilege Of negotiating loan
for the building Of school houses OF
whether they should raise the money
each year by direct taxation as it ii
needed, We are inclined to favor thu
latter mode. as by that means an in
crease OF the funded debt of the city
will b. avoided. BuE if tia latter ana
10 other means are employ ed some leg
islstion is needed Of q compulsory char
aeter to make the council levy an add
tional tax Of fifteen or twenty thousand
dollars for the erection OF school houses
Whenever they are needed. Experi-
snce teaches Us that the City Council
from a partisan stand point Of view Is
slew to raise the rate of taxation know
ing tina. high taxes are unpopular with
the people who would be very likely to
tura and Dust the party from power
that raised the taxes. This however Is
< partisan view OF the subject and
lid not be tolerated by either party
a. 49, !. ""imsnt OF ths cause Of sducs,
,;on, Every y, >sr whsn the taxes are
;n,ra,s.d On account ii increased schssl
facilities the psopls coa,'d be informed
on ths facs Of the tax bills presented
to them what part of the tax was Tor
school parposes. This should 10 |Say
with ali opposition to iLcrs2sed tax
every nov and then Tor the Guiding Of
a new sohsol t.ouae, on ths psrs OF in.
tslligent aAd fair minded people. By
this r,taA an increase to this psrmsnsn
d,,pt Of the city would be avoided. Blu
There Is some legislation needed art
that right speedily. There is a lack 0
aooo nnodatiou now for the children 0
school age in Wilmington. Wee the,
all to turn ont and attend at once ther
would not be room for more than tn
half Of them. Fortunately they do nc
all 70 to the public schools at onoe an
hence We are enabled to bridge eve
with mod alton for those only VIII
attend. We nsed new school house
now.
The Board Of Education who ough
to know best say that We need thre
at least, and that sixty thousand dolla
Ia needed with which to build then
Sixty thousand dollars Is TOO much
borrow and to be added to the psrms
nsnt debt ofths city, aad sixty thousal
dollars Ia TOO maoh to pay for thr
soheo, houses. It should build four
lsast of these meat substantial bull
ipss which are 50 much admired
visitors and which are credit to t
atty. Ons ofthese school houses mig
be built svsry year at an expense
Rt.seu thousand dollars and sh
amount Of money might be raised "a
year by direct taxation without eata
ing any very heavy additional burshs
upon the taK payers. In four ye'
by this plan the city woRid have 10
additional school houses and they wou
all be paid for.
By the other plan proposed tbs G.
would in the same time have three
fsur new school Buildings as PROV
economy would bs used, but instead