The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-05-13
TOPICS OF THE TINE.
THE CHANGE IN THE SCHOOL BOARD
AND HOW 1T WILL AFFECT Us.
Tobacco Tr o d e-Watcr.WOrks-So Sol.
dfers' Monument-AIderm
Rcsignatf0n-BilI Conncrs's
Case-PcrsonaI. &c, &c.

There IL great interest manifested In Tho
| fate OF the public schools, and gener,
disposition is manifested to blame some
body because the trustees for twelve year
neglected to take the oath OF office. On,
statesman puts the responsibility on tn,
newspapers. His theory Is that II the re.
porters were not sent TO the Council cham
Der to report the debates the councilmen
would attend 10 their business better,
Journalists rather think that without the
presence OF the reporters they wouldn't at.
tend to it at all. But IN this matter the
neglect was chiefly with the trustees, and
our trustees have been no more remIss than
those OF nearly all the cities in the Com
monwealth no more rcmiss than the State
Board OF Instruction, which should have
kept an eye upon them. but utterly failed
to do so until the hunt for place COM
menced. For one entire scholastic year
the control will be in new hands. Ii is
true that certain Rcadjusters now set up
the claim that the members for the
shortest term will not go out until March,
1884, or one year from their appointment; /;
but the order OF appointment says they 60
out (tbree OF them) August 1, 1883.
Mayor Carrington still claims to be presi-
dent OF the Board er-oticio. His authority
is in city ordinance. The city public
school system antedated the States; the
State incorporated ours into theirs. 1t
took us in as we stood, it is said, and hence
the Mayor remained president OF the Board,
and has all along been recognized as such.
MeSsrs. Paul, Forester, Favier, HudnalI,
Reddy, Fisher, Powers, Childrey, and Hill
will probably refuse to recognize him.
Tho Citv 'nIpcil t1ou bns a nuaStiop of
profound importance thrust upon them.
What ought they to do about the school
appropriation
The public schools are supported by the
State and city jointly. The city appropri-
ates more than three times as much as the
state; but for this year the Council made
no appropriation; it set apart in a special
contingent fund money to the amount
usually voted to schools. It's purpose
was-nO matter what Board was into su-
pervise the expenditures on city account.
1t still means TO do as well for the schools
in the future as in the past; but it desires
TO scrutInlze the bills. Their resolution to
this end the Mayor vetoed. The Common
Council passed it over his veto, and the
Board OF Aldermen will take some action
upon 1t tomorrow evening.
The object OF the new Board from the
beginning will be to secure the paying
places for themselves, and 10 make il ap-
pear that any interference with their pur-
pose is the outgrowth OF Bourbonistic op-
position to the public free-schoOl system.
The Council must be wide awake.
Their measures should be well considered
in committee, put on paper by competent
hands, and ably eXpounded when placed
upon their passage.
OLD MAN NEWT SPEAKS AGAIN.
The Finance Committee have agreed to
recommend an additional appropriation OF
$4,000 in bonds to pay off the last OF the
expenses on account OF the construction OF
the new pump-works.
Old man IDewit has been around town
talking about this thing great deal. lie
SAID yesterday, 81 knew it. L knew that
we would have bill after bill to pay above
the 100000 appropriation. | said at first
that they Just ought to run the pipes up
the river till they got the necessary head,
and so do without either pumps or reser-
yoir."
The old man, as he pulled out his hand
kerchief and wiped the sweat OF honest
indignation from his expansive brow, FUR
ther said, "That big stcam-pump would
have served us for thirty years. 1t was
a - shame 10 throw away the money to
build the new works."
In Difference 10 such an old and we'll
known citizen rs lnewit, we VIII eX-
plain
/. That to get sufficient head the pipes
would have to be run up the river siXty-siX
miles.
.. That the big steam-pump was never
seriously thought OF by the Council (or
any ybody else. with probably the exception
OF Mr.. James l.. Dayis.) until the new
pump-works were supposed to be nearly
completed, september, 1SSl,) when, with
water-famne staring us in the face, the
Mayor and "thc sensational press " work
ed the authorities up to the necessity OF
buying it.
Loss.
Mr.. Lewis ID. Crenshaw expects to ten
der his resignation tomorrow evening rs
member iron Madison Ward)sof the
Board Of Aldermen in consequence OF re-
moving to Monroe Ward, at the southeast
corner OF Main and Adams. The Board in
losing him loses valuable member. lie
was ever conservative: as far removed
from old-iOgyIsm as from waste and haste.
Nav his successor be as good a man.
GAS AND ICE.
Tuesday the contract for the addition to
the gas-making apparatus OF the clty WorEs
will be awarded. There will be several
bidders.
The public look at this affair in the ex-
pectatiOn OF gas at S1.50 Ier thousand.
They will regard it as something worse
than hollow mockery il they fail to get
that reduction.
Cheap gas and cheap fuel in the winter,
and chelp Ice (and acompanimentS) IN the
summer, is platform upon which all the
people can unite without regard to preyi-
Gus opinion OF the School Board.
THE SOLDIERS MONUMENT.
The Board OF Managers OF the Ladies'
UoIlywood Memorial Association will meet
at I O'Clock tomorrow at 206 east Main
street. II is TO De hoped that they will
then have the report OF Colonel Cutshaw as
IN what had best be done to make the vines
crawl little faster up the pyramid.
Whether il is to be by putting good soil at
the roots OF the vines, or by cementing
the crevices, or by puttinga little fountain
ON the top of the monument TO keep the
stones moist. the plan should be promptly
adopted and promulgated; for there has
got TO be desperate scramble to secure
the needed money.
Colonel Cutshaw Is inclined to think that
what Is most needed by the vines is moist
ure' and that a pipe of water run to the
TOP Of the pyramid will supply the want.
A big main from the reservoir runs down
the aSenue by the monument to the city.
So So the piping would not be diaicult,
monument is going to fall. 1t would GER
ta;nlv % look more picturesque as a ruin than
II does now; but the day thereof is SEEM
ingIv remote-ln fact, too distant in the
nersnectiye TO contemplate with pleasure.
UNION DEPOT.
The appointment by the Chamber OF