San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-12-12

would be expended in paying rent for
house in which to conduct free school FOL
the white children in town, leaving two
hfths to pay the rent for house In which
to teach the colored children and to pay the
salaries of the teachers for all the schools,
white and black. The absurd,ty of such a
thing is plain, and the way, and the only
way, to get rid of it is to say we will vote
upon ourselves direct tax Of fifty cents on
the one hundred dollars valuation of pro-
perty, and thus raise all the money we will
need. That is to soy. we will raise by d.
rect tax on the property in the town Of San
Marcos, in addition to the interest and sink
ing fund above mentioned, clear $4,000
more, thus very nearly thribbling the
amount of city taxes the people Of the city
have ever heretofore paid per year, and this
mainly for the privilege of having one free
public school building in the city.
But as corporation it is not, in my judg.
ment, wise for the town to expend SO much
money on public building, We can, IN
der the laws of the State, issue such an
amount of bonds only as one-fourth of one
per cent on the assessed valuation Of the
property in the city will nay interest and a
two per cent sinking fund on each year.
The assessed valuation OF the town property
is about eight hundred thousand dollars.
One fourth Of one per cent the utmost tax
we can put upon it for any one year for
purposes of public improvement, would
give tax of two thousand dollars, out of
which must be deducted the costs of ASSESS
ment and collection. Then deduct twelve
hundred dollars more for the building pro-
posed, and after this retain q reasonable
sum in reserye-as every town corporation
should have some reserve credit-and then
I ask, what have we left with which to make
other needed improvements? The condition
of our alleys, our side walks, our streets.
and our square is to-day the greatest draw
back to the growth and prosperity of the
town. They need work as sanitary meas
ure. and for comfort, convenience and at
Effectiveness, We ought to have our square
paved, and one street running from east to
west through the town, and another from
the depot to the bills paved, and this much
at least ought to be done at once, and be-
lieve it would be done before the expiration
of another twelve months If the money
needed for these purposes IS not expended
for the public building mentioned, or in
some other direction.
As you suggested, 1 do not wish to see
the fifteen thousand dollar public school
building erected, because it will injure, if |
not absolutely destroy, the magnificent
private school which is to-day the chief at |
traction Of San Marcos. have no idea the |
two schools can exist together, and when it |
is considered that one is to be sustained by |
enforced support, and the other must de-
pend upon voluntary aid, it requires no
prophetic ken to see which one will be de.
'troyed, and when Ooronal Institute is de-
'troyed what have we got in its place?
There IS one thing we will not have. the
prospect that Is now ours, OF having an ed
lcative center, and of having and enjoying
III the advances that the growth Of fine
Institution of learning gives to the commun-
ty where 1t is planted.
wish to add that while 1 oppose the
'$15, 200 school house." am a friend of
public free schools, and am ready to do any,
hing reasonable to establish them in the
own of San Marcos. think we should at
nee build two school buildings in addition
o what we now have, one to be located at
ONE convenient place for the accommoda-
ion of the children in the west half of town
nd one for the colored children, and these
wo with what we now have, and all made
comfortable, will answer oil the purposes of
n Efficient free school system for the town.
Very respectfully,
L. II. Brown.
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