The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-02-08
wnsre Has the Money Cone i?

An set Of Assembly requires q copy Of the
annual settlement Of the school districts Of
tins COMMONWEALTH ID be plsced on file in
/ the0ace Of the clerk Of tee Court Of Q .aster
{ SESSIONS which shall BE- 81 all times subject
TO inspeciion by any citizen thereof The
sane sci makes i cptioEal, whether or not
/ tie annual statement Of the receipts sai ex-
T.enaitarez Of the school districts be pub
Iished II the Two local papers having the
largest eiIeaiaiioa.
i czrssul search made in the ofice Of the
Clerk Of the Court ofQaartsr SESSIONS of this
county failed 70 reveal more than one an-
naaI Sta.sneat Of the receipts and sxpeEdi-
tares cf the school funds Of Somsrses 5or-
oush school district for the past eleven
years.
Il had been the unif5rm custom Of the di-
rectors Of Somerset borough school district
10 advertise the annual statement OF the re-
ceipts aud expenditures Of said district in
two papers published in the district up IN
III the year 1883. when the publication was
suddenly discontinued. Why was the pub
iieatioa Of this important Information to the
tax payers ofthe district discoutinGed2 Was
It on account Of a virtaous streak Of econo-
my or was there something in /. the direct
ors wished to have suppressed
The statement male in las: weeks HER-
Alp in regard to three mills building tax
having baen collected snnaaIly from the tax
pzyers Of Somerset borongh school district
xzs made on information deTiv-d fr0m tax
c5lIectors ef the district and hers Glsy
be true that the miilage for building purpo-
sss was ouiy two mills during the period
from lss6 % 1891, bat prior 70 tkzt tine Il
was three mills and some years even more
Three mills building tax on the assessed
valuation Of the school district nets Dot les
than 81 .l50 ssd tao mills, therefore. mus
net not Iezs than $50 Il follows that IN
eleven years the entire revenue for building
parposes must have been between $1,000
and sli coo.
With this lsrss sum Of money collected
f1c the parp9se CT meeliag s bon dei inde5i
eIasss Of $3.50 it xas Necessary for the
besnd Of directors 10 borrow $500 10 meet
the current expenses OF the schools, 50 We
are informeil year or two ago
The annual report Of the County Superin-
tensen. shows that the reoeiP,s Of S5nsrse,
borough school district from all sourcss out
side Ct building tax has always been in sx-
csss OF the cost OF maintenance OF the
schools. teachers wages, jaaitors' salary,
fuel, etc.
And still the schools Do not compare il
eHeiency With those Of 3 number Of the
country districts
In viez Of the burisnsome debt thst has
- l9ag oppressed ihs tax payers Of the dis
tsios, the schaol directors Of the district
found it extedient 10 parchase 8 trass Of
land adjoining the Unian school property.
Nay long suffering people be permitted 70
inquire Why this lot Of ground was purchas
edg OF what earthly value is il TO the
schools thst already had surplus Of play
g7oands
A prominent contractor Of the borough Il
authority f5r the statement that when he
went 20 the board Of directors and asked for
the plans and specifications they demurred
a5oul giving them to him aud said that he
vas too IAte. He fnaliy secured the plans
aad specifications. pat il bid for the pro-
posed addition to the Academy building,
and as a result Of his action al bids were re-
isc-ei.