St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-19
COST OF THE SCHOOLS.
MSPE cTORS AND COUNCIL COMMIT
TEE GO OVER THE BUDGET.
SUPERVISORS WILL STAY
The Committee Gets No Conces-
sion From the Board-Discuss-
ing the Teaching OF Lam
guages-Sanitary Condition OF
the Humboldt School.

Another meeting of the special joint
committee to consider The school budget
was held yesterday afternoon. Their
was full attendance of the mmittee,
and half an hour was wasted in waiting
for members of the school board to put
in an appearance. Special invitations
were sent all the members of the school
board, but at 80 O'Clock only School In
Spector Dixon was present. The meet
ing called to order, Chairman Johnson
said there being no criticism as to the
amount for salaries and of janitorS, en-
gIneerS and tiremen except that they
were too small, it would be well to ap-
prove this part oS the budget. There
was nothing said by any member to this,
and the superstition is that the $3l, $50
asked for this purpose will be allowed.
On the question of why $4,000
should be spent for fuel last
year Mr.. Dixon said the reason
was that a large number of an
mex buildings had been used. Mr..
DOran thought the fuel amount should
be approved, for the board would not
be apt to use more than was necessary.
Mr.. ReardOn said a scale at the high
school, On which all coal for the schools
could and should be weighed, might
make some difference in the amount for
fuel.
Mr.. Dixon said the papers had stated
there was some comparison made as to
the-amount for repairs in Minneapolis
and ST. Paul last year. In explanation
Mr.. Dixon said out of the repair fu nd of
$4,000 were paid the gas bills, amount
ing to 1914, and water bills, 81, 9O7.
Aside from these items the rents of the
annex buildings, amounting to 81, 200,
and the expense for changes necessary
in buildings. The board now had in
this fund from the $40 900 given last
year about 5000, which would pay for
the cleaning and repairing now being
done.
Speaking of the sanitary condition of
the Humboldt school, Mr.. Dixon said
the board had done nothing and could
do nothing until the sewer had been
put i'll. While the present dry closet
system at the humboldt and other
schools was not, in his opinion, as good
as wet system, still it was the best
that could be secured where there was
no sewer system. He was not aware
that the condition of this school was
any worse than others.
Supervisors Salaries.
The discussion then took a turn re-
garding the salaries of the supervisors
and their duties. Inspector Dawson,
who came in during this talk, was
asked regarding the duties of the SUI
l. .l -nI In
Der, and very frankly said the superin-
tendent of schools would be much bet
ter authority on the matter than he, and
could be telephoned for i'll moment.
This hint was considered a good one,
and telephone message sent for Supt.
Gilbert and Secretary White to report
at once. During the wait Inspector
Willrlch dropped in, and he at once
went into details as to the duties of the
supervisors.
Mr. Copeland wanted to know if the
teachers could not instruct the pupils in
drawing by al system without a super
visor. MIR Willrich said the board had
reduced the budget considerably, and
not penny would be spent unless it
were needed. The necessities of the
various positions held by supervisors
were investigated by the members. The
object Of the present board was to re-
duce expenses as far as possible, but it
would, he thought, be bad policy to cut
off some of the supervisors, and then
have to put them back. Speaking of the
supervisor OF German, Mr.. Willrich said
Prof. Rink taught the language in the
high school, and after his duties were
completed in the hign school he visited
the seventh and eighth grades schools.
Whether wisely or not, he said, the
department of cooking and domestic
economy had been dispensed with. The
high school, he thought, was not place
for a cook room. 1t might be advisable
to put the sewing teacher back. but if
this were done the salary of the Sewing
teacher would have to be greatly re-
duced.
Mr.. Willrich said the small details,
such as changes mentioned in drawing
supplies by Mr.. DOran. would be mat
ter Tor the board rather than the council
committee to discuss. He assured the
committee that while number of the
members were new and had not mas
tered the details, they were working
hard.
Asked by Mr.. Doran as to the sani-
tary condition OF the humboldt school.
Mr.. Willrich said the board, not being
corporation, had not control Of the
buildings. Any report as to the SAM
tary condition was and should be made
to the health department. From there
council took charge of the matter.
Mr.. Gilbert Knows.
On the arrival of Supt. Gilbert he was
asked as to the sanitary condition of the
Humboldt school by Mir. Doran. In re-
ply Mr.. Gilbert said, judging from the
number of pupils reported absent, he
should say the condition of the school
was better than some of the others.
There had been a deal of sickness
among pupils and teachers in the Ger
man and Hendricks schools. In answer
to question Of Mir. Doran as to how tine
present yentilating system worked, Mr..
Gilbert said in some schools it worked
well and i'll others not SO well. In the
new buildings the system worked bet
ter than in the old buildings. The
trouble in the Humboldt school was the
lack of sewerage drainage. The Hem
bricks school was so situated that water
from the surrounding territory was
drained into the building. Asked as to
the duties of the supervisor of the ''Dug
department." Mr.. Gilbert said he sup
posed the department spoken of so flip
PANTY was that i'll charge of Mr.. Scott
MIR. Scott, he explained, had charge of
the work of physiology, hygiene, botany
and zoology.
After he had finished his duties in the
high school it was his duty to take
classes of teachers and give them in
Structlons. The object of this class of
studies, Mr.. Gilbert said, was to
strengthen the minds of the pupils.
Only certain portions of the day were
devoted to these studies, and it had
been demonstrated the best way to teach
children the English language was to
get them interested in some such man
ner as was accomplished by this class
of studies. Chairman johnson and
Supt. Gilbert then began to figure as to
the amount to be designated by the
committee for salaries of teachers, Mr..
Montgomery moved that the figures as
submitted in the budget be approved.
MIR. Doran failed to see what the rush
was for and suggested an adjournment
Mr.. johnson said it was very necessary
that the action of the committee be sent
to the council meetings which would be
in session i'll the evening. Mr.. Willrich
also advocated this, but Mr.. Doran
moved an adjournment, which was car