The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-30
COGSWELL'S FAD.
The Financial TangIe Not
Yet Unraveeld.
The Trustees Face Heavy Debt and
Are Held in Bond by
the Deed.

| The next term of school begins on July
8. and boys and girls, not with unalloyed
pleasure, are making ready to resume
study.
! When that day arrives Will the Cogswell
Polytechnic School welcome with open
doors the youngsters of both sexes who
b ave been gaining such an excellent pre-
paratory training for fighting the battle
of life?
Some facts ELECTED yesterday seem to in
dictate that the scholastic embroglio is yet
in process OF adjustment, and time alone
in this ease but a few days-will alone
solve the difficulty.
Mayor Ebert, who is deeply interested
in the SCH COL, prof. oses sending an official
| letter to the scho oil trus ees to to and obtain
| a decisive answer to the much-mooted Ques-
| ton whether the Cogswel School will re-
! open on the 9Th proX or not. If an answer
in the affirmative be made, all, presumably,
will be well, but if to the contrary then it
is on the cards that some legal means will
be taken by the Mayor to have the matter
passed upon by the courts, and that, too,
| Immediately.
The statement requested by Mayor
| Ebert, some little time ago, will be ready
for presentation shortly, and then will
i
the instu tion.
W. L. Baggett, the attorney acting for
the donors of the school, upon being asked
what it was proposed to do next week re-
piled: II give it up; the riddle is beyond
me at present. There is one thing, how
ever. l will say" he added; 1--WE take our
stand on this simple proposition-the
| property must be administered in accord
ance with the terms of the trust. If the
income accruing is insufficient to admin
lister the school in accordance with the
wishes OF the donors as set forth In their
deed of trust. then the deed must be mod-
teG to suit the conditions. Under no cir
cumstances, however. have the trustees
the power. nor is it fair. just or legal that
they should curiail the teaching staff or
remodel the mode of administering the
school in any way. Such mode of action
may be fairly good business proposition,
but it is not acting in cOnsonance with the
wishes of the donors as set forth in the
| trust deed, and which is the chart by
which the trustees are compelled by law
| to steer"
Now. Mr.. Baggett." ventured to linter-
| potato the interviewer, what is the finan-
cial standing of the school at present and
what are really the bottom facts as to the
present difficulty ?"
The difficulty is simply this: The school
has monthly income OF about $1,000. Last
year the trustees started in with about
$4,000 in hand. aud recently when the
change took place about $500 was handed
over. The running expenses have been
slightly in excess of the income; no street
| work or improvements have been paid for :
while contracts aggregating about $4,000
rave been made aud will have to be car
ried out, and altogether there is an ind ebt-
ednesS on the institution of from $4,000 to
1000. This money must be paid within
the next few months, and where the money
Is to come from the good Lord only
| knows"
But is 1t not possible to follow along the
same line as the previous board, make SIM
liar arrangements for paying off the in
de6tedness and continue to run the
school? ?" again was volunteered.
similar arrangements !" exclaimed the
attorney, Il know Of no arrangements
Possibly they might have reduced the
many expenses. looping off a teacher here
and there and econOmizing to such an ex-
tent that one or two hundred dollars
month might be saved, but what then? [
stated before that may be business. but it
is not good law or ordinary Justice"
Now, just to Illustrate" ATTORNEY Bag
gett continued do you know Of any
technical school, such as the Cogsweil
College. without machine-shop? Such n
shop has always been and is considered
the most essential for practical work of
any. There isn't one out at the Cogswell
School and yet it is called for by the trust
deed. 1t would probably cost about
S4O,0UO TO In every way iulflll the require
ments of the trust, and yet hitherto the
trustees not having an income to carry out
the design of the donors have seen fit to
run things in modified fashion, such as |
have indicated. That is not good law. A
trust must not be modified without legal
authority"
We'll, Mayor Ellert, in his official ca
paclty. can have some voice in the matter.
can he not, lnasmuch as the school is In
trust for the people of the city and
connIy?"
Wrong, wrong all wrong! The school
IS not, so far as | know. in trust for the
citizens of This city and county. The trust
deed sets forth plainly who is to benefit BY
the scbool-the poor children who may
qualify by an examination. Again, as to
Mayor Ebert having power to dictate
what shall or shall not be done. that's
matter will not discuss, but let me have
my turn now and ask just one question.
Have the Board of Supervisors Of Santa
Clara County any right to dictate In any
manner, shape or form to the trustees OF
the Palo Alto University?"
| E..sn