The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1893-12-07
An Argument by Col. d.
w. Blair
IN BEHALF OF SCHOOL BONDS,
He Thinks a Visit to the Public Schools
VIII Convince Any One
''FOr BOnds.0

EDITORS JOURNAL: ON the 9th
inst, the citizens of Marietta will
determine question of vital im>
portance to the welfare OF this city.
Shall we have bonds is another way
OF asking shall we have schools.
The schools of this city cannot be
successfully carried on without
buildings. The city does not own a
building, and we cannot get them
without bonds. The buildings we
now occupy are inadequate and but
poorly meet our necessities. The
schools, white and colored ARE crowd.
ed; we are using every building
accessible; while some thirty per
cent CT the school children of the
town are not in school. HARDWOOD
building will be sold in few months,
and there is no building in the city
that will supply this loss. Doubt
less our attendance would be larger,
if we could only furnish the accom-.
modations. II is to the interest of
the city that all of it's children at
tend the schools, for our pro rata of
the State fund is measured by the
attendance of our schools.
The objections that I hear urged
against the bonds under the present
act is their long term and the sink
ing fund to be created. The origin
al act, passed in 1890, provided that
the first bond should mature in
1895. and yearly thereafter. We
voted on that bill, some eighteen
months ago, but failed to get con.
stitutional majority for them. An
objection then urged was that we
could not find q market for these
short term bonds, and it was to meet
this objection that the term of the
bonds was changed. We are now
assured that these bonds can be sold
payable in FIVE and ten years, &c.
1t this is true, am sure no one will
oppose selling them payable in that
way. | believe every member of
the board would be glad to see this
change made, and all that will be
necessary to carry out this idea will
be to print in the face of the bonds
that the city has the right t. redeem
or purchase these bonds for princi-
pal and accrued interest, and when
they are issued some can be made
FIVE years, and so on. IL is not
necessary that we should be kept
out Of doors another year waiting
tor the Legislature to pass an amend
ment to the act.
AS to the sinking fund this can.
not be avoided. The constitution
demands it. Nothing, however,
will be collected on this account
until the last OF 1894. In the mean.
time, Legislature will have been
in session, and to remove the objec-
ton that this sinking fund will be
mixed up in city politics, / pros
pose this amendment to our Act:
That the Judge Of the Superior
Court OF this circuit shall appoint
three or FIVE trustees from the citi-
zens of this city, to be selected be-
cause ct their business sagacity and
financial standing, who shall receive
this sinking fund IS fast as it is col
Iected, and preserve and invest it
for the benefit of the city. They
should hold their ofices for lofg
terms, make annual sstatements TO
the Mayor and Council, and they
may invest the city's funds in its
bonds, or as they think best. I,oe-
lieve that such a board can be pros
cured before there is a dollar ready
for them, 'and this will remove all
objections on this score.
TO those who oppose bonds, / de-
sire to say this: Go to the schools,
take in the entire system, see what
is being accomplished under very
0raob d;aOdvan ooe and what navld