St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-07

very good and sufficient reasons in the
opinion of the committee why this re-
0uction should be made.
First-ln this time of financial deDreS-
sion. when every line of business is
running at the very smallest kind of a
profit, if not at an actual loss, when
every class of employees in all branches
of the commercial world have been
Obliged to undergo reduction in their
salaries of froul 20 to 80 per cent, when
all of the people who must pay the taxes
from which these teachers hope to re-
ceive their salaries have had their own
income reduced TO the very lowest
point. and many OF them deprived OF
any whatever, we cannot but feel that
our public servants should bear their
share of the burden and submit for the
present TO corresponding reduction.
The committee unanimously feel that,
so far as their official action will ac-
cOmplish it, this policy will he pursued
with all of our public officials.
Our second reason is that il will be
impossible to pay the nigh salaries rec
commended in the budget and supply
the necessary school sittings required
to accommodate our growing population
without adding to our tax levy another
half mill, as we are permitted to do by
law, and even with the very material
reduction here recommended we are
not certain but that il will he necessary
TO raise the levy to provide adequate ac-
commodations. We hope. however,
by practlciug the strlctest economy 10
be able to meet the demands withO II
further Ourdening our people with aD
increased school tax.
In al IN In I.nxr fo
to state that we cannot but feel that
more teachers are listed than are actu-
ally needed, and we arrive at this con-
clusion from statements made to the
committee by the president of the board
and by simple arithmetic.
The average number Of scholars allot-
ted to teacher is forty. The average
daily attendance for the past year was
$4,000. This, if equally divided, would
require $50 teachers. This budget has
listed All teachers, beside asking for
$3.50 for extra teachers. We are not
unmindtnl OF the fact that many of the
principals which are included in the
above list of teachers do not teach, but
II seems to your committee that the
allowance for all purposes is very large.
Relative 10 the $1,000 asked tor in the
budget as contingent: fund, W. beg
become settled policy with tnlS coun-
Gil not TO allow contingent funds to any
department, that We recommend this
Item Oe stricken out entirely.
From the amount asked tor printing,
stationery and general school supplies
we have stricken 500, as from intorma-
ton gained by the committee there is
large quantity of material on hand, and
we believe, with reasonable economy,
this amount can be saved.
In connection with the above recon-
mendation we desire to say that we re-
pose the greatest confidence in the pres
ent efficient board of school inspectors,
but we cannot close our eyes to the fact
that they. in common with every other
department of the city government, will
endeavor to obtain for their particular
department all that the law allows and
the common council will appropriate,
and in the present straitened circum-
stances OF the finances of this city we,
as the cuslodianS or the peoples money,
must use tue greatest caution i'll order
to make ends meet.
incidentally, your committee desires
TO call the attention of the council to
the report of the special committee one
year ago, wherein were enumerated a
number of features in the curriculum Of
lne schools that were deemed objection.
able, and the belief expressed that an
other year would see them eliminated.
An inspection Of the present budget
shows that the expectations of the COM
mlttee were not doomed 10 diSappoint-
ment altogether, as some of the objec-
lionaOie features have been eliminated,
notably that of a number of the lorna
mental supervisors.
1 his committee most heartily indOrseS
all OF the sentiments contained in that
report, and recommends that this cOun-
Gil lndorSe the same As an expression of
the peoples representatives, together
with The hope that the present board of
inspectors will continue i'll the line they
have pursued i'll the last year.
Accompanying this report we present
an ordinance providing for the apprO-
priation OF moneys for the maintenance
OF tue schools for the coming school
year, the adoption of which we hereby
recommend.
Relative 10 such much of the budget
as relates TO new buildings and addi-
tons, the committee desires to be re-
corded as being unanimously in favor
of every dollar asked for, il the same
was available. but we find the situation
to be practically this: New buildings
and additions may be contracted for aud
erected whenever tile conditions OF the
funds derived from the school tax levied
and collected are available for such
purpose, by ordering the mayor and
president Of the board of education to
proceed to advertise, etc.
At the present time there are only
S20, 600 to the credit of the school fund,
and all of that, and much more, is con-
tanned in the appropriation of one year
ago for the maintenance of the public
schools, and is not available for build
ing purposes. 1t is Estimated that at
the end of the year there will have
been collected to the credit of the
school fund in round numbers about
$50O,000, and of this sum S444,0OO has
been appropriated for the maintenance
of the schools for the last school year,
commencing Sept. l, 1892. This will
leave, If collected, about $500 Jan. !;
but, as shown above, none of this is avail
able at the present time. 1t would,
therefore, seem, much as we regret it,
that nothing Gao be done at the present
time. We would recommend that so
much of the budget that refers TO new
school buildings and additions be re-
ferred to the conference committee in
order that provisions be made for an
other year.
Minority Report.
Mr.. Robb offered the following minor