Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-05-21
OUR SCHOOLS AGAIN.
Is a Larger Appropriation
Needed?
ECONOMY AT A DISCOUNT.
Facts TO be Considered by Those Who
Have TO Pay the Bills.
ECONOMY AT A DISCOUNT.

To the Editor OF the Tribune;
A. Is very well known, the School Com
mittee last December, In It's estimate OF
what would be needed for school expen'
ditures for the year '0i, asked for very
extravagant amount OF money, much more
than had ever before been called for,
much more than the taxpayers considered
necessary, In view OF the careless and un'
satisfactory manner in which school busi-
ness had been managed for few years
| past, and much more than the City Coun-
| ell decided In January to place at their
| disposal. This action OF the Council, at
that time, was the result OF careful and
| painstaking Investigation OF the whole
| subject In all Its details and relations, In
which invest Igation they we're somew hat
assisted by very elaborate explanation
OF matters by the Financial Committee OF
the School Board, and the Councils con-
clusions, and subsequent action In accor-
dance Herewith, involving cut down OF
some ;22 900 90 from the original asking,
were heartily and generally approved by
the public. Thisicut-down was based on
the belief that foolish and unnecessary
additions and innovations had been made
| in the courses OF study, that teachers Of
"specialties" had been employed at high
salaries, which, "specialties" were not
productive OF good or desirable results at
all commensurate with their cost, that the
time OF the pupils and the labor iof the
regular teachers was being wasted on
iads and visionary schemes To the exclu'
sion OF honest and profitable Legitimate
studies, and that the time had come for a
change Of methods and a checking OF
silly and unwarranted extravaganza.
There was not the slightest disposition or
desire on the part OF anyone, official or
| OF her, To interfere In any way with good,
honest, legitimate school effort, to cramp
the teachers In their work OF instructing
the children under their charge, or to
| limit the children In their opportunities
| TO get a liberal aud practical common
school education. But the feeling was
| very general and decided that for dollar
| spent there should be a dollars worth OF
practical benefit received, and that no
more time or money should be wasted In
doing things that were OF no sort OF use
either immediate or remote.
This reproof, administered alike by the
public and by the Council, for II was in-
deed reproof and most richly deserved,
was exceedingly distasteful TO those to
whom 1t was given, and while one or two,
the older and wiser OF them, quietly held
their peace, the younger csllow element,
which unfortunately predominated In the
makeup OF the Board, was outspoken In
It's vexatIon. The common remark OF
many OF them was that the public, the
parents, did not know anything at ali
about the matter, and some OF them,
prominent among whom was the polished,
erudite, courteous and hircinely hirsute
gentleman who sits at the end OF the
Commuters Ia ole instead Of on one side,
went almost as far as the late Mr.. Van
derbilt OF blessed memory, the author OF
that elegant sphoris The Public be
id" In verbose and windy Inter
yiew," requested and inspired from head
quarters, snu printed in local paper, the
attempt was made, before the appropria-
tion had been acted upon, to bhow that
the sl20, 1882 originally asked for by the
Committee, OF which fl09, 10000 was to be
appropriated by the Council, would be alb
solutely necessary 10 meet the CURRENT
eI Ipenses Of 81, and some rambling and
disconnected figuring was given to prove
Il. Not word was said, so far as the tax
payers ana the public are concerned, Of
any deficiency or over expenditures OF the
previous years appropriation nothing
was known, and mighty good care was
taken that nothing should be known by
the tax payers at large Of any such state
OF affairs, or OF any such dereliction Of
duty on the part OF the Board. Money
was asked for 81, to carry on and con-
tinue the fads and follies OF '93, and tax
payers and Council alike declined any
longer either to sanction or to pay for
them. Then the Committee, Ike q great
overgrown school. bog who, because he
can't have his own way unquestioned,
SAYS be won't play at ali, seemed to make
up It's mind, jointly and severally, to con-
tinue TO do just as 1t pleased so long as
the funds DID last, and then to "blun"
for some more. Not change OF any sort +,
even tue slightest, OF an economical ma
ture was made. Not the faintest trace OF
any disposition TO cut of needless ex yen-
ditures and atop foolish and uncalled for
waste OF the public money was or has been
manifested. Things have been carried
| with high hand. All the costly TOM
ioolery calling for high salaried special
lists snd using the valuable time both OF
pupils and teachers, has been continued
In full swing, and the public has been
Officially" informed on more than one
occasion that 1t has all "come to stay
| When one teacher, with an average at
tendance oisbout 81 has verbal requests
from different mothers that theil
daughters may be excused from
Joining In certain especial" branch o.
work, the teaching OF which costs tn,
city $4,000 per year-when another teach
or, with AZ pupils under her charge, hal
at one time 20 written requests from al
| many parents that their children NAV bt
excused from sharing in the same higt
priced delicacy-and when a like state o.
affairs obtains in reference to the same
matter In many other schools, It would
seem to a wholly disinterested person "a
II perhaps Pawtucket had got just "lIt'
tie too much Of "a good (f) thing" and ths
1t might be we'll to let up a trifle In thil
particular direction. But no; matter,
have gone along in the same old way
bluff and brag have been resorted to when