Birmingham age-herald., 1894-12-15
A CONFERENCE
Between tho Board of Education and the Finance Committee of the Mayor and Board of
 Aldermen.

Last night the board of education and the mayor and finance committee of the board of aldermen met in conference in Dr. J. H. Phillips office in the high school building and sat for three weary hours doing nothing. Flowery speeches and long talks consumed the time, and little business was done.
 MT. Ullman called the meeting to order and stated briefly that he had called a meeting of the board to confer with the mayor and finance committee.
 MT. KettIg of the finance committee stated that the object of the conference was to see how much kniting of salaries and expenses could be done by the board of ed- ucation, thus reducing the city's expenses.
 Mayor VanHoose was called upon and began a speech, which was shadowed with gloom all through, by saying "the condi- tion of the city is simply awful.' He went on with it and said something about bankruptcy staring us in the face.
 He then spoke of the bonded debt, and said if he had known before he was elected that the coupons of the city bonds read like they did he never would have been mayor.
 He went on telling what he wanted to do, and after he had talked about fifteen min utes wound up by saying that he hoped the board of education would make sacrifices in the manner of cutting expenses.
 MT. Ullman replied that the board had alreaQY fOdQe Racrluce5 III I16 manner or refraining from giving the teachers the annual increase, and moreover that they had pared everything for three years. He stated that last April nine teachers were cut off and told how Dr. Phillips had done in asking that his salary be cut instead of the teachers. The budget, he said, had been accepted and passed without word.
 He didn't think the teachers could live on lower wages, and they are expected to dress neatly if not godly. If there is any, thing the board of education can do 1t is willing to meet the mayor aud aldermen half way.
 MT. Lane then took the floor and said that he realized the condition of affairs and thought that some of the teachers would submit to a cut, but he did not think those receiving $40 and less should be asked to do so. He questioned whether the mayor and board ot aldermen could make cut, a contract having been made with the teach CTS for scholastic year.
 He spoke in favor of tuition fee, which was only species of taxation. He spoke also of other means of raising money by means of taxation, and especially that of privilege tax, which the merchants of Bir- mincham never have paid. He thought the special school tax ought to be raised.
 Here MT. VanHoose took the floor and began to speak again of the debt of the city.
 He said: "The city has got to liquidate the interest on the city's bonded indebt- edpess. It IS my policy not to pay the h. terest on these bonds.n
 When be finished this last sentence Mir. Ullman said: "I'll fight you then, for the city must pay the interest it owes. 1 for one will do my part toward the payment of the interest on these bonds.'
 Mr. VanHoose then replied that he would fight the bondholder.
 MT. Uilman then called upon Dr. Phil lips for a talk, who took the floor, and said he would be pained to see the teachers salaries cut, for they couldn't live on less than they were getting.
 He made talk which was well taken, and said before he took his seat that he would do anything in his power to relieve the city, an that he would submit to any cut they saw fit to make.
 MT. Lowery favored the running of the high school training class and normal class under ordinary circumstances, but right now he thought expenses could be reduced by cutting them off.
 After talking for few minutes longer it was decided to hold meeting of the board at o'clock this afternoon.