The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-19


Massie School commissioners that the
council or the mayor VIII be clothed with
power 90 select the commissioners without
reference 10 the wishes cf the board of
education. There are three Of these COM
missioners, and under the present ordi-
nance. one Of them is 10 Zoe the mayor,
one county commissioner. and the
third q citizen recommended By the board
Of education. d will be seen, therefore.
that the council is not free to say who
shall be- the Massie school commissioners,
who are members % the board OF edura-
ton. Whatever action is taken ina the
matter will be satisfactory doubtless 10
the board of education as well as to the
city council.
1t may not DE out Of place 20 call at
tontion 20 the fact that outside OF the
trustceship Of the original Massie build
ing, the city. as city, mas no vested
right ina any school property. and con
tributes nothing TO the support Of the
public schools. Even the new part of the
Massie school building was erected by
the board of education. The city has
never spent dollar for school property.
When the board of education was Gre
ated there were only two school build
ings that came under its authority,
namely, chs Massle building and the
building at the corner of Barnard and
Taylor streets. built by the old inferior
court. The demand for additional school
room was met by the trustees Of the
Chatham academy, who placed its prop
erty at the disposal of the board OF educa-
ton. Later on. to the academy was
added the Pavilion hotel. which was re,
modelled. Tho two parochial school build
ings belonging to the Catholic church,
the Cathedral and st. Patricks, We're
admitted into the public school system,
ana still later, through tho munihcence
of DR. G. W. J. De Rcnne, two build
.ings. to which additions have been made,
were given to the board for the use Of
colored children.
Tho Henry Street school house. built
I'm 1899 is the only one for which the tax
payers of the county have had to pay
since the erection Of the Barnard street
school over forty years ago.
The money for building school houses
and supporting schools does not come out
of the city treasury. but is raised by
state and county taxation. It was be-
cause Of this fact probably that the city
council, i'm 1881, although it could not di-
vest itself OF its trusteeshlp, did all it
could to relieve itself Of any responsibility
for the management of the schools by
leaving the election Of the AIassie school
commissioners to the board Of education,
thus placing the responsibility where il
belongs, namely, in that board.
The question as to the manner of the
appointment of the Massie school commits
sioners is not one Of much consequence,
as there is no doubt that only thoroughly
nt men will be chosen to Ill the position.
Premium ON Gold.
The fact that gold is selling at a prem
FUN of one-half of one per cent. in New
York causes no anxiety there. 1t is well
understood that the Belmont Morgan syn
dictate is buying it and turning it into the
treasury for bonds. 1t was not expected
that the syndicate would get what gold
it contracted to deliver to the government
without paying a small premium for it.
In financial circles there is a much
better feeling than there was before the
government sold the $4,000 600 of bonds.
The fact that the bonds are being sought
for by European investors has strengthen
ed confidence in the ability of the govern
~, nd
therefore, there is less disposition on the
part of the holders of our railroad securi-
ties abroad to send them home to be
sold while gold can be obtained for them.
There seems to be an inclination to be-
lieve that the financial situation will grow
steadily better 1t is to be hoped that
this view is the right one. 1t will not be
possible, however, to determine whether
it is or not until the full effect of the oper-
atoms of the bond syndicate is seen.
Members of congress are allowed each
a stationery fund of s125 for each SEES
sion of congress. There have been three
sessions of the current congress, which
runs the individual fund up to 1910. Mem
bers who do not use the fun amount OF
the fund in pens. ink and paper are per
mitted to draw the unused portion of it il
! cash. 1t is said that not a bakers dozeT
of members of the current congress have
! drawn the full amount of the fund in sta
/ tionery, and great majority of then
have taken only a few dollars worth o
writing materials. One member has haC
! but 3 cents worth of stationery dur
ing the current session; another has haS
but 90 cents worth, and some twenty-odC
here have had about 81 worth. The com
mittees are ali literally supplied witt
stationery, aside from the appropriation
for personal use, and many of the mem
bers use committee stationery almost ex
cmsively and take the appropriation
for pocket money. This ink and pape
perquisite is an intermittent scandal tina
ought to be remedied.
Robert Lindblom, a leading Chicag,
populist, delivered a lecture d few even
ings ago in which he asserted that an
archy and the free coinage of silver ar
the only means Of saving civilization