Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1895-06-08
A BAD MESS.

The report of Frank W. Felt, who
made an investigation of the books
of the Board of Education of schoo
district No. O, n synopsis of which
appears on the fourth page Of thii
paper, should be read by every tax
payer in this city. We regret tina
the affairs of the district are in sucl
n deplorable condition. but in order
that the taxpayers may know jus
how things stand We publish il il
brief fern, believing it is right tC
do SO.
The report shows that from Jan
1, 1890, to May 10, 1898, including The
money received from the state fund
$23,562.0S were received. 1t also
shows that during the same periot
there was paid for salaries TO teach
ers $l7,46300; for attorneys fees
$32S0O; for insurance $5O2.11; fol
coal S5707l. The bond interest 70,
five years would have been $4,000
yet $7,14s.32 were taken from III,
bond interest fund. During thost
five years judgments have been sc
cured against the district, of which
there yet remains unpaid $2,540.3.
II will be seen at glance that th,
district has been trying to expent
more money than il had.
The bonded Indebtedness of the
school district is $4,000. The bond
ed Indebtedness of the city is $50,
900. \ l2-mill levy has kept the
city's bond interest paid up, bu'
from s TO 10 mills levy for bond in
tcrest has not kept the bond inter
est of the school district paid ur
An s.mill levy would have been
enough for bond interest for the
district, but see the shape it's bond
interest account is in. a report
from State Treasurer Athcrton dis
closes the fact that the school dis
trict is now behind about 81 600 with
it's interest payments. Six thousand
dollars is all that would have been
required to pay the school district
bond interest for five years. 1t has
had $7.3D7.7j for this purpose and
has paid out $i,liS.32 more than il
should have paid out of this fund
\ levy made for bond interest can
be used for no other purpose ac-
coriing TO law, yet more has been
used of the bond interest fund than
was necessary. But the strangest
thing about this matter is what has
become of the S2i0.43 which should
be the balance left in the bond in
terest fund? Only SSI.6S are now in
that fund according to the books OF
the district. Where is that balance
There is no desire on the part OF
anybody that we know of to charge
crookcdncss against any OF the ex-
members or present members OF
the board, but where is the bal
ance: Again, what right had the
board 10 pay any warrants out OF
the bond interest fund? II ia con-
trary to the statutes made and pro.
vided in such cases.
During the winter of ls0i.@ the
Baxter Springs Normal and Busi-
ness College burned $40 bushels of
coal in six stoves. That was hard
winter, too, but during the winter
of 10S394 the school district burned
1880 bushels of coal in eight stoves,
or more than twice as much in pro-
portion as the college. During the
winter just passed the school dis.
trict did not use so much coal. The
affairs of the school district have
been run very loosely and II is time
to take back track and recover a
part of what we have lost. Here
after let's live within our income.
No institution or individual can
survive i'm business which does not
do that.