St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-15

from the city tau levy, a1iewins the
sale Of stes,s9e Of certificates, this
weuld make the fetal seheei fund fer
1897 $4,000. IL the Council Should
| efiee mere ge back to the full two mills
tan, allowing the sale Of f19s, 800 Of esr-
tifeates, it would make the school
fund e4se,5go. In the enc case the
shortage frefn the actual running ex-
penses Of the schools, on the most
economical basis, weuld be from $780,
600 to $4,000, and, In the other cage.
IL would be, Say, $4,000 Tho Pioneer
Press is fbt ignorant Of these facts
because they are public property. It
simply chooses to ignore them, and Is
g most effective assnilant OF the schools
because. by repeating to the thought
less the undauied fact that there Is
sufficient money in sight to run the
schools during 1885, it leaves them
under theiffalse impression that the
same Is true with reference to the
year 1887. >, +
One word now Is necessary in expla-
nation Of the eitem which we called
balance Of tax levy" and which the
Pioneer Press calls "tax receipts" The
only resources from which a school
fund can be replenished, outside Of the
sale OF certificates of Indebtedness, the
receipts from the county tax and the
state superintendent, consist Of the re-
ceipts from delayed or delinquent taxes
This comprises the 20 per cent of the
tax levy of any year against which no
| certihcates were issued, together with
such proportion Of delinquent taxes Of
prior years as may be assigned to the
school fund as its. quota. Mr.. McCardy
is credited with the statement that this
fund includes receipts from royalties
on mines, sales of state lands and other
items of that sort It is only necessary
to say that the city of st. Paul owns
no mineral lands and no school lands.
Receipts from that source go into the
state school fund, and our city's share
of that is all included in the item
state apportionment."
Now, 1t must be understood, even by
the Pioneer Press, that there is a vast
adherence in the receipts of the school
board the year following an appropria
ton of $246,000, and the year follow
ing one of $135,O0O. The tax estimate of
1895 contained the item of s246. 600 for
the school fund. Assume that certifi-
Gates were issued to the amount of
80 per cent of this, Or in round num-
bers, s196,0O0 Now, when the taxes of
1895 are all paid; that is, when this
$246,OOO has all come into the city treas
ury, and these certificates have been
redeemed, there will be a balance to
be credited to the school board of, in
round numbers $4,000 On the other
hand, if the present estimate is made
OF $4,000, and 80 per cent of that. or
SlOS,OOO, is issued in certificates. then
When next years taxes come in, and
those certificates are paid, the cash to
De credited to the school fund will be
only the difference between $135, 900 and
$10S,000, or $27, 900. We find no other ma
terlai revenue in sight. It is we'll known
that the payment of delinquent taxes
Tor the years prior to 1895 has been
exceedingly heavy. The large amount
assigned to the school board last year
IS explained by it's share Of those de-
llnquent receipts distributed on the
basis of the two-mill charter REQUIRE
ment for schools. It is obvious that
those receipts cannot reach any such
figure next year. 1t is mathematical1v
demonstrated by the figures above
quoted that, while there is IAN ample
school fund" in sight for the current
school year, that fund will be short
by from $4,000 to $15O,OOO for the year
1897, If the recommendation of the con-
ference committee is carried out.
Such situation can be met only by
cutting off some Of the most valuabl
departments Of the public schools en-
tire, by closing the schools during some
months of the year, or by making the
tax levy for school purposes next fall
the maximum amount of 2h mills on
the dollar. We doubt if even the lat
ter would save the schools. Not one
or these propositions can be called
economy, justice or common sense. Ts
1t too much to hope that the Pioneer
Press may for a moment drop the dis
cuss1on of questions that nobody dis
putes, and consider the real vital point
at issue, which is the condition of the
school fund and the schools in the
year 1897? 1t is hard for us to believe
that it foresees and intends the in
evitable result of it's evasion of this
issue; and has not rather ranged itself
where it now stands, as we would IRE.
fer to think, by accident, as an adj
vocate Of the destruction of a school
system whose excellence contributes
more to the national reputation of ST
Paul, and does more to bring TO this
city most desirable population and
an increase Of business capital than
all other influences combined.
A RIDICULOUS sEEsAw.
On Monday, there was deposited in
the United States subtreasury. New
York, 81, 700,0 900 in American gold coin