The Saint Paul globe., 1897-05-18

year month, and Minneapolis has practically
done the same thing as all contracts WIZ, WIN
teachers read 'To be in force until the money
for running the schools is exhausted. 90
pain to all who want to see Is this plan Oh
reducing the school year one month, as .ne
best way out of all this fuss, that 1t seems
strange that the matter Is not settled at once:
How many months of school have we nad
for several years in st. Paul? Nine montns
and three weeks. Now, II the teachers are
willing to stand the 10 per cent cut, and
hear they are, then why not cut the year
three weeks short, keep the entire scnool
system running as at present. and stop TINS TINS
advertising ourselves as so bankrupt tnat
we have to stop our high school, mecnahlc
arts school. and do away with the necessary
supervision of our schools? The school ooatu arr
save $4,000, and the last month or three
weeks cut off saves this amount. Now. let
the council remit that SAL 600 for new scnooi
houses and turn 1t into the school board dor nor
school purposes; then let $4,000 Of the $41 900
be used for necessary repairs ana now uUes
the account stand? Total amount spent Dy tne
board last year. $455. 900; the amount that Is is
figured ON for the next year, $4Os, 900; add TO
this $11 900 saved from the SAL 600 that can
be remitted by the council, and you have
$42O,O or 100000 more than was required
This extra $4,000 can be used ior ao .o-
ditional rooms and teachers to care 1or
the thousand or fifteen hundred p1-
pills that may come in the schools
next year That the people will see
to it that a new charter Is voted for next
spring that will provide for our schools goes
without saying. "A fAreiI'
st. Paul, May 16 1897.
The writer of the above communica-
ton is eminently correct on one point.
It is high time that stop was put to
the public discussion Of the deficit in
school revenues, because it has already
created an unfavora5le and incorrect
impression all over the state. We re-
ferred to this in an article on Sun
day. and believe that our people do
not know how injurious1iis the impress
sion that has gone abroad. Persons
outside of St. Paul who read the news
papers daily do not stop to study the
details of our local affairs. They run
over the headlines of the st. Paul news
articles and see that the schools are
in difficulties because there is not
enough money to keep them going.
That is as far as their investigation
goes. They jump forthwith to the con-
clusion that st. Paul is either in so
bad a way financially that it cannot
keep it's schools open, or hat it's peo-
pie are so niggardly that they will not
vote the necessary taxes. All this IS
hurtful to us at home and abroad, and
will continue to be until an end is put
to a discussion whose equities outsid-
ers cannot be expected to understand
We know that the situation is a re-
suit Of decreased assessed valuation
and a charter that fixes a maximum
limit Of taxation at a rate not slltfi-
cient to provide adequate revenue.
Other people do not know it and can
not be made to know it, and the sooner
that people stop talking about it and
confirming in their minds the impress
sion that st. Paul is in financial straits.
the better it will be for all Of u.s.
Whether the situation should be met
in one way or the other; whether it is
better for us to sacrifice the more Or
namental end of our system tenporar-
lily Or maintain it just as it is While
the funds last, closing the schools ear
lier than usual, is a matter about which
there may be honest difference cf oTin-
ion. The G o b e will not criticise Sc
verely or unfairly those who have to
meet the present emergency, which
ever Of these methods they may choose.
It does say that they ought to choose
as speedily as possible and stop the
spreading abroad Of statements that
are harming the credit Of The city and
it's people. Two propositions laid down
in the excellent letter published above
are incontrovertible. The discussion of
school finances ought to come to an end
by the definite adoption Of a plan of re-
trenchment, and the energy and inter
est which we have been throwing into
them should be devoted to preparation
for framing a new charter.