The herald., 1897-05-16

Mr.. Toll, Mr.. FOshay stated that over
half of the pupils in the high school
building were only in the grammar
grade.
| Mr.. Toll said that as a matter of fact
900 Of the common school fund had
been expended during the past year fo.
other purposes than salaries, $100 900 in
the month of October alone. Mr.. Toll
wanted to know what this money had
been spent for, and why at least some of
it was not taken from the county fund.
Mr.. Foshay frankly stated that hi
could not answer this question. All he
knew was that the county auditor was
very particular and would not allow the
smallest demand on those funds for
either the high school or the kindergar-
tens. If the board only had the $4,000
spent in October that would be sufficient
to see them through. He said, however,
that the city had not given the board
the full limit of 20 cents on the $100, a
provided by the charter, but 1924 cents
which materially reduced the income,
and this should be taken into considera-
tion.
Mr.. Toll asked if it would not be pos
sible to close the kindergartens a month
or two earlier, but Mr.. Foshay replied
that this was impracticable. as it would
disarrange the reports, and by reducing
the average attendance would also re-
duce the amount of money that the
schools would receive next year.
There was some further general talk,
in which it was intimated that if the city
auditor had been as careful as the county
auditor, there would not have been the
shortage in the common school fund.
Furthermore, it was explained to Mr..
Foshay that the finances of the city were
in very straitened condition just al
present, and that the members Of the
finance committee did not see their way
clear to recommend any transfer. Ii
was suggested that as the facts seem to
indicate that the common school fund
had been leaned on pretty heavily, es-
pecially during the first part of the fiscal
year, it might now be good plan to see
if something could not be done toward
having at least q temporary transfer
made from the county or state fund to
bridge over the difficulty, especially In
view of the fact that over half the high
school pupils were of the grammar
grade, and Tat the salaries of teachers
Of that class are properly chargeable or
the latter fund. Mr.. Foshay admitted
that this was correct, and there the mat
ter dropped.
Deputy City Attorney Crutcher was
sent for and the bond proposition and
communication of the board of educa-
tion was taken up. The communication
was read by Mr.. Toll and was received
without comment, Mr.. Toll remarking
that the only thing that, in his opinion,
called for criticism was the IN. D." after
the presidents signature, to which
Councilman Hutchison facetiously re-
marked that it probably gave weight to
the sanitary references.
Councilman Hutchison then asked Mr..
Crutcher which body, under the law,
was the proper one to disburse the funds
raised under the bond ISSUE provided
the bonds were issued by the city as a
city and not as school district
Mr.. Crutcher said that the city attor-
neys Office had furnished the board Of
education with written opinion on this
subject some weeks ago, and had told
them that their contention that the
charter provision was not applicable to
this case was correct. 1t was fact that
in all cases where the charter provisions
conficted with the general laws the
charter must give way. If the bonds