The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-09-28
SPECIAL TAX MUST BE LAID
OR CITY SCHOOLS WILL BE OBLIGED
TO CLOSE UP,

Authority to Provide Funds for the
School District--Committee of Five
Given a Hearing Yesterday-Plain Talk
Passed.
The board of finance, at its meeting
yesterday afternoon, after giving a
hearing to the committee appointed in
accordance with the directions of the
district meeting held September 81,
voted, THAT the clerk be requested to
notify the chairman of the school dis
trict committee that this board thinks
that it has no authority to lay tax
or provide funds for the school dis
trict for the time between July IA and
December 81, 1897, and respectfully re-
fers the committee to section 107 of the
city charter"
The special meeting was called to
order at o'clock yesterday afternoon
with all the members of the board Of
finance present, except Reuben H.
Brown. Four of the five members Of
the school district meeting, appointed
by Alderman Rourke, were present
They were Messrs. Troup, Atwater,
Gildersleeve and Dunn. The absent
member was Felix Chillingworth.
Alexander Troup, chairman Of the com
mittee, explained to the board Of
finance the reasons for the committee
appearing, and said that it appeared
to be the sense of the district meet
Ing that it would be preferable to have
the special tax, if one is absolutely
necessary, and the regular tax for next
year be payable at the same time ratll-
er than to pay the two taxes at differ
ent times, and make two bites Of
cherry" He said, in concluding his ex-
planatory remarks: "Mr. Moran said
at the district meeting that the schools
would be closed if tax was not laid
then. I didn't believe that. When the
police department was short Of money
the work of the department was not
suspended, but the force was cut down
When the streets became dirty, and
there was no money with which to
clean them, they remained dirty" Mr..
Troup then referred to section 113 Of
the charter, which says that the board
of finance shall annually appropriate
for the purposes Of the district such
amount as 1t may deem necessary for
such purposes, and that the board Of
finance shall levy, for school purposes,
a tax upon all property within the dis
trict as now or hereafter constituted.
Mr. Troup thought that, in accordance
with this provision, the board Of fin
ance had authority to appropriate
money for the schools or to lay a tax
to pay school expenses.
Commissioner Mansfield said that he
thought special tax and the regular
tax could be collected easier at separate
times than all at one time
Mayor Farnsworth quoted section 107
of the charter, and said he saw no way
of getting around the provision made
there for a special district meeting to
lay a tax to cover the expenses Of the
schools from July IA to December 81
Mr. Troup replied by quoting section
113 Of the charter, and said that he
thought that under that section the
board of finance had authority to sup
ply money for the schools.
The mayor thought that section 1o7
was inserted especially to provide for
the contingency that has now arisen
| III tIle uISLIlCt. IlC LliOuE1A NLolS SCC-
ton 113 was to be In force only after
the city and district government had
been completely consolidated under the
/ new charter.
Mr.. Troup replied 1--WE are not legal
gentlemen. can hire a lawyer, and
you can hire one if you desire to de-
eide the matter" He then asked If the
| board of finance had in it's possession
the amount of money necessary to pay
the expenses of the district from July
/ IA to December 81.
He was told that the board of finance
did not have sufficient amount, and
i Mayor Farnsworth went on to further
explain the need of school money. He
said: 'Mr. Troup as understand it,
this special tax is to be laid now, but
is to be payable at the same time as
the taxes for next year. The school
district is obliged to borrow money,
and it can't borrow except in anticipa-
tion of taxes laid There is no proba-
bility that the school board will borrow
more than will be enough for active
needs, whatever tax is laid by the
school district meeting. When the board
of finance recommends the laying of a
school tax for next year, it will recon-
men a tax which, added to the tax laid
by the district meeting, will bring in
money enough to pay the expenses Of
the district for seventeen and half
months, that is, from July Ia to Janu-
ary 1, 1898.
mo matter if $4,000 is coming from
the town, the board of education must
borrow money for present school needs.
Whether you lay the tax now, or later.
I don't see how it will take more from
the tax payers pockets"
w. J. Atwater-'I never knew any
thing to come back from any appro-
priation made in the city of New Ha-
ven."
!! Mayor Farnsworth "That might
have been so when you were in office. -
Mr.. Atwater-"It has been worse
since"
Mayor Farnsworth-"The idea that
the departments of this city must spend
all of the appropriations given to them
has gone by. There is no such dis
position now
Commissioner Mansfield-"Is there
any way to get this money except by
laying a special taxi"
:. Mr. Troup-"That is a question that
we have submitted to you gentlemen" :"
Mayor Farnsworth-"Mr. Troup. as a
matter of fact, can you see how laying
a special tax now viii take any more