Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-11
THE scnooL-MosEY QUESTION.
Councilman WaIierstein Discusses
the Propriefy of an Appropriation.

Richmond, va, NONefnDtt AVs 49,
To the Editor of the Dispatch:
The impression may go abroad that the
city of Richmond is not able to expenu
sufficient amount OF money to conduct lls
public-school system. This may very na'u-
rally be the impression OF the ou's'oe
world by the various articles which nave
appeared in some Of our newspapers OF
late | do not care TO appear In PRINT
upon this matter, but have been approach
ed by a large number OF citizens IN the
past week to know why the Counch re-
fused the appropriation, and after ex-
planning the situation the majority Oh
them cOntended that the Council ought 70
let the public know the true STATUS VI
affairs The city of Richmond mas a.
ways. maintained It's spIenald pup any
school system, and II shall not az any hS
time be injured or jeopardized Dy Wy
Council. That much can be assured "
those who may desire to criticise some
members of the Council, who stood up
for what they believed 10 be right, a.,
The various departments of the CITY
knew early last spring exact,y Wha /.
amount OF money they would nave az
their disposal for the conduct or tnT nd
various departments. The healtn an an,
Water departments, Light. Grounds. anu
Buildings. &C., have been required 10 nv
up to exactly what they had allotted ~
them. and not to make any arrangements
TO spend a dollar more. rms they nav
done, and l can call attention 10 one pai
ticular department, of which / nave Some
inside knowledge, that is the Light De
partment to which the Council appropn-
ated $4,000 less this year than they re-
ceiyed last year. The department VIII i've
within the appropriation Ihat mas uSe,'
so heavily cut down; and, turtnerhoie'
by the careful scrutiny and able dlreclioI .
of the Committee on Light, secohueu
by the superintendent OF that depar tncl.,
we shall probably show on the ISL "
January a surplus and in addition 10 TINS
the department will show the largest re-
ceipts of any year for many past, Tor gas
as well as for by-products, such as .al
coke. etc. We made II point rom uie
beginning that the department. should De
maintained within our limit. and l ieel
sure that II the School Board had taken
the same precaution they would not nave
required the additional appropriation ASK
ed for. But ii seems that they rely upon
the popular voice to sustain them IN any ny,
demand they may make. IL might De
well to add here that the Light Depart
ment did not succeed In carrying out their
economies by reducing the labor, as even
the wages Of the laborers In, the gas
works are fixed by the Council, ana tn ne
committee has no power to advance OF
decrease them.
Nearly every other department has
striven hard to live within their allot-
ment. and have succeeded, and the mem
bers of the Council very naturally neheVe
that the school Board should make an
effort to economiZe, and IL would not DE
necessary to ask for additional appropIla-
tons Last year the School Board asked
the Council for 5000 10 furnlsn the new
West-End School, which had just been
completed. The Finance Committee OF the
Council recommended that their petitlon
be rejected and that the School Board De
requested TO pay for the furniture i toa
this school out OF the fund known as the
School Boards private tuition fund, when
advice they followed. and / am informed
that the cost of furnishing this schoOi,
when 1t had TO be taken from some otner
fund than the city treasury, was oily
from 81, 100 to 81 500 / mention this Incl
dent as II shows that the School Board
cannot be infallible in their estimates as
TO what they may require. This tultlOn
fund is obtained by allowing children from
points outside of Richmond TO attend our
public schools for a money conslderd-
ton. 1t is possible that the cost Of MAIN
tanning these children in the schools Is
greater than the amount that is pald TOT
their tuition, and IL does not look Iaii
that these children should be admitted
I'm our schools when the general belief is
that our schools are crowded TO their full
capacity, and probably some children nave
been refused admittance because or these
conditions.
Some of the newspapers have suggested
city treasury has received OF late unex-
pectedly, aggregatng some $4,000 to $40, :
co., would give us ample funds out OF
which 10 appropriate this amount re-
quired by the schools. me genuenlan
who wrote this article should inform him
self as to the treasury and acquaint NM
self properly regarding the obligations or
the city between now and January Isl,
and IL might be well. also for him 70
take into consideration that some or the
90 ftaA fsifx Vn1U
all as large an amount as was estimated
In the budget, and II is the duty OF the
Council to see that at least fair margin
it withheld for the purpose of protecting
such contingencies. The city treasury has
paid 10 the sinking fund commissioners
for the year 1896 $4,000, and will be re-
qured to pay a similar amount into the
sinking fund between now and January
1st. TO pay the dues OF the city to the
sinking fund for the year 1897.
The members of the Council who voted
i'm the negative upon this proposition
have fully as deep an interest In the wei
fare and efficiency of our schools as those
who voted differently. and they would be
slow to do anything that would mar
their high standing. Yet. will any reason
able man demand that this body OF men,
who have sworn TO do their duty shall
violate n pledge In which they agreed
that they would not vote for any aidi-
tional appropriation this year? II is my
firm opinion that If the people of Rich
mond will Judge this matter upon its
merits; investigate all of the facts sur
rounding these conditions, and acquaint
themselves thoroughly with this susbject
they WILL instead OF condemning those
who voted in the negative, commend them
for having performed their whole duty.
/ write this article not for defence. nor
from fear that a political grave may be
dug very deeply for the negative members
OF the Council. but largely with a view to
assure the outside world that the city or
Richmond Is amply able 10 take care or
it's schools, and does not refuse an appro-
priation because of inability, but from the
fact that some members OF the Council
who demand that every department. shall
shoulder the wheel In this economic cru
SADIE. with view OF having a consider
able surplus for the purpose of reducing
heavy floating debt, than to have our
books show that we are living 100000 a
year above our income. These sentiments
ought TO receive the encouragement or
every citizen who has the welfare OF
Richmond at heart.
Respectfully
JOSEPH WAL.LERSTEIN.