Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-10
hoard nnally unanImously agreed e 9


cot ina BOARD 10 act either for or against
the schools. After speaking TO this poln'
for a few minutes the President said:
"Now. want to mako personal expia-
nation. / was very much surprised 70
hear that had made a proposition TO
take the $500 from the Fire Department
and then from the police fund. want
| 20 say that 1 not only have never made
/ any suggestion OF this sort, but have
never thought OF II. / have said, and
now say. that rather than close the
schools and put out the 11,0o0 children
now In them l would vote to cut down
salaries In all the departments OF the
city. even the school department
AZ the suggestion OF Mr.. Mien, the
| school resolution was temporarily Win
| drawn by Mr.. Noble. to come up again At
| the end Of the session
! Mr.. Noble then submitted ordinances
regulating the office hours Of the Gas IN
snector ard OF the Water Department. so
| that these offices should be kept open
| 90 a convenience to the public from A.
| AZ tiIl p. M. Both were properly ie-
| ferred. o>,o,v
nrr,her of minor matters were dis
| nosed OF. and Mr. Noble again presentea
| his scbool-appropriatien resolution.
lengthy debate followed. Mr. Allen open
| ed the argument for the opposition. nc
made AN earnest and impressive speech
| against the appropriation OF more Inoney
| 10 the schools, first, upon the groune
| that the city had not the money 10 CIV
| them. He then arraigned the ochoo,
| Board for its course In this matSr.
| think the School Board said me- shou ,,.
| give This body some explanation OF why
n has expended all Of its appropriation.
! II has gone contrary 10 every rule OF TINS
| Council. There Is no information pelore
rs. no statement no petition; simply tne
| anpeai for 5000 for the School Board: IL
they have not lived UP to our require
ments they should come here ana ten 10
why they have not done so. ,,.
Mr.. Allen went on TO say that ne coaau
not vote for the resolution, as the matter
appeared to him and must appear "
other right-thinking men In this coh-
munity.
STANDS BY THE BOARD.
| Mr.. Turpin replied briefly to what thc
Madison Ward member had said: Every
body knows what the School Board needs
this 81 900 for" declared the President OF
the Board (Mr. Cutchins being In the
chair. 'It needs 1t to enable II TO meet
its pay-roll to the end OF the nscal year,
and / trust that this body VIII vote 'nis
money for this purpose
The point was raised that under Rule
% of the Council the body could not Vote
an extra appropriation until the oepait
ment desiring 1t had submitted detained
statement of its finances for the year,
with explanations as to why more money
was needed Mr.. Turpin said he hopeu
the Board would Suspend this rule ana
meet the issue. II required twelve VOTES
to pass the resolution; II required tweNe
votes TO suspend this rule. 1t was as
broad as il was long Mr.. Turpin contin-
ued, and all that the friends or the mea-
sure had to do was TO vote 10 susPehu
the rules. The Jetferson-Ward member
argued that this important department
Of the city government shoulq not pe
crippled by the rejection Of this re5oiu-
ton He moved TO suspend the rule, ana
then the fight of the evening took place.
DANGEROUS PRECEDENT.
Mr.. Allen said the suspension Of this
rule would be the setting or one or the
most dangerous precedents this CouncI
could possibly establish. He was botn sur
prIsed and astounded at the suggestion OF
the President of the body. II have never
heard of such a proposition being made
before a lot of intelligent men," asserted
Mr.. Allen. "Such a procedure Is simply
the undermining of the whole staoliity OF
any government"
I'VE are here dallying with a little
rule" replied Mr.. Turpin. which this
Council made, and can suspend In TWO
minutes We ought to consider this mat
ter upon IT'S merits tonight We ought TO
decide whether we are going TO keep the
schools open or close them up. Public ten
sion is too high for this body TO fool
with this question-one which 20 per cent.
of the people of the city of Richmond
want 20 see settled by the continuance OF
the schools"
Mr.. Allen denied that 50 per cent.eof
tho people of the city were In favor OF
making the appropriation, and went on
TO say that the matter was not pro-
perly before the Board He spoke of the
manner in which the schools were con-
Quoted, saying that the Board should
have information on this point. ''These
schools. / understand" said he, come
into competition with every private
school in the city of Richmond; that they
take scholars from beyond the city
and charge them tuition like any pay
school. We do not know what Is done
with that money. We should have
statement here giving us all this data,
with facts as to the needs and require
ments of the schools, the number or
teachers and scholars, the number OF
hours they are employed, etc.
81 want to say further" continued
the speaker, "that have in my posses
sion O statement showing that there has
been an enormous increase in the ap-
propriations to the School Board In the
past several years"
MFR. Turpin spoke again on the ques-
ton, and took occasion TO refer 10 the
Finance Committees not giving the
| school Board sufficient money to start
| with this year TO keep the schools up
| to their present standard OF efhciency.
No member of the School Board ever
| said that 1t could be done. as had been
charged.
| MIR, Hardwicke: The gentleman who
| said so is in this room now.
| Mr.. Turpin: There are only two OF us
here, and never made such state
ment.
| Mr.. Allen made another talk In oppo-
| sition to a suspension OF Rule 81. he
| said that a great many businessmen
| who sent their children TO the pubic
| schools had told him they believed II
would be a godsend to the scholars not
| 10 drag them into the school-rooms 1T
the early autumn and keep them there
| in the early. but heated period OF June,
Mr.. Allen said II the City Council made
that appropriation II would exceed It's
legal authority and any bondholder' OF
| the CITY could come into Richmond TO-
1 day and require the city TO make good
ire sinking fund of 100000 which It
| could not possibly do.
MUST PROVIDE THE FUNDS.