The Saint Paul globe., 1897-05-18

year month, and Minneapolis has practically
done the same thing, all contracts with
teachers read ITO be in force until the money
for running the schools Is exhausted. SO
pain to ali who want to see is this plan OF
reducing the school year one month. as the
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 mad
for several years in St. Paul? Nine months
and three weeks. Now, II the teachers are
willing to stand the 10 per cent cut ana
hear they are, then why not cut the year
three weeks short keep the entire school
system running as at present, and stop tnls
advertising ourselves as so bankrupt tnat
we have to stop our high school, mechanic
arts school, and do away with the necessary
supervision Of our schools? The school board
admits that one month less Of school Will
save $400 and the last month or three
weeks cut off saves this amount NOW, let
the council remit that $41 900 for new school
houses and turn 1t into the school board LOT
school purposes; then let $SO.0OO OF the $4l,oOO
be used for necessary repairs, and now Goes
the account stand? Total amount spent by the
board last year. $455. 600; the amount that Is
figured on for the next year. $4O9. 600: add to
this $11. 900 saved from the SAL 600 that can
be remitted by the council, and you have
1920, 000 or $4,000 more than was required
to the schools for nine months last year
This extra $4,000 can be used for ad-
ditional rooms and teachers to care for
pills that may come in the schools
next year. That the people will see
to it that new charter Is voted for next
spring that will provide for our schools asog goes
without saying. "A Parent.
st. Paul, May 16, 1897.
The writer Of the above communica-
tion is eminently correct on one point.
1t is high time that a~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 injurious Is 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 that 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 discussion whose equities outsld-
ers cannot be expected to understand
We know that the situation is re-
suit Of decreased assessed valuation
and a charter that fixes maximum
limit of taxation at a rate not sllffi-
cient to provide adequate revenue.
Other people do not know it and can
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 us.
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 teInporar-
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 orin-
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.
1t does say that they ought to choose
as speedily as possible. andd stop the
spreading abroad Of stass4nents that
are harming the credit Of pphe 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 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.