San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-11-21
HE POLITELY CALLS ON THE
COUNTY AUTHORITIES TO
PLANK DOWN.
If The County School Land Rents
That Are Due The City Are
Paid, Then The City Can
Boast OF Better School
Government.

A bombshell was dropped in the
county court yesterday and the fuse
is burning. The city needs money for
the school fund and has called on the
county to produce.
The following letter was read at the
session of the county commissioners
court yesterday morning and explains
the reason for the agitation among the
county officials:
His Honor, Peter Jonas and Hon.
Hon. Sirs-I am directed by His Honor
the mayor, to request you to set aside
the city's portion of the school money,
derived from the rental of school lands
pertaining to Bexar county, for this
and passed years. The scholastic popu-
lation for 1897 is 1861, and to state,
as we need money, an early reply
would oblige him. Yours very truly,
Theo. Vinke, city clerk"
After the letter was read the court
ordered that it be referred to the coun-
ty attorney for an opinion, but later
decided to wait until Monday, when ac-
ton win be taken in the matter The
county commissioners are of the opin-
ion that the city is asking entirely too
much and regard the demand as ridicu-
lous. They say they are not response
BILE for the city, and that if the city
has run out of funds it is not their
fault. They say that they will fight
the case to the bitter end and take it
to the Supreme court if necessary.
A Light reporter sought an interview
with Commissioner Sallaway. He said
that it was the most unexpected pro-
ceeding he had ever heard of. He at
once set to work to inform himself
on the subject and fails to see how the
city can make such demands. Mr..
Salliway said:
In the year 1878 the state of Texas
issued patents to the county of BeX-
ar and the City of San Antonio to GER
tain districts of land, the proceeds
from the sale or rental to be used for
school purposes. The city, through
her former administration, has dispos-
ed of all her lands and used it for
school and other purposes. Bexar
county has the greater portion of her
land intact and leases it, and the mon
ey is applied to the permanent school
fund. The city, after eating her APP
pie, wants to come in and claim the
apple too. The county has
held it's lands intact and the court has
refused to sell the school lands, but is
keeping it for the education of the flu
ture generations. The city is not en-
titled to any of it in our opinion, and
the court is going to keep it for the
education of children in the county
districts, for which it was intended by
the state. This communication has
been referred to the county attorney
for an opinion in the matter, and mas
much as the state paying its pro rata
of the school tax pays direct to the
city the pic rata on the scholastic pop
ulation and the county its pro rata
Of the county scholastic population,
don't see where the city can have any
claim on the county's school fund or
any part thereof"
Assistant Attorney General Hill,
who was in the city yesterday, would
give no opinion to a Light representa-
tive but to Mayor Callaghan he consid-
cred that the mayors position was
quite tenable before, the law.