Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-20
GIVE NO MORE MONEY
THE COUNCIL AGAIN DENIES FUNDS
FOR THE SCHOOLS.
TWO MORE VOTES WERE NEEDED.
Those Advocating the Appropriation
Make n GaIi6nt Fight, But are De-
feated-Two Suggestions Made for
Keeping the schools Open.

son, Garber, Miiler, mOsDy, Neaies
Noble, Pollock, Ryan, o. A. Hawkins,
WbaIen, Williams, Witte, and
woody-1S.
NOes-Messrs. BIoomberg, Gunst,
HarreIsOn, Jones, Rountree, Tanner,
and CnsLie-7.
Necessary to Garry the School APP
preparation, 20.
| The City Council met last night, and
after session Of two hours and a half.
defeated the resolution coming to that
body for action from the Board of AL
dermen providing for the appropriation
of $500 for the public schools.
| The vote, as shown above. was Is to Z,
| the resolution thus being lost for the
want of two more votes to make the
required two-thirds.
The friends of the measure saw that its
defeat was evident before the session was
half over, and though they made a strong
| fight for the appropriation, they were not
surprised at the result, which they them
selves predicted some time before the
| vote was taken.
| During the discussion, which lasted
| nearly four hours, and was interesting
| throughout. two propositions were made
| by which the schools might be kept open
to the end of the year. One was to raise
| the needed 5000 by popular subscription,
| to be secured through joint canvass OF
the city by members of the Council and
| Chamber of Commerce, and the other was
| for the teachers to volunteer to serve
| without pay.
GREAT INTEREST SHOWN.
There was a large crowd of interested
| spectators outside the rail and about the
| doorways, and OF the thirty members of
| the Council the following twenty-five
answered the troll-call: Messrs. Blanks,
Bloomberg. Briggs. Cottreir Ebel, Gunsti
Harrelson. II. A. Hawkins, Hobson, Jones,
| CARRIER, Miller. Mosby. Neal. Noble. Pol
| lock- Rountree, Ryan, o. A. Hawkins,
| Tanner Whalen, Williams Witte. Woody,
| and Caskie.
President Caslxie requested the clerk TO
| read letter from Mr.. Joseph Wallerstein,
| giving the latter's reason for not being
present. The letter stated that Mr.. Wal
| lerstein had made an important business
engagement in Washington prior to the
| call issued for special meeting; that
| upon hearing OF the proposed meeting he
but that IT was of such a nature that II
| could not be delayed.
The clerk then read the call in response
| to which the special meeting had been
| called.
The communication from the Board OF
Aldermen was then read, submitting TO the
lower body for their action the resolution
approprlatng $500 for the public schools.
Upon motion of Mr.. Briggs the state
ment from the School Board submitted
to the Board of Aldermen at the last
meeting of the latter body. and published
in the Dispatch at the time, was read.
FRIEND OF THE SCHOOLS.
Mr.. Rountree opened the discussion. He
said he had considered the question in
every light. and had no objection to nave
II recorded of him that he had voted
against the appropriation. He was not
satisfied, however. to be put down as an
enemy to public schools. For i say
here" he said. "there is not person
In the city of Richmond greater friend
to the public schools than / am. and II
could conscientiously vote for the appro-
priation, 1 would do so." Continuing. Mr..
Rountree said he came into the body
against his own will, pledged not to vote
for an appropriation to exceed the budget
of the year. The chairman OF the School
Board helped to place him upon the floor
of the body he said. "If we vote for this
money in the face of these facts" he
said. what an example II would be TO
the eleven thousand school children"
Very little would be lost, Mr.. Rountree
said, by closing the schools for a week
or so. 81 believe" continued the coun-
Gilman, ito make the appropriation means
the destruction of the fundamental prin-
ciples upon which this city stands and
must rise or fall. When the Council
pledged themselves not to exceed this
budget they knew such call would be
made" The speaker said he did not be-
lieve the schools would close, however.
He thought the teachers would be loyal
enough to teach one week without COM
pensation.
SUPPORTS THE RESOLUTION.
Mr.. Briggs then spoke strongly in sup
port of the resolution. The city had rea-
lized $4,000 from back taxes on the
Chesapeake and Ohio that they did not
expect TO get; they had also received
considerable sum from the Stokes estate.
The gentlemen, he declared, who were so
conscientious about exceeding the budget
willingly voted few nights ago for the
sewer appropriation. The school system,
he thought should not be cut down any.
He sincerely hoped the Council would ap-
propriate the money.
SPEAKS FOR THE MECHANICS.
When Mr. Briggs took his seat Mr..
Blanks arose and stated that delegation
from the Junior Order of United Ameri-
can Mechanics was present. and
he asked that they be heard.
The President stated the body would hear
them with pleasure, and Mr.. Il. w. Minor,
representing the order. came forward and
made an earnest appeal for the cause CT
education. He said that he represented
an institution that had for its principles
the maintenance of the public schools.
He believed that the institution of public
schools in America had been one of the
causes of the wonderful prosperity OF the
nation. There Is no country in the
world" he said, with the population We
have that has as little crime as We have.
and we attribute this to the fact that we
are the most intelligent and enlightened
nation of the world" He came with the
petition of a brotherhood who believed
in this doctrine. BY not &eeping up the
public-school system the city would injure
itself. A well-known gentleman, he said,
in passing through the city last night and
meeting a citizen of Richmond, said TO
the latter, Il understand your city Is
bankrupt He had come to this conciu-
sion from the statement that the city
was unwilling to support its school sys-
tenn"
Mr.. Minors speech was earnest and
forcible. and was listened to with the
closest attention by the city fathers.
HE PLEADS FOR PRINCIPLE.
At the conclusion OF Mr.. Minors re-
marks, Mr.. s. w. Travers, OF the Cham
Der OF Commerce, was accorded the