Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-20

ment OF Mr.. Rountree. He believed II
the children were told the city's condi-
ton II would be a lesson to them OF
| more value than the week or SO Of edu-
cation they would lose by the closing OF
the schools. The city IN by-gone years
| lived beyond its means. but that was a
thing OF the past. and he blamed no one.
Mr.. Travers then said that he had a
suggestion to make. He would hate as
| much as any one to see the schools
close. II believe there Is enough pubic
spirit I'm this city to raise that money"
he said. II believe IL we say we will
stand by our pledge and sacrifice our
public schools. the most precious thing
we have, rather than violate a principle.
that we would stand higher In public
| estimation"
Continuing, Mr.. Travers said he be-
lieved the Chamber OF Commerce would
join hands with tho City Council, and
suggested that they district the city
| this TO be done by a delegate from the
| Chamber Of Commerce and one from the
| City Council--and that they go through
| the city and raise the money. He him
self was willing 10 give 500 or 500, or
| even more. to keep the public schools
going.
TEACHERS SHOULD VOLUNTEER.
Mr.. Gunst spoke next. He said he had
made up his mind to vote for the ap-
preparation for business reasons, as he
thought 1t would injure the city for II
| to be spread abroad that Richmond could
not support her schools. He had, how
ever, since coming TO that conclusion,
investigated for himself. and found that
the matter was not as bad as IT had
been made out. He had found that the
hn led lose
the time. 1t was not his purpose to take
from those who labor any part Of their
wages but he believed, on an occasion
| like this. IL was the duty of the teachers
to come to the rescue, and say
that the schools need not be closed.
He thought the School Board was to
blame for not having asked this OF
| the teachers He was not opposed to
public schools, and did not wish TO be
understood as opposing them. He be-
lieved, however, it was now within the
power of the School Board TO meet the
exigencies of the case. He had, there
fore, changed his mind as to the posi-
ton he would take, and would rather
vote S. 600 to the Health Department. as
the men upon it, who had families TO sup
port. were now receiving about 50 a
week. Rather than stultfy himself
by voting for an appropriation he did
not think was right he would not be a
member OF the body. Mr.. Harrelson be-
lieved that the people did not understand
the financial condition of the city. The
CITY did not have the money to give the
schools. The papers, he declared, had
told but one side OF the question.
III they had gotten the views OF the MEM
bers who opposed the appropriation.
they had not published them. They had
given no good reason why the appro-
priation should be made He denied the
statement that the schools you'd close
for twenty days. The teachers would be
out twenty days, but the pupils only ten.
He was willing, IL a move was made, to
privately give. his own money to help
the schools. He had been asked to serve
the people. He had not put himself be-
fore them without solicitation, and he
did not desire to return to the Council;
he had enough Of 1t.
AS IMPORTANT AS SEWERS.
Mr.. Blanks said he thought the school
appropriation was of as much importance
as that for sewers. He believed the
present case was one of emergency, and
he did not believe he was breaking his
pledge In voting for the appropriation
and was going to cast his vote that way.
Mr.. Jones next addressed the body,
and gave some figures showing the in
debtedness Of the city. After the SO 900
had been paid into Sinking Fund, which
was now due, he said there would still
be left a debt of s237. .756.70. II any one
with that statement could say that the
city was In a good condition, then, he
said. they had been taught different
figures from him.
FACTS CHANGED HIS MIND.
Mr.. Bloomberg, who followed Mr..
Jones, stated that he had intended to
vote for the appropriation, as he had
done before, though reluctantly. but that
he had heard facts during this session
that had caused him to change his
mind, and, therefore, he would approve
the resolution. He. thought that by
making the appropriation extravagant
ideas would be instilled In the minds Of
the school children.
Mr.. Mosby, who was n friend of the ap-
preparation, at the conclusion of Mr..
Bloomberg's remarks, arose and stated
that he believed the resolution would be
defeated, but that he wanted to say
that he thought the question resolved
itself into this: Was 1t a case OF emer-
gency or not? The statement he said,
that the people did not understand the
condition of the city was a reflection
upon the intelligence of the citizens of
Richmond.
ALL THE FACTS PUBLISHED.
Here Mr. HARRISON interrupted the
speaker and asked him IL he thought the
papers had published the statements
fairly for both sides, in order TO give the
people the facts in the case as they ex-
listed. Mr.. Mosby replied that they had
been published in every paper in the city
one sided because the negative side OF
this question has published card after
card why they voted against It, and
giving reasons why they could not sup
port Il, and on the other side the School
Board has published lengthy statement
giving statistics. Mr.. Harrelson again
questioned him by asking IL the papers
had published a financial statement
showing the condition of the city, to
which Mr. Mosby replied that they had.
Mr.. Jones, at this juncture. at the re-
quest of Mr.. Harrelson, again made his
statement as TO the floating debt.
Mr. o. A. Hawkins Immediately got
upon his feet and stated that the papers
had published great many of the very
figures just read. He was not aware
that a pledge had been made. He pro-
baby would have subscribed to It at the
time
NOT A GOOD BUSINESS RULE.
There was a question, Mr.. Hawkins