The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-09

board, explained that the ScnOolS Coulu
be run with the money at present ap-
propriated, but the school population
was constantly increasing. The present
enrolment was $4,000, showing an in
crease of 986 over the month of October,
1896 There were school houses enough,
but the buildings were not properly To-
Gated so as to be of service in furnish
ing seating capacity. The trouble was
in the Seventh ward. The Webster
school was overcrowded and two rooms
had been finished off in the attic. BY
reason of the crowded condition Of this
school a number of pupils above the
sixth grade were forced to walk two
miles to the Madison school. By using
the repair fund the board had been
able to relieve the overcrowded con-
dition of the Cleveland and Ericsson
school. AS to the cost per capita al
luded to by Mr. Bement being larger in
st. Paul, Mr.. Zimmerman said the
board had this year reduced the ex-
penditures $27, goo, and was taking care
of ] 900 more scholars. a year from
now ST. Paul would be paying less per
capita than any other city considering
the topography of the city.
Mr.. Bement favored the concentra-
ton of school buildings instead of new
ones. For instance, if school In the
First ward could not accommodate the
pupils an addition should be built
rather than a new school some distance
away from the building. He did not
think it hurt a pupil to walk two miles
to a school.
Mr.. Wheelock said the statistics,
which he had gathered at considerable
trouble, proved that the statement OF
Mr.. Bement was notso. The expense per
capita in st. Paul was far below many
other cities, and was not high in COM
parison with a number of the more
important cities of the country. MT.
zimmerman thought some provision
should be made so that about $25,OOO
could be used each year for new school
buildings. A great mistake Mr. Zlnl-
mermann said, was that the council
and not the board had the locating OF
the new school buildings. AS it is now,
when there was 100000 or any amount
of money available for new buildings
each member of the council insisted
that the ward he represented be given
a slice out of the amount.
Mr.. Wheelock considered it an out
rage for the council to have the say
as to where a school building should
be located. When he said the city had
d board appointed, not for political
effect, it should be allowed to conduct
the schools without interference from
the council.
President Zimmerman said the cIt1-
Zens of the First ward had insisted
that a new addition be built to the
Ericsson school, but the board refused
to do this, as it would spoil the looks
of the building. The board had secur-
ed quarters in another building, and
now the citizens were in accord with
the plan.
Mr.. Bement said this seemed to be
all the trouble. When school buildings
were erected they should be so modelled
and built as to allow of additions be-
ing built instead of having to go four
or five blocks and put up a new one.
His idea would be when it was not
possible to build an addition to
school to tear the old building down
and erect a new one large enough to
accommodate the pupils.
President Zimmerman, in answer to
question of Mr.. Wheelock, stated that
ward were provided for now, but this
with the growing school population
would not last long.
Comptroller McCardy said either the
people must vote for bonds or the new
charter must be carried, or the income
Of the school board would not be in
creased The question arose whether
the committee had better emphasize
the passage of the resolutions directing
the council to take steps to bring the
bond question before the voters. A
majority of the committee thought
there was no need of doing this, as the
council had the matter before them and
a motion to adjourn was put and car
ried.