The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-16
WANT THINGS AS THEY ARE
BUT SAYS DIFFICULTY REMAINS.

The City Charter Only Allows So
Much MOney-What, Therefore,
VIII They Dos
The board of school inspectors put
in something over two hours at the
Central high school last evening listen
ing to the views of a number Of citi-
zen mailing for the most part from
the sections Of the city where are To-
Gated the Mechanic Arts, Cleveland
and Humboldt branch high schools,
On the various propositions which the
board has under contemplation with
view to coming within the amount OF
funds available during the next school
year.
The members of the board present
were President Zimmerman, e. O..
Zimmerman, May, McNair, Scholle.
Prof. Curtis wason hand while included
among the visitors were Mayor Dorian,
+. l. Whitney, Charles Michaud, John
Copeland, Charles S. Schurman, F. M.
LLOYD. W. T. West, William Foulke,
Messrs. Williams, Hare and Crosby.
For two hours the board listened to
the protests of their visitors against
the plan to consolidate the three
schools named with the Central high
school, and their views as to the best
means to effect reduction In the
school expenses the coming year. Inc
three schools had strong supporters,
who lifted their voices against any
move to close the buildings and send
the scholars to the central school.
Most of the speakers confined their re-
marks to reasons why these branch
schools should not be closed and the
high standard of the st. Paul school
system impaired, but few of them put
forth any suggestion which would tend
to aid the board out of it's present
dilemma, and, in fact, those Few were
divided as to which was the better
plan, to cut down the length of the
school term or adopt the plan Of con-
solidation referred to, and thus save
some SO, 900 in salaries of teachers, sup
erViSOrs, etc.
The board in the end answered a lot
of questions as to the school finances,
ETC., and the members explained the
situation as being one to which they
had given the most careful conS1dera-
ton. Several of the members stated
courteously that their visitors had fall
ed to say aught of the only question
at hand, the matter of money with
which to run the schools. The fault
was not that there was not enough
money coming into the city treasury,
but that owing to the present chafter
a tax of but 27s mills was all which
could be levied, and that owing to the
decrease in assessed valuation the
amount to be expected was not as
large as last year, although the needs
of the school system were greater.
F. 1. Whitney, it was, who suggested
that rather than hurt the fair name OF
the city by closing up any of its schools
for lack of sufficient funds, it would
be better to curtail the term somewhat
Mr.. Whitney made strong plea Tor
the application Of the retrenchment
policy at any other point than these
branch high schools, and begged that
the Mechanic. Arts school especially be
not closed. This suggestion was follow
ed up by the. other speakers.
Rev. Mr. zArnett, of the Sixth ward
said the people in his part of the city
were a unit against closing the Hum
boldt This was probably the most
important school Of the three. He knew
the board was moved only by desire
to be fair; he knew they were IN a
better position to know what was best,
but the West siders could not allow the
school to be closed without vigorous
protest. Dr. Arnett said that to close
the school would be to touch their
hearts as the institution was one IN
which they had come to take much
pride. In it was the future hope OF
their children. Homes had been built
in the Sixth ward because the school
was there. They had good school,
good teachers and a good principal, and
they hoped the board would not deprive m,' e
them of any of these things. The
high school was the greatest
heritage the people on the West side
had, and to touch it, would be to touch
the greatest interest Of the people over
there. RE did not believe graded
scho qualified children for the exige =
c.es Of tn - esent century
F. M. Lloyd, of the First ward, spoke
for the Cleveland. He reiterated for
the Cleveland what the former speaker
had said for the Humboldt, and added
that it was not the intention to dictate
or offer gratuitous advice to the board.
The parents of most of the children
attending the Cleveland school, were
poor, and hardship would be put upon
them if their children were forced to
attend other schools. Then, too, he
thought the friendly rivalry had the
effect of building up the standard OF
the teachers, and thus Of the pupils
themselves. He urged that the present
school system be retained in its en-
tirety.
William Foulke said that the question
was a serious one, and that the board
was unuuestionably in an awkward
nosition. The board had so much
mcney. and if it was insufficient, the
CITY suffered not only as an educatlonal
center. but it's material interests were
damaged. Mr.. Foulke was much inter-
ested in the finances of the board and
entered into quite an extended discus
sion of probable ways and means OF
bridging the present difficulty.
Mrs HinkeIy spoke as the parent OF
school children, some Of whom attend
ed the mechanic bnarts school. Mrs.
Hinkley told ofothe interest and prog
ress in this scheol, and made the state
ment that this manual training both
interested and improved boys by sup
plying them with the practical founoa-
ton for future usefulness, and at the
ton from work of the other sort.
When the preliminary speeches were
through President Zimmerman, on be-
half Of the board, rose to explain that
the meeting had been successful in one
respect. in that the board had heard
the views of q number of interested
representative citizens, but that the
board had been given nothing very
tangible in the way Of suggestions our
of the trouble. He explained that the
board was truly in an awkward place.
with only limited amount of money
to educate a constantly increasing pop
ulation Of bright children. He took
sly shot at the f1gurers who, after a
cursory reference to the books OF the
board. knew all about the state OF at
fairs. He had been busy three months
at It and hardly yet understood the
r0h I0y,o a VSd