The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-21
EASILY SOLVED

comptroller, but signed by the mayor
and sent to the common council ac-
c~ompanying the school budget, Mr.. Nc
Cardy obScures the situation as much
as possible by estimating revenue and
expenditure according to the calendar
year. Whether he is right or wrong in
his pet contention that the school board
should make their financial year cor
respond with the calendar year, re-
gardless of the fact that all their en-
gagements must be made for the school
year, is not to the point. The fact is
that, at the present time. the school
year is the basis of calculation of all
school finances; and in disregarding
this the comptroller confuses the stu
alton as much as possible, which is in
accordance with his settled policy.
Setting this aside, however, and TAX
ing his financial table exactly as it
stands, the problem which it presents
is in no respect a difficult one. On the
contrary, it carries it's solution on it's
face, and does not require, on Mr.. Nc
Cardy's own showing, any further re-
ductiOn whatever of the efficiency of
the schools. He states the school reve-
nue. for 1897, or rather the possible
collections from all sources, as $3.50. All.
The expenditures he places at $623, 345.
But this latter amount includes two
items, aggregating $50, 900, which do not
IN any sense belong there; and which
would not nave been placed in that
column by any one not desiring to
$zo'OOo Is the amount asked for sani-
tary improvements in the school build
lngs. Both the comptroller and the
mayor know that it was not contem-
plated and is not proper that this
amount should be taken from the school
fund or included in the school levy.
These buildings, which are in need of
improvements and repairs. are the alb
solute property of the city. IT is the
cltys business to keep them in proper
condition. The sum necessary for that
purpose should no more be taken from
the amount levied for the maintenance
OF the schools than the cost of heat
ing and lighting the city hall, or Of
other services in connection with it.
should be taken from the salaries of
the officials CHARTERED there. The pro-
priety of this is so obvious as TO need
no further discussion.
Again, we find in the list of expendi-
lures the item Of $41, 900 for new school
buildings. This the board has asked
10 nave turned into the maintenance
fund, as it properly should be. In no
other city of the country than st. Paul
would it be possible to consider the
diversion Of $41, 900 from a fund ins1f-
hcient to hire teachers for the schools
that we already have in order to put
up more buildings for which we can.
no hire any teachers at all. The in
clusion of this is another specimen of
the animu Of the mayor and civ
comptroller. Let US look at the re-
vised list and see how it shows up.
Suppose the $41,O0 transferred from the
building to the maintenance fund. as
it would be instantly by any business
concern, and the $25, 900 for sanitary
repairs furnished by the general fund.
as it certainly ought to be-. In that
case the revenue of the schools would
be, by Mr.. McCardy's estimate, $500, 900;
and their expenditures would be 1851, 900
In round numbers. A surplus of about
$4,000 would seem to be sufficient to
any possible shortage in the esti-
mates of any ordinary comptroller; but
Mr.. McCardy is far from belonging to
that species. Looked at in the light
Of ordinary arithmetic and common
sense, without Juggling or misrepre-
sentation, the problem conveyed by the
mayors communication solves itself.