The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-04
NEITHER COUNCILMEN NOR SCHOOL
INSPECTORS KNOW WHAT MONEY
THEY'LL HAVE
TO RUN SCHOOLS NEXT YEAR.
MAY RETRENCH BY CLOSING THE
BRANCH HIGH SCHOOLS AND
MANUAL TRAINING.
DOING AWAY WITH SUPERVISORS.
That Would Mean a Saw
ing of $33, to Be
Considered Again.

sidered by the school board to reduce
the running expenses Of the schools for
the year commencing Sept. l, 1897,
were brought out yesterday afternoon
at meeting of the ways and means
committee of the board of aldermen.
Messrs. zimmerman, McNair, May,
Zimmerman, Supt. Curtis and Secretary
Healey of the school board, were pres
ent, and the council was represented
by Aid Sanborn, Donahower and
Allard and Assemblymen Reardon,
Craig, Kirke and Mabon. The matter
under consideration was a resolution
requesting the council to repeal por-
ton Of the ordinance passed in Janu-
airy, 1897 and allow the sum of $41,75O,
which had been designated for new
school buildings in the Second, Tenth
and Eleventh wards, additions in the
First ward, repairs to the old Hum
boldt building in the Sixth ward, and
new sites in the Fifth and Seventh
wards, to be placed in the general
maintenance fuA1.
H. G. McNair, chairman of the COM
mittee on schools from the board, told
the committee that on account Of the
decreased valuation the amount of
money to be raised for the school year
commencing Sept. 1, 1897, would be
materially reduced Several meetings
had been held by the school board, and
it was apparent that the schools could
not be continued at their present stand
ard unless the SAL, $50 was placed in the
school maintenance fund. According
to the report of the comptroller made
to the chamber of commerce the board
would only have 100000 for the COM
ing year, as against $455,00O for the
year ending July 1, 1897 With this
amount, which, as it came from the
comptroller, must be called correct, the
board could not run the schools as now
conducted and keep them open the ten
months of the coming school year. If
the $4l,75O was placed in the school
maintenance fund, the schools could
be placed in good condition during the
vacation as regarded plumbing and
other necessary repairs. If this was
not done and the amount was expend-
ed in erecting new buildings ard pur-
chasing new sites the difficulty which
the beard found itself in now would
only be increased. There would be an
ward to supply with teachers, janitors
and fuel, which was now in course of
erection. If a new, school was built
as contemplated in the Second ward
and another in the Tenth or Eleventh
ward, it would simply mean more
teachers to be provided and additional
expense for janitors and fuel. With
the money now appropriated it was
f1cult to keep the schools; now open.
going, and how additional schools could
be maintained was problem, that the
board could not solve.
Assistant City Attorney PhiI,ips
sought information by asking if the
amount mentioned in the resolution
was included in the 100000 which the
comptroller had announced would be
available for the coming school wear
President Zimmerman said he did No.
know, and Vice President Zimmerman
VINO is chairman of the finance commit.
tee, was also in doubt COMPTROLLER
McCardy was sent for, and while the
gathering awaited his coming. Pres1-
dent zimmerman explained that tho
question 10 De considered was whether
IL was best to build new school houses
or fix up the old ones. Health Commits
sloner Stone had ordered one of the
schools closed, owing to the unsanitarv
condition of the building, and had in
formed the board that the buildnias
which We're fitted up with earth closets
IN the easements were likely to be
closeo at any time as sanitary meas
ure. In view of this, President Zin7-
mermann stated that it was much bet
ter to have the buildings fixed I'D thar,
to build new ones.
Mr.. Kirke inquired if the board had
perused the report Of the retrenchment
committee and Mr.. Sanborn asked
what definite agreement the board had
reached as to the reductions to be
made in the expenses of the schools
Inspector May replied that there was
some question as to the doing AWAY
OF the manual training school and the
consolidation Of the two branch higI.
schools with the central high school
AID Sanborn wanted to know how
much this action would reduce the to
tai amount to be expended for school
purposes. Secretary Healey stated that
the closing Of the manual training and
the consolidation Of the branch high
schools would effect a saving of S25. 00l
in round numbers. The doing away
with the supervisors would save an adj
ditional $4,000.
Comptroller McCardy arrived at this
point, and after the matter had been
explained to him, informed the com
mittee that his report to the chamber
Of commerce did not refer to the school
fiscal year, but to the fiscal year of
the city, which began Jan. 1. His fig
ures, s409,000,, :. was the amount that
would be available for school purposes.
He said he could not give any estimatt
for the school year beginning Sept. /.
1897, and ending July 1, 1898. The comp
troller called attention to the muddle
which existed owing to the school
board refusing to make their fiscal year
end Dec. 81, the same as the other de-
partments of the city.
PRESIDENT zimmerman Informed the
comptroller that it was expected S42.-
600 could be saved the coming school
year by doing away with the manual
training school consolidating the
branch high schools and reducing sal
aries Of the teachers paid the larger
salaries.
Mr.. McNair took a chance at the
comptroller and said what the board
wanted to know was how much money
would be available between Sept. /.
1897, and July 1, 1898. for school pur-
poses. Mr. McCardy replied that he
really couldn't tell. Mr.. McNair con-
tinuing, said it was the desire of the
board to retrench, but, if possible, it
was not wanted to impair the efficiency
Of the schools. Personally he was of
the opinion that there were several
fads taught in the schools, but he was
only one of seven members, and could
not control all the board He desired
to save $4,000, but some of the mem
bers could not see how this was to he
done. 1t was for the purpose of arriv-
ing at the probable amount the board
would have at it's disposal that he ask
ed the question.
Mr.. McCardy said there were to be
several surprises in the next year in
the various departments for the reason