The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-13
Something Must Be Done.

Do the psople of st. Paul, the parents
VINO send the twenty-three and more
thousand children to our public schools,
realize that those schools are in dam
ger? Do they know that the impair
nent that te2an when speculative holl-
ers of real estate succeeded in having
! the property valuation lowered will be
greater next year than it is this. or was
last? If they do not know it, it is tine
they woke up to the fact, and 1t Is
time that they were bestirring them
selves and taking some action to stop
retrogression and begin restoration.
What is the condition that confronts
the school board? No matter what
their desires, they are bound by the
steel bands Of the law. They can only
mill tax levied upon property valua-
ton that was shrunk from $126,000,00o
IN 1898 (when the comptroller noted in
his report that the estimate Of con-
servative men put the real valuation at
$500, 00O). and from SIPS, 1853, 639 in 1895
to 500, 500, 400 in 1896, less than half the
| conservatively estimated value in 1898,
the panic year.
If the valuation for 1898, to remain
| unchanged as to the real estate for
two years, is to be what it was made
in 1896, there can be realized through
the 2.5 mills to which the law restricts
the levy but $241,00 instead of the
SS13, 900 obtained und + the valuation in
1895. Adding the state school tax and
apportionment, the total money in sight
for the board next year is about $780,
0C0. The income is decreasing, and the
| demands growing. Two thousand chill
dren were added last year to the enroll
ment. AS many more will be this year.
The buildings are crowded, and some
| overlooking. New rooms and buildings
are needed and more teachers. In some
schools the rooms were so crowded this
year as to greatly impair the value Of
tie teachers work. The condition will
be worse next year. The board must
cut it's garment to it's cloth. 1t will
have to refuse improvements, repairs,
again. That limit has been reached
where valuable teachers will stand it.
We will lose the best of them.
/ This is the actual condition. What
are you going to do about it? Sit still
and see your schools, of which you
have been so justly proud, recede? You
have rejected one avenue Of escape in
refusing the proposed charter. No legis-
lature can help you. A new charter or
amendments to the present one might
be framed and submitted at the fall
election; but, after the manner In which
their gratuitous work was received by
the voters, it would not be surprising
| should the charter commission refuse
to act again. There is but one way out,
and that must be taken at once, il at
| all. That Is to retrace the steps taken
in 1896 and restore property values.
The conditions warrant it; business is
| improving. trade is good, the panic is
| over. If this Is to be done, there can
be no delay, for the biennial assessment
of real property is now on. Mr.. Seng
and his assistants are the parties on
whom public opinion must center itself.
If a few men could secure the reduction
of valuations in 1896 to the extent of
$30,000000, the parents of $4,000 school
children should be able to get it put
where it will provide funds for the
adequate schooling Of their children.