The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-08
Consistency Is u .Je1vnl.

l Consistency is Il Jewel.
 To the Editor of the Journal and Courier: | I have read carefully the three and a
 half columns in your paper of City Es-
 inmates. As this is the first opportuni-
 ty that the public have had of seeing
 the details they probably will be read with interest. With one exception everything seems to be set forth in a business like manner, giving the amount 1 asked for and that allowed. The eXcep-
 tion refer to Is the Department of Ed ucation. Although there is $422, $50 ap- | proprated, two entries seem sufficient | information for the taxpayers, as after
 the $45,000 for one schoolhouse the bal
 ance is under the indefinite term of | Current Expenses" $377950. In most of the other departments everything is | carefully itemized, even, in one case
 as low as $S0, for special object. Turning to the Department of Charities and Correction, where only $78,706 is ap-
 propriated, I find that it takes over twenty entries to cover about $7,O00 of the smaller items-the salary of each of the two nurses, also matrons and as-
 sistant matrons, master, driver,
 etc. All right; I am only making com-
 parisons. It would be interesting to
 know on what ground the Board of
 Finance made this very peculiar excep tton in the case of the appropriations for the Department of Education. Was it at the request of that board? The conduct of the gentlemen of that board
 of late, and even back a few years, Is
 likely to provoke that suspicion. The
 air of utter indifference to public opin-
 ion. as though they were the masters
 of the taxpayers instead of their ser
 wants the naughty What are you go-
 ing to do about it ?' to speak mildly is excessively irritating. If we are to look to the Board of Finance for withholding this desired information will they kind ly let us know their reason, so that if it is good one we may judge them char itably? It will not do to say that the charter does not require 1t. If it does not the honorable gentlemen must be aware of the intense interest just now in this line, as much or more than in all of the other departments. Is 1t so that when man is appointed on the Board of Education it is kind of sane tifying process, taking all of human na- ture and human selfishness out of him and making him so infallible in judg ment that he cannot possibly err and does not need those safeguards which are considered necessary in all of the other departments of city finance? If the taxpayers thus think why, it re- lieves us of considerable responsibility in this line of looking as to how our money is expended. And having done this let us see if the number of such men in the city Is exhausted Perhaps we can find a few more of such men, who have gone through the sanctifying process of being elected 10 office, who by this means have become infallible, and we can turn oyer our money to them to use as they see fit, and in every saving much expense, of time and public hearings, advertising 1 bills, and so on.
 Let us be consistent. I think that l the members of the Board of Education. | in financial ability, are not above those l in the other departments, and if they are to spend money as they please why, i those who have charge of the other de- | partments have the same privilege As |! to those at the head of our educational l interests of late years, well may we say, l "On what meat hath this our Caesar | fed that he has grown so great?" The | greatest danger to our educational in- | terests is that the aroused indignation of the public will finally find vent by | going to the other extreme. This can be prevented by wise counsels and ac- ton before such things have gone too Tar. The taxpayers are invited to ap- pear before the committee of the city government and give objections eff they nave any), and have nearly s400,000 in l lump to consider. Is not this frivol- JUS and insulting to intelligent people?
 JOHN KERLEY.