The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-15

eral StraDg has been appealed to by Aud
itor L. ". Baxter ana the board Of educa-
ton for information concerning certain
questions in the expenditure Of money
for the Southwestern Normal School
which was authorized. by the last legisla-
ture. Attorney General strang's opinion
on the matter and quesiors asked are
here given:
Territory Of Oklahoma
Attorney Generals Office
Guthrie, 0. T., October IS, 1901.
Il. ". Baxter, President of the Board of
Education for the Normal School of Ok
lahoma, Guthrie. O. T.
Dear Sir: In answer to your question
Is the beard Of education authorized by
section Z, of the act creating the South
western Normal school, to contract for
material for the construction of all the
necessary buildings and for the purchase
Of furniture. machinery, ard apparatus
to equip the same to the aggregate
amount OF 50. 600? or do the words, any
otEer person as used in the proviso to
said section, require that all expenditures
authorized by this act, include the pay
ment Of the committee to locate the
Southwestern Normal School and of the
current expenses and teachers salaries
for the year 1902, must be brought within
the $4,000 limit?'
Il have to say that the ultimate limit of
expenditures for all purposes until after
the year 1902. under the law creating the
Southwestern Normal school, is the
amount Of money the levy, provided for
in that law, viii raise 1t is my judgment
that the legislature figured $4,000 as the
amount said levy would raise. If, how
ever. said levy should raise more than
$4,000, the entire amount of the levy can
be used by the board for the erection Of
said Southwestern Normal school, inciud-
ing all necessary buildings, the purchase
Of furniture, machinery, and apparatus
To equip the same and the running expen-
ses for said school for the year 1902, since
the entire amount OF said levy must go
into the Southwestern Normal building
fund.
My opinion that the legislature fixed
$4,000 as the amount Of the levy, is
strengthened by the fact that a computa-
ton viii show that, with the assessed val
uatlon of sixty millions for the first year,
and a contemplated assessment Of seven
~ millions for the second year, viii pro-
duce $4,000. 1 do not see how the levy
can raise more than So 900 because we are
compelled to take into consideration the
Ia wof the territory in relation to Ievies,
which provides that not more than eighty
per cent of the levy can be calculated
upon. Eighty per cent of the levies fo-
the second year would raise but 81, 800,
which is $1,000 less than the amount fixed
by the legislature as the sum said levy
would raise.
1T is, therefore, my judgment that the
board of education should not count on
more than $4,000 as the ultimate sum to
be expended by them up to and including
the current expenses and teachers salar-
les for the year 1902 and that said board
should govern itself accordingly in
making its estimates and arriving at 4
conclusion as to how much money should (
be expended in the building; how much |
for furniture. machinery and apparatus /
Of the school during the year 1902. have |
not mentioned the personal expenses Of I
the boar dof education in connection with I
the erection, equipment of said school. /
the sum raised by said levy. 1 do not I
mean to say that $4,000 is the largest I
sum that the levies win raise, only do I /
mean to say that the levies will raise /
So, 000. It is my opinion that the chances /
are fully as great that the sum of the f.
levies VIII be less than $4,000, as that |
they viii exceed So 01o. This, however. /
is a matter OF computation which the /
board can make for themselves, bearing /
in mind. however, all the time. that they /
cannot use dollar for any of the pur-
poses connected with said Southwestern
Normal school until after the school year
1909, except the amount raised by said
levy, and that the board cannot go into
debt for a dollar for any purposes con
nected with said school up to and incluI-
ing the running expenses for the year
1902