Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-30
WOMAN'S CLUB On SCHOOLS
psprecates Use Of Saloon License Money
for Educational Purposes,
SUGGESTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Recommends that All Money Needed
for the support Of Public schools
he Raised by Direct
Taxation.

At the meeting Of the woman's club Mon
day the committee on education, which
has been investigating the condition Of the
public schools, submitted its report. The
conclusions and recommendations con-
tained in the report are as follows:
As a summary OF our eight weeks per-
bistent investigationL we hnd;
Frst-That the efficiency OF our public
schools is the highest concern of every
~second-That the public schools Of Omaha
take high rank among the schools of this
~Third-That the cost Of education per
child in Omaha is only a fair average.
Fourth-That there Is no special demand
Tor relief from taxation for school pur-
Fifth-That taxes for school purposes are
not high.
'~sixth-That taxes upon real estate are
nigh because II practically bears II all, per.
sonal taxes being largely unassessed, and
all taxes being poorly paid.
Seventh-That salaries paid In Omaha
how are but an average.
Eighth-That while the present school
board have cut the teachers salaries $24, 1870,
they ask for $3.50 more for thirty-eight
weeks of school thar was used for the same
length of time In 1901, and exclusive of the
teacheTs' salaries and the increased amount
an the sinking fund they ask for $5, 623
more for other purposes than was spent
for those purposes in 1901.
Your committee therefore would recon-
First-That Omaha maintain public school
salaries equal to those Of other cities Of
the same rank.
Secondhand our schools be raised above
political and personal preferences. That
rrest Nv bsr opsIianations and sdaotsbiiitv
abundant professional fitness for her work.
Third-That the civil service rules be APP
piled to both teachers and %tanitors. That
their promotion depend upon their efficiency
and faithfulness.
money required for school purposes should
be raised by direct taxation. The present
method is 20 estimate at the beginning of
the year the probable resources from fines
and licenses and then cause a tax TO be
levied to raise the additional funds re-
quired. The amount received from fines
year that there is always uncertainty as 10
what the income from these sources will
reasons. Money deSved from fines Inn
posed for the purpose of regulating the
used for the support of prisons, jails, re-
formatoFie5, insane 65yiums and for the
salaries of police and other officers en-
our opinion, appropriate that such funds
should be used to educate children, and we
believe that the fact that such funds are
now so used leads the public to look with
more tolerance on a traffic that they know
is destroying the souls and bodies of their
We, therefore, that this club
use It's best endeavors to secure an amend
ment to the constitution of the state and
the enactment of such laws as may be
necessary to bring about this change.
The election of chairmen OF committees
resulted; Auditing, Mrs. H. ]. Penfold;
constitution. Mrs. Mary G. Andrews;
courtesies. Mrs. H. S. Jaynes; house and
home committee. Mrs. H. H. Baldrige;
members Of library committee, Mrs. e. b.
Towle and Mrs. NJ. b. Lowrie; membership,
Mesdames Warren switzler. N. E. Adams.
A. II. Nipple, c. e. Summer and Miss e.
+. McCortney.
Tho constitution committee recommended
an amendment providing for the appropri-
alton each year OF a specified sum for the
use of the library committee.