The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-29
PEPsIa SYRUP CO.. Monticello, III.

years crowded conditions would impel the
board to ask for another $4,000 or SO .0o0.
That would certainly be an expensive and
false policy.
The board had competent contractors
and builders to make estimates of amount
required for a suitable high school build
ing of 20 class rooms, rooms for manual
training, laboratories, gymnaaium. Of
fees, etc, as well as for furnishing and
equipping it, and the amount called for
is as small as we can safely rely upon,
though, of course, we may have some
portion of the bond proceeds remaining,
and certainly will, if possible, as we
need not issue and sell all the bonds, if
they are not needed. Our late legisla-
ture made provision for establishing
manual training departments in the pub
lie schools of the state and we are sure
the citizens of Wichita prize that branch
of education too highly to allow it to
be omitted 1t is more important in
equipping young men and women for
self support than any other branch of
our schools.
Second: During the collapse of all real
ty values and the failure of the people
and especially in 1892 and 1893, the board
then found it necessary to use the sink
ing fund to pay our teachers and main
tain the schools. We do not mention this
to criticise the board of that time. as it
was simply that or dismiss the schools
and turn the children out deprived of all
school privileges. Indeed, the board then
only did what very many municipalities
of Kansas. including our own city and
county, were compelled to do. viz: bor-
rowed the sinking fund, temporarily, for
general purposes, expecting when people
resumed the payment of taxes, to restore
it. But now, within the next three or
four years we will have some bonds ma
turing and the sinking fund should be
made whole to meet them. Under the
limitations of the law we can not make
sufficient levies TO do that; but under the
act authorizing the high school contem-
plated, we can maintain the high school
independently of the general fund and so
gradually restore the sinking fund and
be ready for maturing bonds.
lnally: The people of Wichita justly
boast of having the best system Of
schools in Kansas, and are sustained. too.
by educators generally. No public utility
is entitled to more loyal support. We may
suggest, too, that if the entire issue Of
$l25.c00 called for were paid off at once
it would only require cents on the dol
lar of our total assessed valuation OF
S5,00O,000. Or the proportion of a party
paying taxes on $1,000 over and above his
exemptions. would be but $3.50 and his
share of the annual interest on the bonds
would be less than l mill, or about sl.O0
able at once, but run over a series OF
years, during which time our assessed
valuation will certainly materially in
crease, and so reduce our individual pro-
portion OF said bonds.
This address is already too long and II
is impracticable to undertake to set
forth all the detailed facts and conditions
and arguments which your board has
con. cientiously considered; yet we trust
we have given sufficient of them TO ena-
BILE you TO freely endorse the bond call
and permit the board to maintain and
promote our splendid school system.
True economy in this matter. as we
view II, is the highest and best educa-
tional care OF the children. meeting the
public needs as far as practicable with
out piecemeal additions to our buildings.
which are much more expensive than the
same room in the original structures.
Ample school facilities are much more
commendable and needful TO our people
tnan even stone bridges, auditoriums and
many other desirable improvements
Wichita is growing. and that fact is a