The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1903-02-18

il was the most feasible propo
si;ion for improving our ,schoo
facilities.
Mr.. Metcalfe asked if the reso
luton would not commit the clul
e. an endorsement of the incor.
poration question, Mr.. Bird re.
plying that lie thought the club
had Il right to voice an expression
Oh all questions affecting the
welfare Of the city.
Mr. Farr moved to table the
resolution and received n ready
second.
Mr.. Metcalfe moved to throw
il out of court"
The constitution was quoted to
show that political questions
should have no place in the club
meetings.
Judge W. A. Wright contended
that this matter could not be
classed us a political question, no
more so than the resolution re-
questing the county Judge to call
special session of the commits
sioners' court.
Col. Baker asked that the
motion to table be withdrawn
that the matter might be dis
cussed.
Mr.. Bird thought that the club
was formed for the improvement
of the city and for that reason
should be permitted to record an
expression on such questions.
Mr.. Farr then withdrew his
motion, and Col. Baker offered
the following and moved it.
adoption as n substitute to the
resolution introduced by Mr.
Bird:
Whereas the establishment and
maintenance of the public
schools of our town is of the most
supreme Importance to the in
habitants of the community and
the encouragement Of them should
not be obstructed .by anything
which we can prevent by honest
efforts on our part, and
Whereas the law only provides
for the Incorporation of towns and
cities OF more than two hundred
inhabitants not already under in
corporation, and such towns and
cities cannot be incorporated for
school purposes only, after Il
Incorporation has been
adopted, and whereas u munich
pal corporation can be adopted
after the adoption of an incorpor-
alton of the same or more terri
tory for school purposes only,
Therefore, Resolved that it is
the sense of this body that an
independent school corporation
should first be adopted and made
of public record as the law re-
quires, before any municipal cor
poration within the same terri
tory is adopted and we recon-
mend to the inhabitants of this
town that they vote against the
municipal corporation orGered
for the Goth inst. and thus psf
pone the municipal corporation
until the inhabitants can vote on
an independent. school corpora
ton.
Col, Baker in urging the adop-
ton of the substitute, discussed
at length the relative position of
the school question under NUM-
cipal government and when oper-
ated as an independent district.
He contended that u municipal
could only levy a
total assessment of 65c on the
one hundred dollar valuation,
divided as follows: 25c for
general revenue. 25c for perma-
nent improvements and 15c for
roads and bridges. This, he said,
would be wholly inadequate to
meet the requirements OF II city
like San Angelo. The assessable
valuation of property within the
proposed boundaries would not
exceed 81. 100000 and for per-
manent improvements, only
S425O could be realized. This, he
claimed, would not begin to pur-
chase sites and erect school
buildings, to say nothing of pro-
viding sewers and other improve
ments, OF a like amount re-
ceiyed from the general revenue
fund $4,000 would be required for
water and fire protection, which
would only leave $3.50 to be used
in paying the expenses of the
city government and the remain
Ter, it any, would amount to so
little that a bond issue would be
out of the question. He also
that n 15c levy would |
be insufficient for street and |
bridge purposes,
On the other hand, Col. Baker