The Nome nugget., 1903-04-04
FROM THE
 ~x .* PEOPLE
T!.e Schools and the City.

Editor ol THE UGGET:-l,t alizng tHe fact that all pubic Cffi,ers are but servants of the p,ol le, and as such are subject 10 criticism hy the people. therefore it is my privilege as citizen md taxpayer 10 clitici~e. not through malice or vindictiveness, but that good may result therefrOm. l understand that during the last school year SIS ,000 has been expended. which to my mind is too large an amount for what we re- ceive.
 First there is principal at S2j0 per month, and three other teachers n the day school al $l50 per month each: a music teacher at $15 a month. drawing teacher at $75, and night school teacher at $l25 per month, five nights a week, or 50 hours a month. over S2 figures before proceeding further. l believe that the dutic, of the prin- cipal and the labor he performs do not warrant the payment of 500 q month. Dr. Call stated recently at d ! meeting that the principal had seven | scholars: his room is large enough to accommodate five times that number; 1 his salary should not exceed &l5o per month. and the pupils should be divided in the next higher room. and the prin cipai should be one eff the teachers, thus securing a saving of $lI0 monthly. besides part of his own: the O'her teachers. two in number would be sui ticient, should not receive over SlOo a month, and the music and drawing teachers should be cut out entirely. If l want my child to take lessons in music and drawing, l will send 1t where they do not get here, for the time de-
 voted to these two branches is one hour a day, two days in the week, which is sufficient. The night school was de-
 signed for those children that could net attend the day school-those who | had to work to help support large family, Il widowed mother or d crippled | father. There i~ none Such here. Tie school law limits the ages of chil ren.
 Between and l1 lear> is lhe school age. How many are there of those there and 9S per cent. ot ;he attend aure are not entitled 10 the benefits uf a public school, and it should be abolished Then. again. there is the 1 5andSpit school which has a teacher at 1 SllO a month, besides rent of building $40 month, jauitor SGO a month, ten tons cf coat al 'E:,22 a ion. Nhich foots mp some &41 d m,uth. The children of The SHnd-p pi, would have nr further to % to the eutral 9riool than do those of the extreme Ea~t end of town, who have to travel the street obstructed by snow drifts a, ign as d telegraph pole. Are the children of the SandSpit entitl- ed to any more consideration than those of the East end? l do not think so. This school should be dispensed with. and thus save $2.2 per school year. Mir. Sawyer spoke in the Ith ward recently but not a word in defense of the SlS,0 ,000 expenditure. The school board has made d report, but it is un- certain in the extreme, and it should have been itemiZed, and then publish ed, so that the people might judge for themselves.
 also believe that the school board should be patrons of the school and not those who have no children nor ever expect to have. Mr. Sawyer says that saloon men should be represented in the council, and 1 suppose he meant gamblers. for it would be in keeping with his former agreements on that 1 line. Mr. Archer stated that the stop ping of gambling was detrimental to the city, inasmuch as the council lack ed money to pay off the indebtedness of the city. do not believe that gamb- ling helps the city or the people gener
 ally in any way whatsoever.
 l Now, if the salaries be cut and re- forms as suggested complied with, there
 will be a saving of S7, l3S in the short space of nine months. Yours Etc.
 Nome, April ?, l9o3 A CITIZEN.