The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-27
Auditor Mason of the Board of
Education Cites Official Figures
to Support the Claim.
EXPENDED S2,165,804 IN 1902.
Police Department Appropriation
Last Year Was S1,G23,G61.76,
and This Years Estimate
Is $1,654, 1856.

Henry A. Kersting. an attorney with Of
fees in the Roe building, in a communica-
ton to The Republic. calls attention to a
statement published Monday in the Repub-
lican organs, to the effect that the Police
Department Of st. Louis costs the taxpay-
ers more than the public schools
Mr.. kersting says this statement Is false.
In collecting and marshaling these esti-
mates,' he says, 1.-THE writer overlooked
the fact that our public schools and the
State University receive, in addition to
money directly appropriated, all moneys
collected on account of the collateral inner
itance tax, which amounts to per cent
OF the market value Of all property in
herited collaterally. This yields a large
revenue Another source Of revenue is the
nnes collected In courts and forfeited
ponds. proportion of which is paid into
the School Fund.-
AUDITOR MASON AGREES.
Auditor Charles Mason Of the Board of
Education says that Mr.. Kersting is cor
rect In declaring that the Police Depart
ment Is less expensive to taxpayers than
the pubic school system.
Il do not know where the writers of the
articles obtained their information" he
said, but their sources seem to have been
monthly statement of its total receipts
and expenditures. besides the annual re-
port, and the figures used In the articles in
question are not taken from our official re-
port.
Our total receipts from all sources last
year, quoting from the report of the fiscal
year ending. June, 1902. were 81 .155 COS CO.
our total expenditures were S2,16 SO4. o. At
the beginning of the fiscal year we had a
cash balance on hand of s266.O0O. SO that,
although our expenditures for the year
were about $4,000 in excess of our revenue
we finished the year with a cash balance on
hand of about S255,00O.
Our revenue from the collateral fnher-
itance tax is not so large, perhaps, as Mr..
kersting thinks. Last year we received
from this source $4,000. Our revenue from
mes, BOND forfeitures, ETC., is not very
large one, either. All the money received
from this source goes into q perpetual fund,
and We are allowed to use only the interest
on 1t. In 1NO-1901 We received from this
source s6.310f, in 19O1-19o2 So 40 As, and this
year, to date. $29, $50 6. The increase this
year is largely due to the forfeiture Of the
$4,000 bond of Charles Kratz and the IS 600
bond of j. K. Murrell.
REVENUE FROM THE STATE.
THE only revenue we derive from the
State is that received from the State School
Fund and the railroad tax fund. Last year
Fund and 06.174.27 from the railroad tax
fund. total of $2S2, 226.16. This year, to
date. we have received from the State
School Fund 1898, 09S.95. The returns from
the railroad tax fund are not in yet, and
cannot estimate the revenue from that
source.
Outside Of that $3.50 22s.1s received from
the State, every cent of the cost of sup
porting the public schools was contributed
by the people of st. LOUIS
The appropriation for the Police Depart
ment for 1902 was 8, Sc, 06L7s. The estimate
for the coming year is H.6S4, 1856. The
Board Of Education for 1902 expended 81
| 5So4 .N. and the estimate for this year Is
about 20 200 l00