Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-27

In the absence Of Mr.. Maynard, Chairman
of the finance committee, the report was
submitted by DR.. Christie. who moved its
adoption Mr.. Homan moved as a substi
tute for the report a resolution, as follows:
Whereas, For the school year ending
annual report, were 1861 ,694.59 and the aver
age daily attendance 1852 and the average
expense S2S.S5 per pupil and al.
Whereas, For the school year ending
June 30 1902 the expenses were $574, ,72OI9,
the average attendance Il, ,S63 and the aver
age expense per pupil $S6S5 or $3.50 per
pupil increase in the expense per pupil in
the course of five years: ana
Whereas. For the year ending June 90
1897, the average number of teachers en-
ployed was S22, with an average of forty
pupils to the teacher and for the year end
teachers was AIS, with an average attend
ance of less than thirty-siX pulls TO the
Whereas. II the attendance had been kept
| up to the average of forty pupils to the
| teacher the saving would be $4,000 per
Resolved, That the expenses of the
schools may be reduced by methods of
economy and the city council be asked to
| make a levy Of but mills for the coming
HOman Urges Economy.
| Mr.. Homan made a long argument in
support OF his substitute, quoting from the
| reports of past years to substantiate his
statement that the expenses Of the schools
had been higher than need be. He thought
| that II the levy was small the tendency
woul6 naturally be toward economy, while
| the larger levy would be conducive to ex-
/ travagance.
Dr. Christie took issue with Mr.. Homan
| and said that while that gentleman was
very ready to come in at this time and
| charge the committee with having been
extravagant in its estimate, he had had
nothing to say In the afternoon committee
| meeting as to how that estimate could be
reduced. All Of the members had been
invited and requested TO attend the meet
ing and make suggestions. and that was
the proper time and place for Mr.. Homan
to say what he had to say on this subject
and suggest how the levy could be reduced.
Dr. Christie said that although Mr.. Homan
/ was very severe in his arraignment of the
former board for its expenditures, he was
! himself a member of the finance committee
| and presumably sanctioned the eXpendi-
lures, and even now he did not suggest
any definite means Of cutting down the ex-
penditures. He did not say which teachers
might be discharged or which schools might
be closed up, or in fact suggest any means
OF reducing expenses.
superintendent Makes Statement.
for a statement as to the average number
of pupils per teacher and the average ex-
pense per pupil. In the course Of his re-
marks he reminded Mr.. Homan that he haC
in a conference of members OF the board
within the past week proposed a levy o
2h mills for school purposes. Mr.. Pears'
quoted statistics TO show that the average
number OF pupils to the teacher in tbs
Omaha schools is as large as in any Of tn,
other cities of its size and the cost PEI
pupil as small He said that the choice
OF 1897 as a year for comparison was no
fair, from the fact that at that time tn
Ecity was suffering most from the haT,
times and the school board took unnatura
means of reducing expenses, such as hold
ing only halliday sessions in the kinder
gartens and lower grades.
In correction OF some OF the other fact