The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1903-04-10
Shall We Have Public Schools?

Shall Waxahachie have public
achoolsf seems TO me the real
question submitted for decision at
tomorrow's election. To be frank, /
do not see where schools can be
conducted for the coming term.
Surely, in view of the recent optn-
ions of architects as to the condition
of the middle portion of the old
building, no one would have the
school board assume the RESPONSE
bility of continuing school in it
beyond the present term. When it
is torn away, which must be done,
more than half of the present space
is gone. Then it simply comes to a
question of schools or no schools
] am aware of the aversion of the
public to voting bonds, however
needful or necessary may be the
purpose-a simple aversion to debt.
But it must be remembered that
cities can not have public improve
ment in any other manner. They
can not accumulate funds as an
individual. Is is the instilled bust
ness economy which dictates to them
to wait until you have the money
and then build what you can pay
for; the aversion to debt, which
makes the public averse to issuing
bonds.
But we should remember that the
are not IN any business of profit, and
therefore, do not accumulate. The
law defines the tax rate cities may
levy for each purpose, and these
fixed rates are the City's safeguards.
WaxahachIe has put into other
public Improvements over $50, 100
within recent years, for which she
issued bonds, $500 of which were
named school bonds, a city hall,
waterworks and waterworks i'm
provement, sewer and waterl a part
of which bonds are still outstanding
for purposes entirely laudable,
possib Y, necessary; but not so
necessary as public schools.
The waterworks are necessary
but there has always been private
capital ready to do the work if per
mitted to do so by the city authori-
| ties.
In view of these facts, upon the
ground of public spirit, whether to
this time interested in public schools
or not, l feel that the people OF
Waxahachie will not fail TO vote for
the public schools tomorrow.
The fellow who is figuring on his
tax bill wants to know what the
result will be when school bonds are
issued. In reply, / say there need
not be cent additional levy over
that of last year. Your tax rate can
stand at the very same dot that II
was last year, and we have a low
rate compared to that of other Texas
towns of our size. In other words
with the new public school equip
lmeut of WaXahachie, "A man with
| 500 assessed value of property
would simply have to put up less
than five cents to pay interest and
sinking fund on the proposed school
| boLds.
Until the attorney general settled
the discussion some parties who
oppose the schools, objected to the
issuance of bonds in the amount OF
S24 900 because they claimed that
to be the limit of the city's power
to raise funds for public improve
ments, and that there are now, and
may arise soon, other public i'm
provements which should not be ex-
cluded. But that objection fails by
reason of the fact that S24 900 is not
the limit for such improvement, but
that today there remains a margin
of over $50, 900 for such purposes.
/ have also heard few people say
that If you are in favor of ware
schools | am for the bonds, but 4