The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1904-11-02
SUPT. ASWELi-
Shows Pressing Need Of Money for
School Houses. A Large Mum.
ter of Parishes DO Not Own
a Single One.
The Business Aspect of the Bond
Issue Discussed-s1e Asserts That
the Parish Boards Will Dis
tribute the rlOney.

An Advertiser reporter, learn
ing that Supt. Aswell was in
town yesterday morning, called
on him at the Crescent News
Hotel, and requested an interview
on the bond issue for publications,
which he granted as follows:
''There is great and commanding
need of more and better school houses.
| have been personally in AZ parishes
and know the need exists. | have
not found a parish that does not need
a great deal of money now to build
and equip it's school houses. Seventy
five per cent of the country school
houses are unceiled, uncomfortable
and unattractive wooden boxes. In
many places the peoples are forced to
use churches and lodge buildings. A
LARGE NUMBER OF PARISHES DO NOT
OWN A SINGLE SCHOOL HOUSE. ONE
OF THE GREATEST AND RICHEST PAR
ISHES OF THE STATE OWNS ONE
SCHOOL HOUSE AND IT WAS BUILT
LAST YEAR BY ISSUING BONDS.
''The question before the people to-
day is this: The school houses must
be built: shall we take cash from the
pockets of the people that is worth 8
per cent and build the school houses,
or shall we borrow the money at per
cent and thus save per cent? In the
country parishes the bonds are ; per
cent bonds and nothing more, because
money to any country bank is worth 8
per cent, and the bank whose money is
worth per cent will not consider it a
business proposition to invest in these
bonds, for at best the bonds will not
pay over 80 per cent including the
nontaxable feature. 1t is clear, there
fore, that the bonds will be bought in
large centers of wealth and not by
small capitalists anywhere.
''Again, the surplus accruing to the
interest tax fund is ample to pay the
$50, 900 interest on the school bonds
without increasing the tax rate. 1t
will not cost the people an extra cent,
as we are already paying the cOnstitu-
tiOnal limit of mills. This surplus
on the interest tax fund is apprOpri-
ated by the Legislature: at its discre-
tiOn, the Legislature may or may not
appropriate this surplus to the schools.
Vote the bond amendment and $50, 600
of it will be directed to the schools.
81 am prepared to say that what
ever may be said to the contrary that
the State Board of Education will
spend every cent of the money obtain
ed from the bond issue, should the
measure beratified, through the parish
school boards in exactly the same
manner as the general fund is now
distributed.
Il am deeply concerned because OF
the imperative need of the school
houses. No plan better than the bond
issue has been proposed to meet this
need. There are to-day 10000 white
children not in any school, public or
private. Good school houses and
wholesome environments will draw
these children to the school. A school
house fund provided will enable the
parish authorities to expend all their
school revenues for the payment of
teachers salaries and the lengthening
of the school term. l do not UNDER
stand why any man in Louisiana, and
especially in the country, could OPP
pose the bond issue. 1t is cause
noble and righteous, measure in the
interest of the children, and, believe,
in the wisdom and justice of the
people,"