New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1904-10-15
REGULAR MEETING SCHOOL
BOARD.

at the Court House, Oct. II, 1904, will
the following members present: Presi
dent l. r. Rand, A. J. Cammack, &. C.
Laughlin, W. r. Farmer, l.. o. Hacker
Fred Decourt
On motion of w. K. Farmer, Rev. {. C.
Kramer and A. B. Murray were appointed
to aid the Superintendent in holding al
examinations that may be ordered by the
State Board of Education.
On motion of A. J. Cammack the writ
ten contract, presented to the Board for
ratification, between o. Broussard, mem
Der of the School Board, and Bourgeois
& Beauieu, proposing to sell certain tim
bers described in said contract for 81 25
per thousand and allowing 80 years 10
cut same, was annuled, for the reason
that the Board had no legal right to sell
this timber, except as provided by law
which requires a vote of the property tax
payers of the township in which the land
is situated, and then upon cash pay ment
of one-tenth Of the purchase price and nine
yearly notes.
A motion prevailed that all outstanding
contracts made with individuals by the
Board for the sale of timber be declared
nnl and void, as having been made in
violation of the law.
In view of the fact that there are SO
many 10th sections of swamp land in the
State that could be sold, and the proceeds
applied to school purposes, since the law
provides that such land can only be sold
upon request from a majority vote Of
the taxpayers of the township in which
said sections are situated, then for one
tenth sc The purchase price in cash, and
th, balance il nine yearly payments with
18so interest, and the proceeds of said
payments to be paid into the State
Treasure as perpetual loan on which
the State allows and pays over to
the different school boards sc upon the
amount held in trust, therefore,;
Be it resolved, That the Hon. X. F.
Broussard. M. c., be requested and urged
to introduce an act in Congress to author
ize the School Boards of each Parish to
sell these 10th sections in their respective
Parishes at public auction to the last and
highest bidder after due and legal adver-
timent.
On motion of A. j. Cammack, the Pres
ident was authorized to borrow $4,000 tho
latter part of Oct. to pay teachers sal
aries.
On motion of W. H. Farmer, the Presi-
dent was authorized to renew all policies
on school buildings and school furniture
now about to expire.
Fred Decourt offered the following reso-
luton, which was adopted unanimously
Whereas, the School Board of Iberia
Parish looks with favor upon the proposed
constitutional amendment authorizing
the issue of bonds to the extent Of one
million dollars, in order that the proceeds
improvement of schools
Be it resolved, that the voters OF Iberia
Parish be requested to support the amend
given in support OF this appeal.
LIST. That while it is proposed to incur
debt on behalf of the State, it will be
for public good most earnestly desired
the construction of new schools and the
improvement of those already existing, to
the end and that the children may have
not only school houses but of the highest
order and with the best surroundings.
laIf rp,l ha hv
State, aud not by the Parishes and will
be paid not by an increase OF taxes. bnf
from the ordinary revenues OF the State.
Ord. The State Board of EducatiOn,
upon whom devolves the distribution OF
this fund has ordered that the entire
fund, procee ds of the sale of the bonds,
be placed to the credit of the various Par
ishes. according to the nun h,.i OF educa
BILE children therein. That is the basis
on which the educational fund is at pres
ent distributed by the State, and is equit
able This fund would furnish Iberia
Parish approximately, based on the pres
ent enumeration, the sum of $2l $40.
4th. This fund would be used for the
construction of new schools and the i'm
provement of those existing, lessening II
heavy burden on the School Board en-
ablDg it to use its ordinary revenues in
providing teachers for all schools, and ef
fectng such other improvements as the
situation requires.
9Th, The objections that this is debt
on the State for which it must pay inter
est and that il would be better to divide
annually among the Parishes an amount
equal to what the yearly interest will
amount are without weight. SO is the
proposition that the State set aside an
annual fund until it aggregates the sum
desired. What is needed 10 the school
house now, for the child of to-day, and
not of the next generation. The school
patrons of that day will take care of the
issue themselves, and will be the better
qualified for it, for having had the school
house to-day.
The debt is for a purpose which will
rebound at once to its.greatest good without
any appreciable burden on the taxpayer
for his tax will never be increased to meet
this indebtedness. The State will always
collect six mills of taxes which it has the
authority to do. It will
make various uses Of these revenues.
These will naturally increase with the in-
crease in the valuation of property. The
adoption of the constitutional amendment
simply, in effect, directs That part OF these
revenues be used for the liquidation of
an indebtedness which the State has in
Cured to supply to the educational needs
Of the Parishes.
To attempt to divide among the Parishes
not million OF dollars at once, but the
yearly interest at small rate, computed
on this amount, would give to each Parish
such ridiculously small amount as to
enable the undertaking or accomplishment
Of nothing.
Let us have sufficient sum placed at
he disposal of each Parish School Board
Tor the immediate construction OF all
needed schools and the improvement Of
hose existing
Let the various resources Of the School
Boards, Greed of the burden Of building
md maintaining schools) be devoted
o the employment of teachers and the
a - |