Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-10
TWO MILLS ADDED TAX WOULD
SOLVE PROBLEM
CITY oUTGR0Ws ITS SCHOOLS
Women Outnumber Men az Teachers
Because Salaries Are Small-Male
Instructors Are Necessary In
Advanced Grades

would add two mills on the $100 val
uation to what they now pay, the
greatest problem of the schools would
be solved"
That. in brief, is the "way out" of
the present difficulties that bother the
Gepa rtment, as Superintendent ]. A.
F'oshay sees it. It seems a simple So
luton; it is. But 1t will take deal
Of red tape to bring 1t about, and so
far no one has had the courage to sug-
gest it.
Instead, bond issues from time to
time, makeshifts at best; temporary ar
rangements Of this sort and that; ex-
pediences Of one kind and another
all these are resorted to, because they
touch no mans pocketbook directly,
and because the welfare Of the children
is apparently of less consequence than
are other problems which the city gov
ernment must face-for the children
cannot vote, you see.
Can't Keep Pace With Growth
I'VE cannot keep up with the growth
OF the city," said the superintendent,
as he chatted, one day last week, on
his work and its worries. 1.-THE chill
dren come faster than we can make
room for them. You see, we plan on
the basis of the school census, which
is taken in April; by the time the
school year, for which it is basis.
opens in September, several thousand
more children have arrived. What are
we to do with them?
"At present, we are using temporary
school buildings"
"Shacks?"
Yes, that's what you newspapers
have called them, and somehow the
name sticks" Mr.. Foshay laughed.
I'VE call them temporary buildings,
and 1 like that name better. Why
don't you call them bungalows, and
then it wouldn't sound so bad"
Shacks!"
And once more the superintendent
laughed aloud.
I'VE have bond issue, but no man
can tell when that will be available.
In the meanwhile we must do some
thing else. And so, as the new poly
technic high school will be in use this
season, we will take the 'shacks' 1t
releases and put them on wheels and
move them to places where they are
most needed. Then, we will hold half
day sssions in the lowest grades and
double up that way. But 1t will keep
us worried just the same.
Bond Scheme not Good
1--WE don't plan far enough ahead.
Perhaps we can't. This bond issue
scheme is not the solution. 1t is our
rule, forced by circumstances to await
till conditions are simply unbearable,
and then to issue bonds and put UP
q dozen or fourteen buildings all at
cnce. BY the time all this is done
and it takes a good while-we find that
our work has not relieved the situa-
tion permanently, for the influx of
population is so great that we have
only provided for it in part, and once
more the future has caught up with
us. And then we worry along with
'shacks,' and wait till we can get
another bond issue. We haven't dis
counted the future: we have merely
net the present needs.
"Tf the taxpayers of Los Angeles
would add two mills on the $100 val
uation to what they now pay the
greatest problem of the schools would
be solved. Then we would have per-
manent building fund; this would give
lis enough to add two or three build
ings a year, as we needed them. and
we could keep abreast of the incom-
ing flood of pupils.
1--WE found last April that we had
5000 have come in since then. Why,
do you or the people realize that our
increase from year to year is as
great as the whole school enrolment
Of Pasadena? Hardly. But 1t is. And
we must take care of the increase,
too"
Neglect the Children
Somehow, the children are the last
to be worried about. We extend our
streets because we want to sell lots,
and we put in sewers and curbing and
walks, because people must have these
things when they build. But we forget
that the children must go to school,
and the means of education are the
last to be looked after.
"Thus we are always behind; we nev-
er seem to catch up with ourselves.
Sometimes 1t looks like we never
would"
"The Los Angeles schools have
great reputation in the east, haven't
they?" he was asked.
The look 6f WEAKNESS gave way to
one of pride. Superintendent Foshay
smiled, till a rift opened through the
mass of au-let us say blonde-whis-
kers, and his wrinkled forehead re-
laxed He tilted forward in his office
chair, and smiled.
at hardly becomes me to say So"
he began modestly.
Osy IL