The St. Mary banner., 1906-03-31
COMMUNICATION.

DEAR SIR: | have read in you
paper, the letters OF both Mr.. Frer'
tnd MIR. Milling, and have quietly
Stutird same. The one for gool
roads and scnooi houses, the othe
for a IL w court house.
| | have. and am to-day, in favol
Of a new court house within the
means Of the public money, bu
not at sacrifice of schools anC
roads. A court house for $50, 900
would be a monument to the towr
Of Franklin as well as to the par
ish, and then give the balance,
which is wanted for the erection
of the new court house, for that
which is sorely needed, and fol
which the League is organized.
Mr.. Milling states that there will
be surplus Of $4,000 to $4,000
At the end Of the year, and out OF
that, wants to spend yearly for
ten years, $4,000 plus the interest
which will amount to SIS, ,25O.OO ;
hence the first year we will take
out Of the public fund, SIS, $50, the
second year, S14, $50, and the third
year, S14 ,25O, and from these fig
ures the court house will stand the
taxpayers 141,25O as against the
school treasury of $4,000 to
S1SO.O0O.
Let US take glimpse at the
schools in the parish and see
what they are to-day: There is
barely enough to pay teachers the
salaries they do get and for these
salaries, we cannot get the teach
ers We SO need. This condition is
proven in the eighth ward, where
the citizens have to pay their
principal $500 over and above
the amount paid by the school
board. Therefore, think it would
be best to take part of the sur
plus money and place to the credit
OF the school fund, thereby enab-
ling the school board to give each
community the needed teachers
and help keep the buildings in re-
pair after they have been once
built, all Of which is not being
done to-day.
1t is true the extra mill can be
levied as Mr.. Milling suggests, but !
after our venerable Governor gets
through raising assessments, it
will equal more than the extra |
mill. | do believe that the tax
payers should be shown first what
the actual money would be in the |
treasury and left tor the above
purpose before another burden so
heavy TO carry, as the one con-
is imposed upon them.
Look at the roads. To my
the water has stood in
he bitches the last year for want
If cleaning. | have asked for the
work to be done from the con-
ractor also from our member of
he jury. This work of which [
speak, was for the benefit of the
public school here, as there was |
10 drainage for the water after it
eft said yard, but stood in front
# the school building and has
,een full the entire year, much to
he danger of the health of both
hildren and the public. This 1
ondition has recently been bet
cred by the police juror from our
yard offering to pay for the work j
imself. ,
1t does not look just for a par !
,h like st. Mary, who wants to ,
'oast upon its resources, to spend ,
IS suplus in the manner pre- 8
cribsd. Let the people first see !
he results of all that is promised
n regards to the schools and
Dads, and then after balance is t
truck, see how much can be set r
side for a new court house. | feel t
Ontident that after this step is q
sken some Of the members who 4
oted for the S14, $50 building, will s
estate before casting another. u
et Us see the body that is power \
smedy first, the sanitary condi- t.
ons as they prescribe and if O
lisfortunes should again come, Il
e in position to lend helping O
and, which they would not be d
bic to do with dilapidated d
easury. q
Yours truly,
T. A. THORGEsoN.