The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-11-06
SCHOOL QUESTION
STILL AGITATlNG
OFFICIAL MINDS
Special Bond Election is Being
: Urged by Many Citizens for
Near Future.
Will Start in Next Year Grip
pied Again.
MAYOR SMITH Is INTERESTED
MAYOR SMITH Is INTERESTED

The exact condition of the city
schools of Paducah. their immediate
necessities, prospective revenue and
the situation to be faced next year,
probably will be overhauled in the
next few days.
The failure of the bond issue has
been blow to the hopes Of the trus-
tees, but II Is believed they will stay
and face the situation. The failure
of the bond issue. which had a big
majority in favor of It, but not the
required two-thirds. is no reflection
Of public sentiment against the trus-
tees. and their constituents are look
ing to them to battle the thing
through, as no one else understands
the situation as they do.
IL can be said, too. that Mayor
James p. Smith is interesting himself
in the situation, as the press and pub
lie are asking. and while he said pos
lively this morning, that he did not
wish TO be understood to be obviously
intermeddling and trying to dictate in
matter outside his purely Official
duties, as a citizen and mayor OF Pa
ducah, he is ready and willing to CO.
operate with the trustees in relieving
the distress of the schools
II is known that since the election
Mayor Smith has talked to Trustee
W. j. Hills informally on the subject;
though no conference has been ar
ranged TO discuss the situation thor
oughly.
The schools may manage to get
through this year in a crippled con-
dition. anticipating July revenue
again and carrying through June a
debt of $4,000; but that would start
them In next year with the same de-
pleted condition Of the treasury. with
extra expenses Of neglected repairs.
and the same dearth of sanitary and
Ihygienic arrangements at the schools,
as well as unfit equipment. Instead
of cutting down expenses, there Is an
urgent necessity for the schools to
increase the teaching force for the
sake OF the children. who are crowded
many more in a room than a teacher
can teach with justice to the pupils.
The Funds.
The money the schools will get can
be estimated. State Treasurer Ed
Farley said they will receive about
81 900 before January 1, and the city
will give them approximately STA, 900.
In January the state will give them
about S10, 900 more and the city will
give the schools about $4,000 up to
and including July. 1t will require
between $4,000 and $40 900 to run
the schools during that period for
salaries and incidentals. and there is a
debt of $4,000 in notes, besides side
walk assessments and the demands
put upon the schools by the board of
health.
II is not a pleasant prospect that
confronts the schools. especially II
they have to use up that $4,000 due
In July for this year.
A city can retrench from one year
TO another, but il Is a different mat
ter for a school to retrench, when its
support now is so meagre that its
equipment and the number of teach
ers and the pay are not up to the or
binary standard. Street Improvements
can be postponed, but the postpone
ment of the Improvement of a child S
mind and the curtailment of expend-
lures to that end, are not lightly to
be considered.
Some people suggest that a special
election for a school bond issue be
held, the amount of bonds to be lin
tied to the actual present needs of the
schools and that the question be care
fully explained to the voters.