The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-24
Topeka Lavish in Expenditures
for Schools.
CT. Cooling, Government Ex-
pert, Makes Comparisons.
HE WAS ASTOUNDED.
Doesn't Understand Abnormal
Outlay for School Purposes.
Expense Exceeds Total Of All
Other Departments.

"You ought to have the finest
schools here in Topeka to be found
anywhere in the whole country said
Clarence F. Gooding, one of the sta
tisticians for the census department at
washington. who is here gathering
figures about Topeka for the govern
ment Mr. Gooding then went on TO
show that Topeka spent $177,OOO Tor
her schools in 1906, which was twice
the sum expended by Wichita and
larger than the amount spent py
sixty other cities of the same size and
even larger than Topeka that year.
Out Of sixty-seven cities in the 3d.
600 population class Topeka ranked
seventh in expenditures for schools.
The only cities this size that spent
more than did Topeka were Newton,
Mass. regarded as the finest school
CITY in the country. and Pueblo,
Sacramento and Spokane and western
cities where prices for everything are
abnormally high.
Topeka spent about 100000 for
her schools last year, so it may be ex-
pected that this city climbed to the
top of the list of the siXty-seven cities
above spoken of.
Mr. Codding. who has been in the
census department for a great many
years and who has been engaged in
securing all the vital statistics for
cities OF thirty thousand inhabitants
founded at the magnitude of the sum
spent here for books. He found II far
in excess OF all other public expendi-
lures in proportion to the city. He
noted the school expenditures as the
one peculiar and abnormal thing in
connection with a we'll balanced and
prosperous city.
Mr. Gooding did not pretend to
criticize the action of the school board
in spending such immense sums for
education, but he was struck with the
amount of the expense in proportion
to the city and its school system
He spoke of Newton, Mass, as a city
that made a speciality of having the
most complete and very best school
system obtainable. Newton is close to
Boston and is a rich city, competing
with the best and Oldest school towns
in New England for pupils for its
schools and colleges.
Such well known school cities as
Haveril. Mass, Passaic, n. J.. and At
lantic City. are all far below Topeka
in money expended for schools, and
they are in the $4,000 population class,
too.
Now there are few people in the
country that are opposed to education,
and Topeka favors the best of schools
and plenty of them, but the expendi-
lures Of the board of education here
for the past few years have, in the
fnlnuS OF many OF our most progressive
and intelligent citizens, passed all
bounds for a city of this size. The ex-
pense Of conducting our schools ex-
ceeds that of the entire city govern
ment, including salaries of city en-
ployes, care Of the streets, fire. police
and sanitary departments and a hun
bred other items of expense. The $177,-
600 spent in 1906 was increased to $780,
900 in 1907 and what will be spent in
1908 Is only conjecture unless some
weight is placed on the safety valve.
The board OF education in Topeka does
not stop to consider such trifles as the
So. 900 extra money demanded of the
people of this city for extra books this
year aside from those required by the
state law. neither do they mind such
sums as quarter of a million and $780,
600 in seeking for the ideal along edu-
cational lines. Topeka, and not Bos-
ton and other Massachusetts cities, will
soon be the hub Of learning in this
country.