The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1909-07-09
FRIENDLY SUIT
AGAINST CITY
NO MONEY HAS BEEN GIVEN tt! :
BOARD DURING THE PAST
TWO YEARS
President Wood Appeared Before
Council Last Night and Made an
Appeal in Sne Interest of Education
in the City.

In the GlIys
"If the board Of education is not
going to get money, and regular and
definite aid from the city of Bruns-
wick. then the schools will have to |
stop"
That was the statement made by
President A. V. Wood, OF the board OF
education, last night, when he ap-
peared before council in the interest
of the board and urged the city to
do something in financial way for
the schools to arrange some way
to pay to the board the money which
has been appropriated by council, but
which has never been paid.
President Wood at the request OF
the board. made an address to coUn-
Gil in the interest of education in
Brunswick 1t developed that the
schools have not received a cent from
the city, except the small sum Sc
cured from the rentals of Town Com
mons. in two years, although in 1908
and 1909 council had appropriated
$4,000 for the schools
In beginning his address, President
Wood stated that he was appearing
before the board in an effort to
straighten out the financial situation
between the city and his body. He
stated that the board had, for the
past few years, succeeded in saving
approximately S34 COO with which it
was intended to erect the new high
school, which is now nearing COM
p.ation The board owing to the fact
that no money was forthcoming from
the city, was compelled to use some
Of this reserve fund to pay off the
teachers, and now the board is COM
PEELED to have money for the new
school. The contract was made for
a $4,000 building, the board calculat-
ing on receiving at least $4,000 from
the city. But as this amount was not
received and the board had to use
some of the building fund to pay the
teachers, it is now practically
$4,000 short
Friendly Suit May Result.
1t seems that in 1907 special levy
Of one tenth of one per cent. was
made for the sustenance Of the
schools. The city, however, never
did levy this tax, but instead agreed
to pay to the board $4,000 annually,
approximately the sum which the
special levy would have amounted
to. President Wood last night stated
that he had been informed by the
chairman of the city finance COM
mittee that the money set aside for
1908 could not be paid, and that a
question of law was then brought up.
IF the mayor and council, still
contend that the board of education is
not entitled to anything but prom
ise suggest that a friendly suit be
entered by the board against the city,
and let the case be carried to the su-
preme court 4or final decision, and
then it can be definitely settled as to
whether or not the city can levy a
special tax"
President Wood said that the state
and county did not furnish a sufi-
cient sum to maintain the schools.
Brunswick contributes" he said
''oneninth the per capita of any city
in the state towards its public schools
Waycross last year gave to its public
schools $4,000, and it certainly looks
as if the local board is not given a
square show, People think that we
get an enormous sum out of the Town
Commons, but that source of revenue
is one of the curses of the board
Only a small sum is received annually
from this source"
In closing his address Chairman
Wood said that he had been requested
by the board to appear before coun-
Gil and ask if this friendly suit be
entered and to make some arrange
ment to secure the $4,000 now due
the board by the city, which will be
needed in a few days. The board, ht
said. if the city did not pay the money
would have to borrow $4,000 ant
then borrow more money for mex
year
After Mr.. Woods address the mat
ter was discussed by council and fin
ally motion was made by Alderman
Ludwig that the matter be referre'
to the finance committee and tha
the committee provide some way TO
paying the money and report back a
their next meeting