The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-10-05
Friends of City Schools See
Grave Danger in the Pro-
posed Amendment
THE COUNCIL OEFERS ACTION
Bitter Argument on the Passage of
the Charter Provision Keeps Coun-
Gil in Session Until Long After
Midnight.

After one of the bitterest arguments
heard before the common council in
years that body at an early hour this
morning declined to take action on the
proposed amendment to the city char
ter which provides for changes in the
levying of taxes for the use of the
public schools The fact that the coun-
Gil did not act is not an, indication
that the amendment will not be adopt
ed for it is certain that at the con-
clusion of the argument this morning
a large majority of the members of
the council had not been shaken in
their determination to curb the school
board and it is not improbable that the
proposed charter amendment ordinance
will be passed at the next meeting of
the council. However, the members
of the council after refusing such an
action by an almost unanimous vote
after the argument consented to an ad-
journment of the argument for fort
night in order to give members Of the
board of education and other residents
of the city a chance to appear before
the council and protest.
The charter amendment simply stat
ed does this. 1t takes from the board
of education the right to demand of
the council funds for the operation of
the schools and makes it mandatory
on the board to request such funds
The council under the present charter
provision is forced to grant the bud
get asked by the board, but under the
proposed amendment the council must
consider the estimate, but it is not
necessary that it grant the amount
asked for
The opposition to the ordinance on
the council was limited to the senior
alderman from the second ward and he
was the only one to speak against the
passage of the ordinance from the
members of the council. He had the
support of Mrs. Mary d. Bradford,
superintendent of the schools and At
torney A. E. Buckmaster and George
III. Curtis, members of the board. The
great trouble at the present time is
that recent difficulties with the school
board in regard to demands that to
many Of the members of the council,
seemed unreasonable, had brought a
feeling against the board This feel
ing is so strong that the members of
the council seem to refuse to look at
the greater problem, of the future of
the schools. The aldermen who favor
ed the passage Of the charter amend
ment insisted that the schools of the
city would be just as safe in the hands
of the council as in the hands of the
school board and they held that the
city council must necessarily have
supervision over all departments of the
city.
The speakers against the passage of
the ordinance urged the special work
done by the board and insisted that the
board was best able to judge as to
what was necessary for the schools.
They pointed to the success of the
schools in the past as the best possible
argument against any change in the
charter. At the next meeting of the
council 5he argument will be resumed
and it is probable that at that time
all the members of the school board
and many other people Interested in
the proposed amendment will be pres
ent. They plan to present some in
teresting figures TO show the increase
in expenses of the city and they have
declared that these figures will show
an economical management of affairs
by the various boards of education and
that they show that notwithstanding
the great increase in the number of
school children in the city the increase
in the cost of managing the schools has
not been nearly as large as increases
in other departments of city business
which have been handled directly by
the council