Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-11-08
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
MAY Be SUSPENDED
UNLESS CITY COUNCIL VOTES
SCHOOL TAX LEVY
School Board Brought Matter Before
City Fathers at Yesterdays Meet
ing-Cobolini and Kirk Still De-
mand Publication of Report.

After resting for several weeks
the matter of the tax levy for 1912
was again up before the city council
yesterday. The meeting adjourned,
however, without settling the matter.
! Aldermen Cobolini and Kirk, who re-
fused to vote for the tax levy when
it was brought before the council
several weeks ago, because no fnan-
cial statement had been made by the
city for the year ending April 30,
continue to oppose the levy on the
same ground.
The matter, however, has been re-
duced to a more concrete form, and
it is probable that the financial re-
port will be made out during the
next week and published. When
this is done, the objecting aldermen
promise, all things being satisfactory,
TO vote for the tax levy.
The delay in passing the tax levy
has come to point where it is
! feared that it may interfere with the
| continuation Of the public school
The city school board has been bor-
rowing money from a local bank to
keep the school going, but it was an
nounced at yesterdays meeting they
will not longer be able to secure
funds thus.
A sa result of this situation, mem
bers of the school board, including
President j. l.. Workman, Frank
Pierce, George McGonigle and G. NJ.
Cara, appeared before the council
yesterday morning. They secured
the promise of the members Of the
| council to vote the school tax, at
least, which is 90 cents nthe 500
valuation, whether the entire tax
levy is voted or not At the after
noon meeting, however, Mayor Cole
and City Attorney Kinder, without
having looked into the legal sides OF
this proposition, were of the opinion
that this could not be done. There
| fore no action was taken.
Attorney Frank G. Pierce submit
ted a statement to the council, show
| ing the running expenses Of the
school for the year, with salaries Of
superintendent, principal, teachers,
| janitors, etc. He also stated that
teachers who were required to attend
| the summer normals were allowed
| about $4,000 for expenses. The
board, according to the statement,
will receive about SIT, 200 as its por-
ton of the state school fund, and will
require s9,2SO from the city, to be
raised through the school tax.
The board is about $4,000 in ar
rears, borrowed from banks, and will
need So, to pay November salar-
| les. The state money is coming in
small amounts, and it was stated the
board will have to close the school
unless arrangements Of some kind
\ are made.
Alderman Cobolini stated that it
pains him greatly to know that the
schools may be retarded by his vote,
and that the school board was en-
/ titled TO an explanation of the stand
+olraD hx- !, ;,,,caIf opd Aldorp,op Ly;rly
/ He then read a written statement
before the council and the members
I of the school board, signe dby him
self and Mr. Kirk, which follows:
Statement by Aldermen Cobolini and
Kirk.
Moved by consideration for the
/ highest regard from our fellow tax
payers and the people of Brownsville,
whose interests are our own, we beg
leave to submit to this honorable
council that we do not feel justified
4 in further taxing the people until we
and the co-members of this council
7 ult pOSlllOh " SdNASls lUC just ut-
mands of the tax payers and citizens
made fro mtime to time through the
/ two daily newspapers. the Browns
Vile Herald andthe Sentinel. asking
compliance with statutory law, Ar
ticle $50 of the revised statutes, pro-
I yiding for the publication Of full
statement Of the receipts and expend-
itures Of the city. the sources from
which the funds were derived and
for what purposes disbursed and
such other information as NAV be
necessary TO full understanding of
/ the financial condition of the city
I'VE are not aware that state
menit, such as is contemplated and
required by the aforementioned ar
ticle, has been published. and we can
see no reasonable excuse for not sat