The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-07-18

Less than three dozen of the qualified
voters of the Union School distr let
were sufficiently interested in it's bust
ness affairs to attend the annual meet
ing held Monday evening and scarcely
two. thirds of this number expressed
themselves upon any one of the PROPOSE
tions upon which record vote was
taken. This is quite contrast to the
vote cast during the afternoon and
evening upon the bonding propositions
and for the election of trustees, more
than six hundred votes being cast. No
one will question the statement that
more people are interested in our school
system than in any other part of the
local government and yet only hand.
full take the trouble to attend the an.
nual meeting to hear the financial
reports and recommendation made by
the board and to pass upon the budget
for the coming school year. 1t is one
of the strange contrasts in public affairs
which is hard to explain.
President Robbins called the meeting
to order very promptly after s o'clock
and upon motion of s. s Miner, G. M
Dewey, 81. K. White and e. o. Dewey
were named as additional tellers TO
assist in counting the votes cast at the
election. The minutes of the last an.
nual meeting, the report of the secre-
tary and treasurer and the budget were
read by Secretary Sutherland and were
as given in our last issue. The reports
called forth considerable discussion,
many questions being asked, after
which the reports were approved.
The tellers reported the vote upon
the $34, 900 bonding proposition for the
purchase of additional land for school
sites and the erection Of an eight room
building to be 246 yes and S9l no, and
the same was declared lost. !. For the
election of trustees $50 voters expressed
their choice, SOC voting for Fred Welch,
ATT for William D. Whitehead, 1877 for
Geo. T. Campbell, one each for Odell
Chapman and DIR. P. 8. Wilson,
Messrs. Welch and Whitehead were
declared elected for the term of three
years.
The excitement Of the evening com.
menced when consideration of the bud.
get calling for $59, ,4O5 OS for expenses
for the coming school year was taken
up. The estimated receipts from pri.
mary school money, tuition, delinquent
taxes, etc, were placed at SEQ, 500,
leaving s33 600, which the board asked
to have spread on the tax rolls of the
district. In the budget aspublishei in
the city papers the last Of the week the
board stated that $3, 900 in addition to
this estimate would be required pro-
viding the bonding proposition failed
as the board would be called upon to
provide additional school room in some
other manner. Objections were made
to some items in the budget but no at
tempt was made to amend the same,
except that Odell Chapman moved that
an additional thousand dollars be in.
cluded to increase the salaries of teach.
ers below the ninth grade. No action
was taken as the motion failed to re-
ceive support. Mr. Chapman moved
that the board be instructed to call
speciil election before Oct. 1st to vote
upon the question of purchasing Ath-
letic park at cost Of 81, 500, the motion
being supported by s. 8. Miner. After
much discussion, during which the
opinion was expressed by several that
the land was chesp at the price aud
should be purchased before the option
expired on May 1st next, the motion
was lost. A motion by Z. o. Dewey,
supported by Odell Chapman, 8. s.
Miner and others, to include in the bud.
get the sum necessary to purchase the
land, carried 13 to 6-four of the mega.
tive votes being cast by members of the
board, who, while desiring the pur.
chase of the site, felt that as So, 900
more than the budget would be needed
for school purposes it was unwise to in.
rlude the So 500. The members later
On expressed themselves as being salts.
he'd with the action taken. Explaining
that an additional teacher would be
required in the normal department. and
that expense would necessarily be in
cured to rent school rooms or to pur.
chase portable buildings, w. e. Hall
moved that %, 900 be added to the bud.
get for the purpose; o. L. Sprague ex.
pressed the hope that the board might
possibly get through the year without
deficit IL the sum was made 1000