Evening journal., 1915-03-01
ALUMNI Stands
BY ITS POSITION
Says Boards Reply Con-
cerning Books Cost Is
Based on Wrong Figures
REITERATES CLOSED
BOOKS LIST CHARGE

In answer to the statement made
public by the executive committee Of
tho Beard of Public Education. oa
Saturday. the Alumni Association of
the Wilmington High School relter-
ates all statements contained in its
letter 10 the committees of the Legis-
Nature having before them for con-
sideratiOn the bill amending the char
Ter of the Board Of Education. 1t de-
sires to be understood that the state
ment referred to by the executive
committee Of the board as alleged TO
have been made by the Alumni As
sOciation," was I'm fact prepared solely
by its officers, without suggestion or
assistance from anyone, and it stands
upon the same without any retraction
or alteration.
The statement of the Alumni Asso-
citation continues:
"rhe Board Of Education alone took
exception to the figures presented by
the Alumni Association concerning the
cost OF textbooks and school sup
plies. In reply they made a state
but on the figures contained In let
ters sent to them upon their request
by the firm from whom, according
TO their own statement. they have
heen purchasing such supplies Tor a
large number of years. These figures
differ in no small amount from the
statement Of expenditures for text
books and supplies as shown in the
annual reports OF the Board of Edu-
cation for the years 1910. 1911 and
I 1912. Reference will be made TO this
later.
"As before stated. the figures given
I by the Alumni Association are taken
from an impartial source, namely, the
government figures I'm the financial
statistics of cities. which are compiled
/ by the Bureau Of Census from data
gathered by government agents who
/ examined the books and accounts or
/ the various boards OF education in the
United States az stated periods. That
such an examination has been made
] by government agents of the books
and accounts of the Board of Educa-
/ tion OF Wilmington was affirmed by a
I statement of the secretary of the
board at the hearing before the leg
] islatiye committees. Such figures
were used in order that n comparison
could be made with the average Of
other cities in the United States,
especially since they show the aver
age expense per 100 pupils in regular
attendance, not only in this city, but
in the other 1914 cities of the United
States, and permitted an explanation
a. ~
that make up such expenses.
"Ihese government reports separat
the expenditures for text books fror
those for school supplies, and civ
amounts In separate statements, Will
the reports Of the Board of Education
group these items of expenditure, max
ing II impossible go ascertain from th
latter the separate expenditures fo
either text books or supplies. The gov
crnment reports STOW thar the eNpens
for text books in' Wilmington in 1917
WAS S9.27l; in 1911. Sl3,I05. and in 1912
SS9l2. For the same years the eNpendi
lures for school supplies in Wilmington
were S2,04S, Sl.21j and S7,l29, respect
ively The average daily attendance il
1910 was s,305; in 1911. s,33l, and IL
1912. S.4l7. The above expenditures
when divided by the number OF pupil
in average daily attendance-thc hasi
that the government has adopted as th
correct one. and which it uses in making
. its tabulations-sh shows that the eXpendi
lures for text books in Wilmington pc
pupil for the year 1910 was Sill; TO
1911. Sl.G4. and for 1912, Sl.05 and 10
school supplies for 1910, p cents 20
. 1911. - cents. and for 1912. s4 cents
the same figures that the Alumni Asso
citation submitted to the legislatiy
committees.
Public attention should be callel
to the fact that in the letters from th'
firm from whom the Board of Edu
cation, according to its own state
ment. purchases its textbooks ant
! supplies, and made public by IN,
board. it is stated that the total pur
chases of books and supplies for 1911
was $12.159; for 1911. S1O,7O7, ant
for 1912. S14,427. The annual re
ports Of the Board of Education shoy
! that, instead of the above amounts
there was expended in 1910 for text
books and stationery" s1O,26S.13, o
i 81 $1,000 less than the amount givel
in the letters above referred to; tn
annual report for 1911 shows tha
there was expended for textbook
and stationery" S14,276.67, or SO,
4 569.14 more than the amount give
8 in the letters above referred to
and the annual report for 1912 show
4 that there was expended for "text
! books and supplies" S15.646.9S, o
$1,2195S more than the amount give
in the letters above referred tC
Surely it should not have been neces
s sary, in view of the statements O
the board that it kept a most detaile
set of books, TO go to an outsid
source TO determine what were Il
purchases of textbooks and supplies
Also, when such extraneOus source
4 resorted to the information obtaine
should not differ even in any smal
amount from the public statement
4 made by the board in It's annual re
: ports Yet it appears that there