The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-07-10

designations have been rendered and
accepted, If not openly requested, to
be followed by combined protests on
the part of the faculties. This spirit
is distinctly Protestant in its nature,
and it leads, like all similar move
ments, to the grossest intolerance in
those who demand freedom for them
selves while denying it to others.
Much has been written and much de-
MED about the materialistic tendency
said to be evident in both the thought
and the expression in vogue in many
state universities. The fact remains
that any one at all familiar with the
situation recognizes the truth of the
accusation. Is it not within the
bounds of probability that this spirit
may so assert itself as to prove real
menace to all private agencies of edu-
cation?
The most feasible method, probably,
to settle the matter of school taxation
would be to win over our non-Catholic
brethren to our ideas of education. If
all the larger denominations in the
country, that at present admit the
necessity of religious training in edu-
cation, were to unite on the platform
of equal distribution of educational
funds, based on certain conditions, the
movement, would be broader in its
scope, and would be in better condi-
ton to succeed. The State could still
supervise educational requirements,
set certain fixed standards to obtain
into agreeable channels that portion of
the state educational funds which un-
der the present mode of distribution
are used for the benefit of the majority
to the utter disregard of the minority.
AS administration in a practical way
of the disability under which Catho-
lies are obliged to labor in this matter,
let us take local example. The city
of ST. Paul, while not numbered among
the largest nor the smallest commune
ties in the country, is a fair test of the
amount of taxation to which Catholics
contribute without absolutely the
slightest return.
According to the report of the State
Superintendent of Education, and of
the Board of Education of st. Paul,
| issued for the years 1910-1911, the fol
lowing is a summary of expenditures
and of property valuation in this one
city.
In those years there were fifty-five
grade and high schools in the city
| These schools contained 29,029 pupils,
and were attended by TIT teachers
This makes an average of about forty
pupils to teacher The salaries paid
to these TT teachers aggregated $685.
553.37, averaging to each teacher
$86967.
The property valuation for the fifty
| five schools amounted to $3,627 200
which means an average valuation of
each building of $65,949. On the basis
of fifty-five schools for 29,029 pupils
we have an average seating capacity OF
518 pupils to school.
On the above estimate the average
cost for the education of pupil would
be at the least computation, twenty
eight dollars cit may be remarked that
at present the cost is considerably
higher).
Now there are at present 8,605 pupils
in the parochial schools of the city.
That would mean, on the above basis,
215 teachers, at an average cost of
$869.67..
8,605 divided by SIS, the average
seating capacity of a school, gives us
seventeen more schools Since the
average cost of building is found to
be $65,94 that would entail an outlay
of $1,121 1913. The average. cost for
educating a pupil being $28.00, sum
equal to $240,940 would be required to
take care of the 8,605 pupils.
Thus we find that if the Catholic
pupils of the schools of the City of st.
Paul were suddenly required to attend
the public schools, or if the Church
authorities allowed this, the City of
st. Paul would suddenly be confronted
with taxation bill of $1,362, 073, a
sum which the city is saved through
the generous sacrifices of its Catholic
citizens.
It may here be remarked that in
case of such contingent as the sud-
den shifting of so many children to
the public schools the taxation would
be raised proportionately; Catholics
would have their proportionate share
in the increase, but they would be
saved the extra cost of Catholic educa-
ton, with the result that the heaviest
part of the burden would fall on the
non-C Catholic portion of the population.
What has been said of st. Paul by
way of illustration, of course, is true
of every other community in the
country. If we take into account the
fact that at present we have in this
country $50 colleges and academies
for girls, and 229 for boys, the great
saving to the high schools is evident.
This appears even more convincing
when it is known that according to
the, census of last year there are in
America 5,488 parish schools, with an
aggregate attendance of 1,456,206
pupils.
Thus in rapid survey of the situation
lit is easy to deduce the conclusion
that the Catholic school system is ac-
tually saving an enormous amount to
the people OF the whole country.
AS Mgr. McDevitt emphatically de-
clares, I'VE should declare that any
recognition which officials of the State
or boards of od11cofiou NOV ooo0rd RI