The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-09
KING OPPOSES ONE-MILL TAX
 FOR SCHOOL
Appearing Before TaxBoard He Urges City to Issue
 Bonds For Schools.
OF DEANE'S
 SUCCESSOR $7, 800?
Board of Education's Needs Detailed Before Tax Board
 in City Hall.

III City Hall.
 Appearing before the board of ap- portionment last night as a -tcdtizen and taxpayer and not as a stpoliti- cian," John T. King opposed the re- quest of the board of education for the usual one-nliu tax which will pro- vide $115. for new school buildings. MT. King said in part:
 Bridgeport has suffered for many years because we have built schools out of money raised by direct taxa tion. I believe that one reason we have poor streets and poor sewers in this city is because of our andquated9 custom of building schools by direct tax a.tion. It is now the custom in well financed cities to build new schools by the sale of bonds and to make tenn porary Improvements such as streets and sewers from the sale of bonds. think it is time for Bridgeport to make the change
 Mayor wilson in message to the tax hoard at it's first meeting opposed the granting of this tax.
 The board of apportionTnent will probably turn down the request for the one-nnilI tax for new schools and the views of MT. King and Mayor Will son aside, a number of the members of the tax board have been steadily opposed to granting the tax this year.
  board doesn't know how to spend the money it has. It's members are never sure about anything and have to con- suit each other before replying to a direct question from any member Of our board.' y
 The members of the board of efuca- ton worked a. relay system at last nights hearing. President Ravens took the witness stand" and prompt ed the chairman of the sub-commit- tees of the board as they came for ward to explain the various divisions of the requisition. Back of him sat Superintendent of Schools Deane. It was like an European army battle line. The chairman of the sub-coTn- mittee was the line of first defense and when the fire of questions from the tax board got too hot and confus- ing he fell back on the second line of defense, President Ravens. The latter would stand the attack for a while and then duck to cover behind the re- serve, Superintendent Deane. He. usually managed to straighten things out.
 The board asks this year a total of $52s, ,949, or about 30 per cent. of the entire revenue of the city. Connis- sioner Kirk said the pro rata expense of education of pupils had increased more in proportion than the increase in the grand list Superintendent Deane said that was because in years past the schools were constantly crowded beyond capacity He said Waterbury pays 32 per cent. of it's to- tai revenue for schools and New Ha- ven S1 per cent. He said in New Ha- ven the tax is s mills on the grand list with one and one-ha1f mills for new buildings, while in Bridgeport it is 4 mills and mill for new schools.
 Secretary Boardman of the school board said the increase in the number is oh 1i,a17 means 20 new rooms each year with 40 pupils in each room He said he thought the board needed the one-ni1I tax in order that the building might keep pace with the growth of the city MT King asked if the board had set the salary for the new superintendent of schools. President Ravens an swered that the salary had been set at $5,0O0 but it might be raised to $7, 800.
 There will be a deficit of more than STA ,000 if the work the board of educa- tion has planned is carried out and the one-rniH tax not allowed, accord ing to President Haven. He told the tax board that his board has $154, ,746.14 left from the one-mi1l tax appropriated for. the past two years.
 To make up this more than S74,O90 deficit the board asks for the one-nliI1 tax this year. The recent issue of $2o0, GOO for new buildings has all been contracted for.
 President EHaVenS said there would be added to the salary list $500 for principals salaries, $1, 800 increase for teachers reaching their maximum this year, and S$1, 300 increase in High school teachers salaries; two additional principaIships. at 5000; assistants to the drawing and music teachers will be appointed at $2,000 for both, four new freshman room teachers in the High school,a gymnasium teacher for the new High school at $1,2o0 a libra rian at $500, and 30 additional teachers at $38, 500
 The board asked that the item of janitors salaries be increased from $31 ,O89 to $35, 900. President Ravens explained that this increase was need ed for the new High school janitors This means that the board expects janitors service in that building to cost about $3, 911 per year.
 Mayor Wilson, although he opposed the granting of the one-nai1 tax to the board of education would not dis cuss his opposition last night. He did question President Ravens regarding said he felt that from $8.00O to S1O.0oo per year could be saved the city if the. board would standardize plans for school buildings and employ a super intendent of construction to do the supervising now done by the architect. President Ravens said the board now has standard plans for school rooms but that standard plans for sschooI houses were not practical because of the varying shapes and sizes of the ots on which the school houses are built.