Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-11
THURSDAY. APRIL IL. 1915
School Money for Next Year.

In due time. and in accord with the
PROVISIONS of law, the Board of Fduca-
lion has prepared its financial estimates
for the next fiscal year, and will submit
them 10 CITY Council The budget, as
carefully prepared by The finance COM
mittcc and approved by the board. calls
for an appropriation of SSH, ,l6O, an in
crease of S79,45575 over the demands
Of the current fiscal year
We think it may safely be assumed,
from the outset. that the Board of Edu-
cation Is Justified in asking nm arpro-
prlation to this extent from the City
Council. Also. that the City Council
will not only bc justified in making an
appropriation of this amount, but may
Law itself open 10 the criticism Of not
meeting the demands of our educational
interests if If should cut down this cSti-
mate Of the Board Of Education 10 any
material extent.
As our readers well know. the Board
OF Education has been an object Of ad-
verse comment in the columns Of this
paper for quito a number Of years. The
board has pursued a financial policy that
Every Evening looked upon as adverse
10 public interests and against the prln-
ciples \ Of sound administration. For
wears il has been conducting the affairs
of our public schools under an insufficient
appropriation. but has expended money
for necessary requirements Just as freely
as though il had the cash balance in bank
to it's credit 10 meet all tho expenditures
Az a natural result, wear after wear, II
closed its fiscal year with deficit, which
was in plain violation Of The law.
The members of the Board Of Educa-
tion have justified this precariouS finan-
cial policy on tho ground that the only
other resort would have been closing
of the schools before the expiration Of
the school wear. and this they could not
bring themselves 10 do Every Evening
oontendcd that it would be Tar better. as
demonstration OF principle III municipal
administration. for the Board Of Educa-
ton. when its current revenues were ex-
hausted. TO have closed the schools.
rather than incurring a floating debt,
and thereby placing the responsibility
for the result upon the City Council,
where il properly belonged
The budget Of the Board Of Education,
Is prepared for submission 10 City Coun-
oil. is clear and comprehensive. We do
not believe that valid objection may he
justly urged against single item The
board will have need Of every dollar that
il will ask City Council TO appropriate
for the ensuing school year.
Nor can II he urged that an appropria-
ton Of little more than half million
dollars for conducting the public schools
OF this city for year is extravagant
In hulk il seems reasonable, when We
consider what our city now is worth
with a population Of more than a hun
dred thousand, and industries that bring
vast wealth within our borders. The esti-
mate is not at all unreasonable, and
City Council should 50 regard il
OF course, school expenditures are
met from tax money, the same as other
expenditures for municipal administra-
lion. But while our people naturally
protest against any excessive taxation.
We have no doubt that ali Of them are
willing to submit to any reasonable ex-
tent OF taxation for the purpose OF main
tanning our public schools. They know
tire value of the public school system,
what it means TO the community. and
will cheerfully contribute their tax money
to continue the schools IN effective opera
tion.
And so we hope the City Council will
accept the financial estimate Of the Board
OF Education, and allow it to the last
dollar Let the school board get on sound
financial feet once more, so that it may
be able TO conduct year S operations on
8 cash basis. Should it default, after
being allowed a full appropriation by
City Council, the people would know
where to place the blame for the delin-
Quency