The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-01-11
The Arguments Are To Be
Submitted Later
POINTS BROUGHT FORTH
Capacity of the Mankato High
School Building Is
Considered
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
Hearing on the tuition controversy
between Mankato and North Mankato
before Judge w. l.. Comstock of the
district court was concluded Satur-
day afternoon.
In the afternoon, Superintendent Of
Schools Sperry was again on the wit
ness stand and his cross examination
was completed. Senator H. N. Ben
son, counsel for the North Mankato
side, sought to bring out that the
crowded condition at the high school
year, and that it was due to the es-
adjustment of a so-called six and-si&
high school plan, which took the sew
enth grade to the high school build
| ing. He objected to all testimony in
regard to the financial condition of
the school district, which tended to
show that the district was not able
to increase the size of the high school
building to accommodate the larger
attendance. That objection was
largely sustained
Mr. Sperry showed how the atten-
dance in the high school proper,
which is the four upper grades, had
developed since he came here some
nine or ten years ago.
Bonded Debt of District.
E. F. Soaring, secretary of the
Mankato school board, was recalled
by S. B. Wilson, counsel for the dis
trict, and stated that the bonded in
ldebtedness of the school district is
$4,000. He also stated that the pres
ent tax rate of the school district is
Is mills and that the limit of taxa
ton for general school purposes is
Is mills.
Judge Evan Hughes. member of the
school board, testified to the effect
that it was the crowded condition of
the high school that led to the action
of the school board in asking the
North Mankato pupils to pay tuition.
The reason that the North Mankato
pupils were selected rather than 9TH
ers to be debarred was that North
Mankato formerly had two years OF
high school work; also that it was a
village and large enough to maintain
high school course, but instead of
that it had closed its high school de-
partment for the purpose of dumping
| its pupils on the Mankato district,
thus saving the expense itself.
kumerow Was Called.
Mr.. Wilson rested with that testi-
mony and Mr.. Benson called j. C.
Kumerow of North Mankato to the
stand. Mr.. Kumerow testified to the
fact that his daughter had been ex-
cluded from the school because she
did not pay tuition. He admitted
that several years ago, there was
high school course in the North Man
kato school, but it had been discon-
tinued. He testified that North Man.
kato is residential community, hav-
| ing few stores or business places in
proportion to the population. Mr..
Benson sought to bring out that its
people are largely employed in Man
kato, and that it is residential sub
| urb.
A. Anderson, who is secretary of
the North Mankato school board, was
called and testified to the effect that
| in 1908 the school board had estab-
lished one-year high school work and
in 1909 had established two years of
high school work to continue for the
period of two years; and that this had
been discontinued in the spring Of
1872.
1t was agreed among the attorneys
| to submit the case to the court ON
written briefs, Mr. Wilkin having ten
| days to file his, Mr.. Kumerow having
ten days to answer, and Mr.. Wilson
| then to have reasonable time to
| ron1v