Evening journal., 1920-01-17
staff Correspondent.

staff Correspondent
MILFORD, Del Jan i7-The confirm
ID opponents Of the new School Code
Nperienced quite a shock when thes
licked up the Wilmington papers and
.ead OF the Wilmington Board or Edu-
t.on's admission that they are az The
nd OF their string financially, without
facilities for taking care OF pupils, VIII
buildings neediEg repairs. with no sys'
en- Of bookkeeping or business meih-
DDS. and said 10 be facing the posi-
biliiy OF coslng the schools.
pointing with pride" TO Wilmington
schools and school system as an ex'
ample Of perfection that may be alta d
ed in school affairs without accepting
The school Code has been s.andDy a..
gument Of the opponents Of the Schoo
code in this VIC nifty. The more satls-
faclorily the school Code has worked
I'm districts wh .ch have accepted H.
more opponents Of the Code have de-
pended upon Wilmington 10 furnish
shin ng example Of successful ana MOD
ol schools outside" The Code.
The revelation Of c0nd.t Ons IN VII
mington furnished by the Win ngton
Board Of Education itself-a Board
which is anti-School Code-has taken
he wind out OF the sails OF the op-
poneuts OF the Code "down state II
has deprived them Of their biggest tax
ing point
The friends Of the School Code see
in the Wilmington situation a conhrma-
ton Of what they have been ssying
from the nrst: namely public school
affairs In Delaware had reached !
polnt where new laws, new method
new administrative policies, and high-
cr lakes had 20 come or the public
school system would have collapsed
schools would have been closed by the
scores. and the entire state woula
have been facing today just what VII
mirgton IS facing.
II would have been impossible TO run
the publie schools Of Milford ms yea
on the amount OF taxes raised 10 run
them last year. Everything mas gone
up. The price OF education Is no eXcep-
tion. This Is true not only OF the NIL
ford schools. but Of all schools IN Del
aware. Wilmington's situation proves
this lis school year IN only half nm
ished but the entire years appropria'
lion has been expended and a deficit mas
beer created.
When opponents OF the Code have de-
nourced ID as the cause OF higher
school taxes. itsfriends have replied thal
The Code has not caused higher scho0I
taxes. Conditions wholly apart ron
The Code have caused higher schOo
taxes. Higher wages must be pao
teachers. Text books and all supplies
are higher. Fuel is higher Labor i
higher. Unless these higher wages and
higher prices had been met this year
not only dozens but scores and tens ol
scores OF schools IN Delaware would have
heen forced TO close This would have
been true had the old school laws still
been in force.
The new School Code makes IL pos
sble for any community to meet these
financial emereencies In, a buslness-lik'
manner. to arrange a budget, TO appor'
tion expenses, TO issue bonds and other
wise conduct the financial end OF the''
school affairs in a way that VIII keel
their schools open and at the same time
ayoid the waste Of single cent raised
by taxation.
The lack Of any real business system
and the failure 10 live up to the budge
system which has brought the VII.
rl;nvton Board o. Education to griei
md makes Il impos BILE now for II e
BOW IT'S exact debts cannot exist il
,ly school operated under the SchoO
lode.
Proof that the Milford schools could
not have been maintained this year for
anything like the amount they cost last
,ar is found in the school budget OF
5ilf0rd. Milford schools white and
c0lored) paid sii,3s9 10 teachers last