Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-03-21
SCORES SPENDTHR|FT'
POLICY 0F-TH|S CITY.
Senator Robertson Tells st.
James Brotherhood About
Municipal Finances.

st James brotherhood or Grace
Methodist Episcopal Church, after a
symposium on AN Adequate School
Svstcm for Wilmington" last night.
put itself on record a. favoring good
schools.
Tho brotherhood met In Grace
Churhhouse, with so members pres
ent.
Telling the need Of an adequate
school system, David A. Ward. super
lntsn,ant OF the public schools, said
teaching OF reading. writing and arith-
metic is not their sole function and
Impressed the Importance OF curri-
culum embracing higher subjects. He
stated the public school Is the greatest
dem6cratic institution in existence and
We depend on II for social culture and
efficiency.
wilmington Is giving some indus
trial education. but not generally. Mr..
Ward said. llliteracy should be Alb
solutely removed. 1t exists among
adults In this city. but not among
children. Some Americanization work
IN being done here. There are hve or
six private kindergartens In Whining
ton. but there arc only two kinder
gartens connected with the public
schools, and they are supported by
private contributions.
Mr.. Ward thought the school sys-
tom should be equipped with modern
facilities and should have a modern
curriculum. He stated the platoon
system has merit. Describing the In
adequacy OF the present equipment
he said .46s children on part time are
distributed among IL elementary
schools. -Four hundred and sixty-six
nonresident children attend Whining
ton schools. Nine hundred and forty
seven white children In the eighth
grade attend grammar schools. The
wilmington High School pupils vii
soon be increased to 2.70o and the
Howard High School pupils TO 200
The total enrolment OF the schools
win no increased 10 1900 or $4,000
year hence. There are inadequate
school facilities for anaemic chiiareh
EVENING schools with extension cours'
es are needed. Many buildings are en-
tlrely unfit for school use. The teach
srs are doing good academic work.
Considering ways and means or get
ting an adequate school system, State
Senator James w. Robertson con-
,ras,ea city Councils budgets for the
years 1861 and l92l-a2. The Stree'
and Sewer Department received S2oo,'
400 then and S3eo.ooo now; the Boare
of Park Commissioners $4,000 ther
and $50 900 now; the Police Depart
,nent Sls7.0 900 then and $4,000 now
th. Fire Department $4,000 then ans
Se-e 600 now; besides a bond issue u
$500 600. the Board OF Education $500
a0O then and l.oe6. 900 now; the Boarc
OF Water Commissioner, sl54.loo ther
md ss7a.aeo now. Interest amounteS
10 s25TITo then and S315,1Ss now
municipal salaries TO s3+.soo then sn1
tba.5Oo now. Wilming;on's bonded oeo'
was ss.72s.ooo on July /, 1871, and i'
SS74s.soo now. Senator Robertson SAID
Crit.clsing bond issues for the harool
protect. he remarked that he "woule
never invest a cent in that mud hole
and declared Il was conceived solely
f,r the purpose OF enabling certain
eorporations 10 pay a dividend on thei'
.iock. should the harbor bond issue!
continue the city's bonded debt woul'
increase 70 slo.35o 900. which is clos
20 tn. borrowing limit. The interee
on f0e poDotu NcpN wa SSNh
sass. .3s7.
senator Robertson mentioned tn
.i227.a5o desired by the Board OF Ed
pcstlon for next year and stated ]
viii require an increase OF 20 cents Il
the CITY tax rate. Rcnnarling that tn
city TAX rate now is s2.2l and tn
county tax rate Is sl.0l. a total o
.s.a2 exscted from Wlmingtonians ns
ne said a 81 tax rate Is in sight and
IS tax rate will soon poke its nos
around the corner" Senator Rober;
con thought the "madcap, spendthrii
policy IN Wilmington should be brough
M with a jerk" Instead OF iseuin
bonds for school purposes. he propos
"a that Wilmington demand SO pe
cent Of the State taxes collected IN IN
city and expressed the opinion tha
IN. General Assembly would grant IN
refund II approached IN a proper man
ner. lie suggested taxation Of mars
land. which would give $4,000. an
adjustment OF Inequalities OF assese
ment. which would give $4,000. Dc
claring Wilmington does not need
new charter he advocated consolids
ton OF city departments and estima'
cd a saving OF $50 900 per year. Citin
the Board OF Assessment. he said Il
idle six months Of the year and II
clerical force could assist In the tax o-
fce. lie thought municipal salarl,
that have been increased 20 per Ger