New Britain herald., 1928-05-28
TIME FOR MORE SYSTEM IN SCHOOL FINANCES

IN SCHOOL FINANCES
 Discontinuance of reconstruction work on the Putnam school is re- grettable. It is a question whether the circumstances will appeal greatly to the public. There may be something to the thesis that it makes no diff ference in which pocket one carries money SO long as one has it: but money intended for a certain purpose should be retained for that purpose.
 The city sets an example. Money appropriated for one department is not diverted to another department.
 The s73,O0o insurance money re- ceived by the school board after the burning of the Putnam school should have been retained for rebuilding purpose. Instead of that the school board used the money to pay obli- cations due on land purchased for future school sites, leaving little money on hand for the reconstruc- ton of the Putnam school. We be- lieve that citizens in general will strongly disapprove of this style of financing.
 The practical result is that the city is in exactly the position it ould have been in had the Put nam school not been insured. It must find the money to reconstruct the school.
 The question can well be asked, was the entire membership of the school committee aware of the diver 1 sion of the fire insurance fund on the Putnam building to purposes other than those for which they were originally intended? We have reason to doubt it very much; that Is to say, that the school committee as a whole cannot be blamed.
 As yet no public statement has been made as 10 how much of this
 fund was used for work on build ings other than the Israel Putnam
 school. It would be interesting to
 know just how mach has beer
 spent on the Putnam school and ii
 the committeeman who sponsored
 the repair job without competitive
 bids is e'il confident that the city
 will profit by the fire through {
 repair job costing less than the in
 suranCe adjustment.
 If less than s1o, GOO has been di
 yerted, then there should be suffi
 cient money to complete the Putnam
 lob, it having been freely forecas
 that approximately this amour would remain in the insurance ac count Of the school after the worl / had been finished
 If less than s1o.ooo has been spent
 and in addition 10 this ii has bee necessary 10 stop work for lack c funds, then Ii iS time the schoc board members or inc board of fl / nance and taxation demanded nor system in keeping the books of th
 school department. which nor | spends about one-half the ci'y's ia . income.
 } Members of the board of f,nanr , and taxation have intimated they wi s demand more system in the book! . being convinced that preser . methods are not consistent with goo 7 business. This declaration was mad f following q mce ting Of the financ s board last week,
 ? When a school burns the Insu, . ance money should be used for n - other purpose than the rcconstruc S ton of the buldiug. If it is foun r the reconstruction costs less than tf = insurance fund then it Is tim h enough 10 divert the balance to othc q uses. The opinion is prevalent thi |. the gentlemen who conduct inc I - narc,s of tho school board, in col Q tradistinction to those who are nc . made thorouehly aware ot the linar
 cial methods. have not put all tt = cards on the tahle. A few weel ,. ago i' was found that s5n.ooo in ol 0 accounts stH required attention, 3 polr' that aroused the attention ( 0 the chairman Of the board Of tlnanc