The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-10-27
SCHOOL Chief
SWINGS LASH
ON TAXBOARD
Selfish, Political Move Is
Stamp Placed on Budget
Slash by Wilson.
TAKES SLAP AT LESLIE
Cites Extravaganza in Buy
ing New Cars for High
way Commissioners.

For selfish, political reasons a
partisan state tax board hung
Damoclean sword over Indianapolis
school children, when it sliced
cents from the 1882 budget levy,
Russell Wilson, school board presi-
dent, told the Indiana University
Club at a luncheon Monday in the
Columbia Club.
The tax board, Wilson charged,
imperiled lives of hundreds Of chill
dren when it reduced repair APP
preparation, and with a 70 per cent
reduction in the substitute teachers
allotment it may force closing Of
many classrooms this winter because
of illness of regular teachers.
At the same time, such an eX-
IRENE program of economy emanat-
ing from the StatehouSe apparently
was forgotten, he said, when the
state bought new, expensive auto
mobiles for each highway commits
SiOner.
Extravaganza Is Cited
These purchases were made the
day after Paul G. Stetson, Indian
apolis school superintendent, agreed
to lop $50 from a $500 fund to
maintain his own car for school
work, said Wilson.
And pressing on his charges Of
political meddling with nonpartisan
work of school commissioners, Will
son reminded the state university
alumni that the tax board passed
school levy of $1.27 in one town.
ship in West Lafayette, the former
home of Governor Harry G. Leslie.
In Indianapolis the levy was cut
from $1.O1 to $096.
"Were it not a serious matter,
this tax business would be funny"
Wilson said.
In a suit to be filed within few
days, the school board will test the
power of the tax board to reduce
the budget.
Law Is Violated
The cut of the scent sinking
fund levy would force the board to
violate a law mandating it to set
aside annually per cent of out
standing bonded indebtedness, said
Wilson
This additional amount could not
be put off until the next years
budget, for another state law requires
the school board to operate under
a levy not in excess of its 1880 levy
for two years, he said.
Wilson attacked the additional
1-cent cut in the general levy as
worthless, as far as benefit to the
individual taxpayer was concerned,
but seriously harmful to successful
operation of the school system.
cat the public hearing by the tax
board on this budget there were
representatives of thousands Of tax
payers who belong to parent-teacher
associations and the Federation Of
Civic Clubs, who asked that the
budget be untouched.
Given patriotic" Lecture
"Arrayed against them, seeking
OOl1IC 1COuCClO44, WClC I1clA1J NA4CcoC
and Albert F. Walsman of the IN
diana Taxpayers Association; Will
liam H. Book and Arthur v. Brown
of the Chamber of Commerce, and
representative of the Indianapolis
Real Estate Board, who admitted
the board did not know anything
about the budget. but would sup
port tie Chamber of Commerce"
Wilson declared.
Then, at the final hearing, which
none Of the school commissioners
was able to attend, James Showal-
ter, chairman of the tax board. lee
tured Stetson and other school Off
Gals on patriotism, and the budget
scarcely was mentioned.
1T is time we were debunking the
tax system. We shall see whether
this board of the Governors can tell
Indianapolis schools that they can't
levy enough public funds to operate
efficiently and safely"