The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-05-01

Sitting IN his cuDlcle ONCE
on Madison-av and sur
rounded by Sinking hangers
on who attempted to lay
down a screen of irrelevancy until
he finally became serious and sill
enced them Mr.. Hohlt told his
side of the story.
When 1 took Office Jan. T." he
said. I found that there was s32,-
11225 in the tuition fund for teach
ers' salaries for the remainder of
the school year, and I found that
salaries that would be owed them
at the end of the school year
amounted to S56,350.
I found that the special school
fund out of which janitors and bus
drivers are paid contained only
S986794, whereas there would be
owing by the end of the year s23, 45o.
Assails Appropriations
Looking further into the situa-
ton, I found that whereas Oral
Green. my predecessor, had spent
IN 1894 the sum of s3775 for school
supplies, he had. after he was de-
feated in the primaries and before
he left office, appropriated only
$4,000 to the same fund for my adj
in 1885.
Whereas he spent S162014 for
janitor's supplies in 1884 he appro-
priated for me in 1885 only $1,000:
he spent S56167O for repairs on
and care of grounds, and
only $500 for me; for
transportation of pupils he spent
$40, 45605 and appropriated s18,433
for me; he spent s162760 for light
and power and appropriated only
$500 for me. And all this was done
in spite of the fact that 1884 was
an eight-month school year, and
1885 nine months.
Il found out also that there are
70 teachers in our schools. The
state gross income tax pays $500
annually to the salary of each
teacher for which there are an av-
erage of IS pupils in daily attend
ance. The class load is so light in
our schools that only 81 of our
teachers qualify for the gross in
come tax payment.
Now. then, as nearly as I can
from the records here, the
per capita cost of educating South
port High School pupils is Sis an
nually. That is too high.
MsrtinsvilIe Cost Low
knowing that I had to do some
thing about cutting costs without
the standards of the
school, and if possible improving
them, I looked about the state for
a man who had the experience to
do it. I found that the per capita
annual cost of educating Martins
vile High School pupils was s64.11,
one Of the lowest in the state, and
| went to see Mr.. Curtis.
4 satisfied myself that Mr.. Cur
is was responsible for the admin
stration Of Msrtinsville and I soon
realized that Martinsville, in addi-
ion to being more economically adj
offers courses Southport
doesn't, and by and large has bet
Ter qualified teachers.
80 I returned and offered Mr..
Arlington the position of head Of
he history department, for which
position he IS eminently qualified,
and told him that in that position
ne would receive $3.50 a month, in
stead Of the 1925 a month he now
gets.
Il was determined to get Mr..
Curtis and I'm disappointed that ne
won't come. It would have been a
Inc thing for Southport. I blame
he whole thing on politics.
Last Thursday night a group Of
80 10 be exact. met me in
his office and demanded that 1
cave Mr.. Arlington where he is and
made other demands. There were
sight families with members in
schools represented in the group.
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