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Beotember 2$th~
<br />
<br /> The following letter from-the School Board was read:
<br /> ~As you know, your Honorable Body authorized that application be made to the
<br />Public ~orks Administration for a grant and loan for two colored school buildings for the
<br />City of Portsmouth, at a total cost of $250,000., requesting the Government to make a~gran~
<br />of $112,500. ~and loan of $8y,500., and that the Behool Boar~ should seek from the ~tame
<br />Board of Education a lo~u of $50,000. from the Literary Funa.
<br /> At the last meeting of the ~chool Board~ the School Board adopted a resolution
<br />to make formal application to the State Board of Education for a loa6 from the Literary Fund
<br />of $50~000., and to request ~he City Council to pass a resolution making provision annually
<br />for the interes~ and payment thereon. I am inclosing the two applications from the School
<br />Board to the State Board o~ Education for this loan and on the last page of these applica ~
<br />tions, is contained the fo~al~resolution which the State Board requires the City Council to
<br />adopt° The Board hopes that you'can give this your attention at the meeting tonight.
<br /> I wish to add that this action does not finally commit the City Council to any-
<br /> and until the entire building program is adoptedand
<br />
<br />thine as i~ c~u not be effective unless
<br />provided for.
<br /> Thanking you~ I am,
<br />
<br />By order of the School
<br />
<br />Very respectfully yours,
<br />
<br /> Board.
<br />
<br /> (Signed) H.A. H~nt,
<br />
<br />N~.'Hutchins offered the following resolutions,
<br />
<br />Supt. of Schools.~
<br />
<br />in connection therewith:
<br />
<br /> ,WHEREAS THE SCHOOL BOARD for the City of Portsmouth, on the ~4th
<br />day of September, 1935, presented to this Board.or Couneil, an application
<br />addressed to the S~ate Board-of Education of Virginia, for the purp_ose of
<br />borrowing from the Litera~y Fund $25,000., for the new colored school build-
<br />ing in the downtown section, to be repaid as follows:~ 30 equal annual pay-
<br />ments, including interest a~ ~% in the amount of $1,~J%5.~5 dollars each.
<br />
<br /> RESOLVED, ~hat the application of the City School Board to the
<br />State Board of Education of V~rEinia, for a loan of $25,000., from the Lit-
<br />erary Fund,'is hereby approved, and authority is hereby granted the said
<br />City School Board to borrow the said amount for the purpose s~t out in said
<br />application.
<br />
<br /> The Council for said City.will each year during the life of this
<br />loan, at the time they fix the regular levies, fix a rate of levy for
<br />schools or make a cash appropriation sufficient for operation expenses and
<br />to repay this loan in annual installments, and the interest thereon, as re-
<br />quired b~ law regulating loans from th~ Literary Fund."
<br />
<br /> ,WHEREAS THE SCHOOL BOARD for the City of Portsmouth, on the 2~th
<br /> day of September, 1935, presented to this Council, an application addressed
<br /> to the State Board of Education of Virginia, for the purpose of borrowing
<br /> from the Literary Fund $25,000., for the new colored school building in Mt.
<br /> Hermon, to be repaid as follows.: 30 equal annual payments including inter-
<br /> est at k%.in the amount of $1,~k5.75 dollars each.
<br /> RESOLVED, that the application of the City School Board to the
<br /> Bta~e Board of Education of Virginia, for a loan of $25,000. from the Lit-
<br /> erary Fund, is hereby approved, and authority is hereby granted the said
<br /> City School Board to borrow the said amount for the putT_Jose set out in said
<br /> ~oplication.
<br /> The Council for. said City will each year during the llfe of this
<br /> loan, az the time they fix the re~alar levies, fix a rate of levy for
<br /> schools or make a cash ~opropriation sufficient for operation expenses and
<br /> to repay this loan in a~unual iqsSallments, and the interest thereon, as re-
<br /> quired by law regulating loans from the Literary Fund°"
<br />
<br /> Mr. Hutchins m0ve~ that the appvopriation contained in said request
<br />on table until next meeting of the Council. Motion was adopted.
<br />
<br />be laid
<br />
<br />The following letter was read-and rsf~rred to the City M~uagem:
<br />
<br /> "Considerations of reason and common fairness are responsible for exemption
<br />from taxation.of churches and church properties.
<br />Soun~ reasoning leads to the conclusion that the same considerations which
<br />are responsible for this condition in respect to taxes should control in the matter of water.
<br /> In this view respectful request is hereby made that exemption from charges for
<br />water be accorded all churches and all church owned properties.
<br /> It might appropriately be said that without churches there would be no enduring
<br />0ity, since Christian people would not for long be content to live, and rear families, apart
<br />from church influences; that without these influences there would be greatly increased charges
<br />against the City's T~easury in the forms of Hospital and Jail Accommodations, Police protec-
<br />tion, etc., that without them there would be witnessed an appreciable lovering of standards,
<br />with resultant decrease in productivity, on which taxable values are founded.
<br /> 'It is an accepted fact that practically all of the churches which freely spread
<br />influences making for civic uplift are laboring under hesvy~debt, to the discharge of which
<br />they ask nothing beyond that which clearly appears to be their Just due.
<br />
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