Our Girls' School Expenditure

OUR GIRLS' SCHOOL EXPENDITURE

HAVING absolved ourselves in our issue of the 7 th inst ., as in duty bound , from all responsibility for the figures previously furnished to us by our correspondent " H ., " we take an early opportunity of demonstrating more partiticularlv to our readers the utter fallacy of tho charge he

appeared to bring against tho authorities of our Girls School—namely , that the cost of their management was unduly heavy in comparison with that of other similar Institutions in the metropolis . To this end wo have collated in Table A , from the Reports for the last six

years , the items of " ordinary " and " other " expenditure , and then taking the number of girls borne on the strength of the establishment in each year , we have determined the

annual average cost per girl . We have omitted all expenditure relating to new buildings , furniture , purchase of land , & c , & c , for the obvious reason that this is not proper to the year in which it is incurred , but must

be spread over a period of years , and it would not bo easy to determine offhand the number of years over which it shonld be spread . We have in Table B taken tho principal items of " ordinary " expenditure—namely , those for Provisions , Clothing , and Salaries and "Wages—and

reckoned the average per girl per annum first separately and then together ; and we havo further noted any special items in the " ordinary " or " other " expenditure

which may have unduly increased one or the other . When our readers noto these accumulations of figures and calculations of averages , we have reason to believe they will be satisfied with the management of tho School .

Table A . "No . of Ordinary Average Other Avcrngo Year Pupils . Expenditure per Girl Expenditure per Girl 1873 118 £ 4379 13 1 37 2 3 703 6 9 5 19 2 1874 140 4772 ( 5 8 36 1 9 386 7 0 2 15 2 1875 148 5042 2 5 34 1 4 420 5 10 2 16 9 1876 155 5572 9 0 35 19 0 492 2 2 3 3 6 1877 164 5870 13 7 35 15 11 783 12 8 4 15 6 1878 195 7085 6 11 36 6 8 1556 2 8 8 0 0

Table B . Provisions Clothing Salary and "Wages Total Year . No . of Pupils . Total . Average . Total . Avorago . Total . Average . Average . 1873 118 £ 1 , 503 13 3 £ 12 14 10 £ 495 19 5 £ 4 4 0 £ 1 , 878 6 8 £ 7 8 10 £ 24 7 8 1874 140 1 , 495 0 10 10 13 7 595 2 6 4 5 0 1 , 065 6 3 7 12 2 22 10 9 1875 148 1 , 569 17 5 10 12 1 612 14 4 4 2 9 1 , 142 18 10 7 14 5 22 9 3 1876 155 1 , 717 18 0 11 1 8 773 9 11 5 0 0 1 , 255 00 820 24 38 1877 164 1 , 896 14 4 11 11 3 919 3 10 6 12 1 1 , 369 18 4 8 7 0 25 10 4 1878 195 2 , 186 14 3 11 4 3 1 , 196 18 4 6 2 6 1 , 717 5 8 8 16 1 26 1 9

Taking Table A and the " other" expenditure noted therein we find that in 1873 of tho £ 703 Gs 9 d so expended , no less than £ 592 was absorbed in " Seven years ' policy on £ 25 , 000 " ( £ 120 ) ; commission and pension to late secretary ( £ 312 ); gratuities to the late clerk ,

tho collector , and the secretary ( £ 1 G 0 ) . In 1874 of the £ 386 7 s expended , pension and income tax , late Secretary , took £ 201 10 s ; grants for invalid girls £ 43 16 s 8 d , funeral of late cook £ 18 10 s Gd ; altogether £ 264 17 s 2 d . In 1875 there were included in the £ 420 5 s lOd , Pension

to late Secretary , £ 200 ; Gratuity to Assistant Gfoverness , £ 15 15 s ; Stewards' visit , £ 23 7 s ; Grants to invalid Girls , £ 37 8 s ; Funeral of late Gardener , £ 8 18 s Gd ; total , £ 285 18 s 6 d . In 187 G the £ 492 2 s 2 d included Pension of the late Secretary , £ 200 ; Gratuity to late

Assistant Governess , £ 52 10 s ; Stewards' visit and gratuities to workmen , £ 42 2 s Oil ; Grants to invalid Girls , £ 36 10 s ; "Votes of Thanks" to Stewards for three years , £ 71 0 s Gd ; or together , £ 402 2 s Gd . In 1877 of the £ 783 12 s 8 d , "Laundry Expenses

during Building of New Laundry " required £ 73 17 s 7 d ; gratuity to Senior Clerk , £ 2 G 5 s ; Pension to late Secretary , £ 200 ; ditto to late Collector ( three quarters ) , £ 112 10 s ; Stewards' visit and gratuities to workmen , £ 32 Is ; Grants to invalid Girls , £ 18 10 s ; Pianos and

Music , £ 132 Is 4 d ; " Votes of Thanks " to Stewards , £ 33 2 s ; Special Nurse and Infirmary Expenses , £ 46 2 s 8 d ; making together , £ 674 9 s 7 d . In 1878 the " other" Expenditm-e amounted to £ 1 , 556 2 s 8 d ; but the large increase is easy of explanation : — " Laundry Expenses during

Building of New Laundry" amounted to £ 85 17 s 7 d ; Gratuity to Junior Clerk , £ 20 ; Pension to late Secretary ( five quarters ) , £ 250 ; ditto late Collector ( five quarters ) , £ 187 10 s ; Pianos and Music , £ 22 G 7 s 3 d : "Votes of

Thanks " to Stewards , £ 29 15 s ; " Interest to Bankers , " £ 123 5 s lid ; " Insurance ( Royal Exchange ) , " £ 1717 s Gd ; " Solicitor ' s Charges , " £ 163 17 s ; " Salary of deceased Secretary , " paid to Mrs . Little ( two quarters ) , £ 250 ; " Election of Secretary , " £ 30 Is ; or , together , £ 1 , 384 12 s Id .

Turning to the ordinary expenditure in Table A , of which we have given only throe heads of service in Table B , we find the other principal items included : — In 1873 : —Coals , Gas , & c . £ 259 Gs ; Furniture and

House Linen , £ 12 G 14 s 5 d ; House Utensils , & c , £ 92 Gs Gd ; Painting and General Repairs , £ 123 lis 7 d ; Drugs , & c , £ 40 ; Laundry Expenses

JooY 12 s ; School Stationery and Looks , £ G 9 lis od ; Tithes and Taxes , £ 76 14 s 7 d ; Office Expenses , Rent , & c , £ 38 ; Stationery , Advertisements , Books , Postage , & c , £ 235 10 s ; Election Expenses , £ 43 5 s 2 d ; Commission to Collector £ 19112 s 9 d .

In 1874 : —House Utensils , & c , £ 130 9 s 6 d ; Furniture and House Linen , £ 272 9 s 7 d ; Coals , & c ., £ 197 7 s ; Painting and General Repairs , £ 84 18 s 7 d ; Drugs , & c , £ 40 ; Laundry , £ 42 4 s ; School Stationery and

Books , £ 40 ; Tithes and Taxes , £ 176 10 s ; Office Expenses , £ 38 ; Stationery , Printing , Postage , & c , £ 213 5 s 8 d ; Election Expenses , £ 71 2 s 5 d ; Collector , £ 180 Is .

In 1875 : —House Utensils , & c , £ 291 4 s lOd ; Furniture , & c , £ 48 18 s ; Coals , & c , £ 260 2 s 4 d ; Painting , & c , £ 137 Os 4 d ; Drugs , & c , £ bb ; Laundry ,

£ 35 10 s ; School Stationery , & c , £ 54 17 s 9 d ; Tithes and Taxes , £ 141 18 s 4 d ; Office , £ 38 ; Stationery , Books , Postage , & c , £ 251 lGs 6 d ; Election Expenses , £ 42 3 s 3 d ; Collector , £ 204 lis Gd .

In 187 G : —House Utensils , & c , £ 215 17 s 6 d ; Furniture , & c , £ 12012 s lOd ; Coals , Gas , & c , £ 244 8 s 6 d j Painting and General Repairs , £ 121 2 s 4 d ; Drugs , & c , £ 60 ; Laundry , £ 16 ; School

Stationery , & c , £ 74 16 s 9 d ; Tithes and Taxes , £ 135 8 a 4 d ; Office Expenses , £ 38 ; Stationery , & c , £ 242 14 s 3 d ; Advertisements , £ 75 7 s 8 d ; Election Expenses , £ 24 14 s ; Collector , £ 254 18 s 8 d .

In 1877 : —House Utensils , £ 207 2 s 4 d ; Furniture , & c , £ 28 16 s 9 d ; Coals , & p ., £ 260 5 s 9 d ; Painting and General Repairs , £ 227 13 s Gd ; Drugs , & c , £ 60 ; Laundry , £ 31 5 s ; School Stationery , & c ,

£ 93 14 s 7 d ; Tithes and Taxes , £ 139 8 s 3 d ; Office Expenses , £ 38 ; Stationery , Books , Postages , 288 16 s Id ; Advertisements , £ 59 5 s ; Election Expenses , £ 30 8 s 8 d ; Collector ' s Poundage , Christmas Quarter 1876 , £ 54 8 s Gd .

In 1878 . —House Utensils , & c , £ 203 13 s 3 d ; Furniture and Linen , £ 166 0 s 6 d ; Coals , & c , £ 380 5 s lid ; Painting and General Repairs , £ 204 12 s 7 d ; Drugs , & c , £ 60 ; School Stationery ,

& c , £ 77 Is ; Tithes and Taxes , £ 203 10 s ; Official Expenses , £ 38 ; Stationeiy , Books , Postage , & c , £ 314 9 s 5 d ; Advertisements , £ 62 18 s lOd ; Election Expenses , £ 29 8 s 6 d .

Table C . Yew No - oC . SALARIES Average per 1 ' l , i ' Office School Total Gid £ s ( 1 . C s it , C s ( 1 £ s d

1873 118 390 16 8 -187 10 0 S 78 6 8 7 8 10 1874 110 500 0 0 5 H 5 6 3 1065 6 3 7 12 2 1875 118 500 0 0 612 IS 10 1142 18 10 7 14 5 1876 155 617 10 0 637 10 0 1255 0 0 8 2 0 1877 164 692 10 0 677 8 4 13 fi 9 IS 4 8 7 0 1 S 78 195 663 6 8 1053 19 0 1717 5 8 8 16 1 If , now , "wo average ( Tabic C . ) tho amount for Salaries