The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-02-29

we publish IN another column a memorial
from the Board of Education of this city 20 the
city council. and the action of tho city council
in relation to the same, submitting ar ordinance
authorizing the loan Of $4,000 for school pur.
poses to vote of the people of the city, for their
approval or disapproval, at the next general ety
election on the third Monday in March next.
The memorial of the Board of Education
shows that in ls53, when this system of free
| schools was first inauyurated in this city. two
school houses were built, one in the 3D. ward and
one in the 9TH ward, at an expense of about s12..
ooo each, at time when labor and materials were
much less expensive than at present. These
schools houses were built. in consideration, and
with the express understanding, that similar
| schools should be built in each of the o,bo-
wards In lS3S q similar school house was built
IN the 4th ward, at an expense of $12 600. Since
that time, until the last year, the 1st 2d 9th
and 9TH wards have been provided only with old
wooden buildings wholly unfit and unsuitable
Tor school purposes, although the people in the
last named wards had contributed their full
quota Of tax toward building the school bonses
IN the ID, 4th and 9TH wards. In 1866 cam
Portable brick school house was built in the 1st
ward. Last spring the incoming School Board
iouhd that the school houses and furniture in the
%, 4th and 9th wards required considerable re-
pairing, and that it absolutely necessary TO
the successful operation of the public schools,
that new school houses should be Immediately
erected in the 2d, 9th and eth wards They
accordingly went on and made necessary repairs
10 the older school houses at an expense Of
S2OOO, and built two new school houses in %
and 9TH wards, which together cost less than
$4,000 and also finished a basement 70 a school
house in the 9th ward, at an expense of little
more than $4,000
10 pay the expense of these improvements the
School Board received $4,000 in city bonds from
the city council, which were sold for 81. 700
The School Board have paid the remaining part
of the expense, about $l2,30O b. issuing and
sale of bonds FOR that sum payable out OF the
next years public school fund
lhs loan now asked is for the sole purpose of
keeping the public schools in operation and for
furnishing the 9Th ward school house. If the
people should fail TO vote this loan of $4,000
dollars, it would be absolutely necessary TO stop
the public schools during the whole of the com
ing season. f.
To stop the public schools would be a serious
calamity TO the people of this city
Last year the people of the city voted a loan of
$4,000 to buy stock in the new Hotel, which is
not, strictly, apublc Improvement
Good public schools. where every child in the
city, whether rich poor can receive good
English education free is of infinitely more i'm.
portance to the public interests
In order to have good public schools it is ab.
solutely necessary to have a good, suitable and
comfortable school house, and competent teach.
ers and it is the duty of every person to see that
the School Board should have the means nece,sa
ry to accomplish this
BY means of free public schools, every person,
whatever his condition in life, is enabled to leave
to each OF his children the inestimable legacy of
good education. The strictest rules of econo.
my, in carrying on the public schools, require
good school houses and competen. teachers.
Without these the publich scheol money would
be thrown away. No civilized community can
get along without good public free schools.