Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-01-21

Their motto was: No expense for beauty
only, for mere elegance, for show an van
ity 8 sake.
The board of 1870 and III deviated from
this policy, may be uncous ciously, b buy
Ing that ) SEQ lot in the first ward. Tnen
and there commenced the dissatisfaction Of
our citizens it grew and rose to Q storm
when the board of 1871 and IL determined
to build large school house vieing in
architectural beauty with the natural
beauty of the lot.
was there any necessity for such an un-
dertaklng! Experience has proved since
That there was not. That lot is still empty
and may remain SO for many years; for
even at the present time when the at,en-
dance IN our schools, as We have seen, is
larger than it ever was since the year 1869.
two large sehool-rooms, one in Union
School No. 2, and one in No. 8, remain
unoccupied. This our population instinct
lively felt when they rose like a whrlwind.
Ia one night sweeping the whole proud
scheme out of existence ..
They were not against the building of Q
school house, they would have applauded
to one being built in the lst Ward az we'll
as they approved Of the one which was
afterwards built in the 9th Ward, but they
wanted it as present necessities required
it, not larger than needed, substantial but
simple, thus endorsing the traditional
policy of former Boards. Why then did
not the dissatisfaction of our people SUBJ
side, when afterward the same Board re-
turned into the right track, building
school house Of moderate dimensions and
simple style in the 9th Ward My an
swer is Because in the manner Of execu.
ting this otherwise laudable undertaking,
they again deviated from the old policy Of
our Boards, wholly disregsrding the wise
aud thoughtful provisions of Section II of
our school law, which reads: "It shall be
the duty Of said Board, in all their expen-
ditures and contracts, to have referep "a 3.
the amount of money, that sh.'.,, he snh.
ject to thar order, duris the current ve.r
for the particular expenditure in question.
and not exceed such amount" The fact
Is. they built without money; though it is
well known that doing such thing with,
an empty purse, is rather precarious and
costly thing. ....-4
These considerations may for ourselves
as we'll af for future Boards, serve as an
earnest precept and warning, and there
fore you will excuse, | hope, my having
dwelt so long upon the matter. | say it
frankly, that the events Of the past have
caused much trouble aud hurt the interests
of our schools very materially, as might
be easily proved, if this wore the place
for it.
But still would not have dwelt 80 long
on these ungrateful transactions, il the
present Beard were not at all affected by
their consequences but l feel sorry,
must say we are so affected. The Board,
last year, have not succeeded in paying up
the whole indebtedness created by their
predecessors They have left us to pro-
vide for the payment of about 81 900 more
in the best manner we eau, and that is why
l am obliged to bring this matter befor the
Board
There we're left at your disposal by the
last years Board. on the LIST Of last April,
$3,229.O9, to which add 81, 525.86, received
last year from the State School Fund, max
ing total Of $g,754, wherewith you had
to provide for all expenses till January
LIST, 1874. But this fund, though yen
tried hard 70 save, was exhausted ny the
lst Of November last. -..--
Ely tho LIST Of January, 1874, you owe for
teachers and janitors' wages, fire-wood
and incidentals, about $2,2So, IS follows: