The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-07-23
For the EAGLE.
The School Bonds.

of the mayor of the city, it will be seen
that special election will be held at
the places designated in said prcclama-
ton, on Saturday, July the 25th, on the
nropositiou to vote ten thousand dol
lars i'm the bonds of the city, for the
purpose of building wing to cell
trail and permanent school building to
be afterward erected as occasion may
require.
A little more than one year ago the
cold board" owing to the large and
rapid Increase in the number and at
tendance of scholars, found it nccessa-
nv to provide additional school room
and after consultation decided to make
repairs to the old school building, as
the cheapest and best means of meet
inc this necessity, and submitted
proposition to vote the bonds of the
city for the purpose OF making such
repairs. which proposition was de-
fea,cd. and the board was driven to the
expensive alternative of renting the
necessary school room at the interest
iny tune of sixty dollars per month
more money than was paid to any teach
re except the superintendent. At the
close of the school year. ending July
9th. 1874. the board found that tine
present school room was entirely IN
adequate 10 meet the inUrcasing do
mand of the coming year and have
deemed it advisable to submit the
proposition before referred to.
When the question of the voting and
issuance of these bonds is presented to
the mind. three questions naturally
suggest themselves. lst, Is the build
inc of the new school house necessary
TO meet the demand! I'd, Is it 4 mat
ter of economy? Sd, Will the location
suit!
In answer to the first questionlt may
be only necessary to state that during
part of the last year it was Impossible
to seat all the scholars i'll the seats pro-
vided. and each room was provided
with all the seats it could accommo-
date. and the board was compelled to
take into their own hands the question
able right of excluded from the schools
children within school age and legally
entitled to the benefit of school in
struction.
1t can hardly be supposed that the
number of children will be less the
coming year than the last, but upon
the contrary, very reasonable to sup
nose that the number will be much
greater. and such being the case and
the school room having been INSULT
| cient during the last year, what must
! be done! There is only ono answer to
the inquiry the board must provide
new school room in some way. build
! if they can. rent if they must. In au-
swer to the second question, it seems
to us that in the long run the building
of the proposed house will be mat
ter of economy; let us see. Last year
| the board was compelled TO rent a
school room and compelled to pay $50
per month therefor. suppose the
proposition should be defeated next
Saturday. what then? The board
! having no power to turn scholars out
of the public school, will be under The
nscessity of providing for those whose
wants they have no right TO disregard
and can only do this by doing as they
! did before, renting more school room.
/ This being the case, it can not be ex.
pectcd TO provide all the room ncccs-
sary at less than 800 per month. If
! one room last year cost 500 per month
i is fair to presume that two rooms
next wear will cost at least 800. and il
the people. by defeating the bond prop
osition. necessitate the paving out of
| this rent. they have in noway ''lcssen-
ed the taxes" but have paid out the
full interest on $4,000 bonds and have
nothing to show for the expenditure.
! The house must be built sometime.
and il seems neither wise or economic
cal TO defer the building of it until half
the cost has been expended in the pay
meut of exorbitant rents and then
4 build il al no less cost than at first.
| The third questi on NAV hardly be OF
sufficient importance TO refer to here.
but il is the intention of the boart 10
locate the house, in case the bonds
should be voted, ss near the central
part of the city as possible. say on
First street.
| The members of the school board
comprise men of calm imposionate judg
ment and rank among the shrewdest
( business men and financial managers OF
| Wichita. and after having given the
question, at issue. the fullest and fsiS-
est investigation. they have decided
that the plan proposed is the wisest
and most polite that could he pre-
sented. and having arrived at such a
conclusion. IN view all. their opport-
ments their opinions should no: be
lightly disregarded. Yours.
W. E. STANLEY, elk. of Board.
July 2lst, 1874.