The Portland daily press., 1878-05-21
THE SCHOOL HOUSE QUESTION.
The Aldermen Turn 1t Over to the Com.
mon Council Again.


mon Council Again.
Last evening the Boord of Mayor and Alder
men held special meeting to consider thu
matter of the Bracket street school house
There was full board present, and larg,
number of spectators watched the proceedings
with an eager interest. The meeting was call
ed to order by Mayor Batter, and the orde
from the lower board which was passed Satur
day night was taken up.
Alderman Cunningham moved that the orde
be laid on the table. Alderman Brunei sec
onded the motion. Alderman Cushman oh
| jected to treating an order Of so much impor
lance so lightly. Alderman Cunningham in
sisted upon his motion and claimed that a mo.
ton to lay on the table was not debatable, an6
the Alderman from ward was obliged to take
his seat.
Alderman Small spoke in favor of free
speech, and Alderman Cunningham having
Withdrawn his motion Alderman .Cushman was
allowed to proceed He claimed that when
such large number of citizens wished for and
needed school house they should have it. He
thought it was not honorable to act as sug.
kCSGOu Wy bu6 ulUtlUu IEOm AlQ0TmAQ CuQQlP.
ham.
Alderman Haseltins followed with remarks
to the same effect. He argued that the order
should pass, and that the people in the Brack-
EFT street district should have decent accommo-
dations for their children. There is great
prejudice in the district, and it can only be re-
moved by tearing down the building The
order satisfied the people exactly and then, Mr..
Fasset believed, that every dollar spent in re-
pairing the old building was money wasted. He
thought the board could not afford to refuse
the passage of so reasonable an order.
Alderman Small devoted short time to a
personal explanation of his views. He said
that since he had been in the city government
he had given no subject as much attention as
the one in regard to the Bracket street school
house. He thought too many large school
houses had been built and he decidedly object
ed to giving his vote to help erect building to
contain 700 or 800 children. 1t was crowding
them too much. He was in favor of giving the
people of the Bracket street district better &C.
commodations, but he wanted to give them
something that they wanted. He objected to
the order because il gave the committee too
much power. He did not believe Sig. 90 could
build such house as is required in this district.
He then read the following letter from Mr..
Fassett:
PORTLAND, May Goth, 1878.
To the Honorable Committee on Public Build.
ingS:
-Gentlemen-I have for the past month given
the matter of the Bracket street school hou 5e
much thought, and although would be very glad
to see school house built capable of accommo-
dating son eight hundred scholars, I am salts
fed that the present lot is not suitable for such
purpose, and in fact it would be quite imposs-
BILE to put two story building, to accommo-
date that number, on the lot and have room
for light and air. Such building should
occupy at least one year in building, in order to
have it stand, and be suitable for occupancy.
Respectfully yours,
f. 81. FAssETT.
Alderman CuShmau replied that it was bet
ter to pass the order from the lower board than
none at ALL
Alderman Cunningham said he had N ade up
his mind after looking at the matter carefully
that the old building could be repaired and that
it ought to be done. This would accommodate
$50 pupils. The order proposed wants $685.
to accommodate twice that number. He
thought that the old building was worth $4,000
at least.
The order was tabled by vote offs to 2,
Cushman and Haseltine voting against it.
The Mayor said he had looked the matter
over carefully with Mr.. Fassett, the architect,
and it was his opinion that building to accom-
modate 800 scholars could not be built on the
Bracket street lot. By the grading system he
said much more room was needed than other
wise For example the North School has a
seating capacity for 1884, but with an atten-
dance of Ill some of lthe rooms are very much
crowded. 1t cannot be otherwise and keep the
grades separate. he quoted from Mr.. Tash's
report to show that the number of pupils to be
accommodated at or near the Bracket street
lot are: Grammar scholars, $50 to 500, primary
scholars $50 to 400, or a total of $50 to 900. He
said that it had been said that it W as impracti-
cable to heat aud ventilate the old building. In
answer to this he read letters from A. N. Noyes
& Son and o. M. & D. w. Nash saying that
they had examined the building aud considered
it practical to heat it with furnaces, and would
agree to do the work from $3.50 to $400 He also
called attention to the fact that the city had
but little money and should make the most of
what it had. In view of these facts he
thought the following should have passage:
Whereas, The Superintendent of Schools re
ports to the Committee of Public Buildings,
that if the present Bracket street schoolhouse
is removed, the western section of the city will
need accommodation for between 800 and 900 pu-
| pills; and
Whereas, f. 81. Fassett, Esq, the architect
employed By said committee, 10 communica-
ton to them, states that the lot with the pres
| ent school house removed, is not large enough
| to put thereon school building of sufficient
| size to accommodate 800 pupils, and further,
| that the time employed to erect such building
| making it fit to be occupied by children ought
| not to be less than year; and
Whereas, 1t is understood that the Hon. j.
| B. Brown is willing to exchange on favorable
terms any lot belonging to him in the upper
part of the city, suitable for school house pur.
| poses, with the city for some lot or lots of uu-
| productive real estate bringing in no income
| therefore, it is hereby
| Ordered, That the Committee on Poblic
| buildings take the whole subject into consid-
| Grafton and confer with Mr.. Brown and others,
and ascertain what arrangement, if any, can be
| made with him or them in the premises, to the
| end that some provisions may be made for the
accommodation of the balance of said 800 or
| 900 pupils over and above the number that can
be accommodated in the present school house,
if it be permitted to remain, and report as soon
| as practicable, and also report at the same time
| what shall be done with said 800 or 800 chill
dren during the year the new school house is
being erected, if the old one is torn down.
| Alderman Cushman again took the floor and
argued for the order which had been tabled
| some time before.
Alderman Small said he had an order which
he thought would cover the whole ground, and
he presented the following:
Ordered-That the Committee on Pnbic
Buildings be, and they are hereby, authorized
to procure plans and specifications for school
house OF sufficient sizs to accommodate not less
than six nor more than eight hundred scholars,
to be two stories high, built of brick, with fn-
ish and floor of good material. The building
to be good, plain, commodious, substantial
structure. Said committee, after procuring
such plans and specifications, to advertise fol
proposals to take down the school house now
located on the Bracket street lot and to erect
upon said lot building according to such
plans and specifications. and said committee
shall have the benefit in advertising for propos
ais for such house of all materials which may
come from the taking down of the present
school house. The committee shall upon thu
receipt of such proposals report to the City
Council such facts as they may deem necessary
for the information of the Council, and if au.
thority shall then be obtained, said committee
shall proceed at once to construct the same
the cost to be included in the appropriation
bill And the committee are disqualified from
a;1.p -,