The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-03-18
w SCHOOL BUILDING.
The reason Why No Bids have
been Received for the Con-
demued Building.
Public Opinion on tho Subject

Ed;'er Miner:
SIR:-The overwhelming popular se1'
timcnt, that the public school building
of school district number one
was, as such. worthless, culmf'
mated last November in such action ~
virtually settled the prrper disposal to
be made Of that property by the tr's'
tees Of this district. The people said
this can never be school house, and
should be. sold. The trustees, the peo-
pies servants and not their masters, full
" understood what they were required
to do, and implicitly proftssed their viii
linyness to do their duty i'm the prem
ises. From responsible sources bids were
ready to he made. Nothing WAS left
undone EXCEPT the performance by the
school trustees Of ministerial duty 50
PLAIN that blind man could have seen
his way clear to it. Yet more than three
months time has elapsed, this simple
ministerial duty remains unperforms<l
and the property remains u,'sold. =
The taxpayers Of school district num-
Der one are in a position which from q
business point Of view, and to bust
ness man, would be ridiculous If it were
not ~ disastrous. They own one Of the
most desirable pieces Of property in the
city, which it is true is encountered by
pile ut brick, but which might easily
he sold or rented for handsome sum.
For this property the sum Of 81, 400 was
refused even before the lot was adorned
with an additional pile Of brick. 1t is
believed that the property even with the
brick could he made to realize $3O,OOO.
This property $ now unprosluctivc
and has been so for half year, counting
hack to the time when the school year
should have begun. During that time
if properly invested its value should
have yielded to the tax payers return
Of ut least twelve or fifteen hundred dol
lars. This represents one item on the
minus side OF the peoples school ac-
count.
There Is claim against the property
for about the same amount, money said
to be due contractors for alleged i'm
This represents some
twelve or fifteen hundred dollars more
on the minus sid Of the peoples school
The salaries Of PRINCIPAL, s,,-
and teachers during the
period last fall and winter When the
school children had no house offered
to them in which they could lH taught
and when in c"n>etl ucn.:c there WAS no
school, constitutes another item on the
minus side OF the peoples school ac-
count. What is there Oh t;,c credit Size
IF the account to balance this loss:
Nothing.
Then comes the reason why, whic!, to
any man Of ordinary business intclli-
yence is clear. I'l,cr. wa. hat on, thing
!" do, and that was t" sell Ike property.
There Was but one way to do this and
that was to have HOtices posted and call
al election, ut w!,i.:, this question shall
o. submitted to the voters. Sl.al! VIZ or
shall We not Il, trustees sell this proper
~ on which there shall hc II vote yes
or no. Until tIi:; is done ~: deed can
,e made anil no title given. Consc-
luently no''osly wishes t" bid.
Section II Of the school law provides !
hat every board Of trustees shall have
power and it shall be their duty !
>iHh, to purchase or sell school lots, !!
when the trustees may be directed Ivy II |!
,Otc OF tho district go to do" What is to- |;
" done \ TAXPAYER.