The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1888-07-12

we learn tnht the tity C0uncIl
have, in conformity with authority
granted them by the last legislature,
ordered an election in the town Of
Grenada, for the purpose Of deciding
whether or not the city shall issue
bonds and borrow money thereon
for the purpose Of building public
school houses. The old brick acade-
my which has served so long az a
school building is in a tottering con-
ditiOn, and has been condemned by
the health authorities as dangerous.
We are Therefore compelled to build
a new one, and the only question at
issue seem to BE- whether we shall
build a respectable, cOmmodious,
convenient and comfortable house,
one that will be an honor and an or
nament to the town, a permanent
structure; or whether We shall in a
spirit of short-sighted niggardDiness
put up a temporary makeshift. We
do not deem it necessary to go into
an argument to prove the incalcula-
bly, great advantage to Il town of a
first class school.
We trust that our people are all as
well aware of the importance that
attaches to enterprises of this charac-
ter as we are. We also presume that
TO n will dispute the self-evident
truth that it is al utter impossibiIity
to build up and maintain a good
school without a good hou Sc to do it
in. The city is already the owner of
a spacious and beautiful lot, well To-
Gated, and really larger than neces-
sary, on which to begin. Now, as to
the ways and means of raising the
necessary finances, we do not think
there will be any trouble about that.
The plan proposed is for the city to
issue a sufficient number of bonds, of
the denomination of $1,000 each, one
of which will mature annually.
These bonds are to be put on the
market and hoated at the lowest rate
of interest attainable; interest not
to exceed s per cent. per annum.
These bonds will be not taxable by
city or county. One thousand dollars
and the interest on the entire amount
to be paid annually.
This will necessitate a tax of less
than five mills on the dollar. The
taxable property in the city is valued
at about 500, 900. Three mills tax Oh
this amount would be s., 100. This
would be only at the rate of three
dollars on the thousand, and would
hardly be felt by the taxpayer. The
advantage to our city, to all classes,
would be immense and immediate.
We have as fine a female school in
Grenada as there is in the State, and
we must make an effort to build up
a male school to correspond, We
will mention N little incident right
here, to show that these schools ben
eft the whole community. Rev. r..
J. Newell, the well known principal
ofthe Grenada Collegiate Institute,
told US a short time since hat he
paid one dressnlaker four hundred
dollars in cash, inst for work done,
sewing, etc. Tor the young ladies'
boarding with him. Where there
are good schools there are pupils to
%patronize them. These pupils,
whether boarders or not, are bound
to eat and wear clothes, and that's
where the benefit to the mercantile
classes comes in. In our particular
instance it will be necessary to
erect a school house for the
colored as we'll a. for the white chill
iren. This will create the necessity
for a little larger loan than was at
first anticipated, hut VII the same the
necessity must be met. The school
houses must be built, and built a.
soon as possible, to be ready for the fall
term. We hope that II community
will see this matter in the same light
We do, and regard it rather as II
blessing than as IA burden, and by all
means we do not want any half
makeshift, cheap-John
business. Grenada must sustain her
that she never does any
hing by halves.