Omaha daily bee., 1888-05-03
THE NEWS OF The BLUFFS,
The City Has a Very Knotty Board
of Education,
A CONFIDENCE MAN WEAkENS.
County Clerk shea's Experience in
Salt Lake-The Move OF st.
Bernard's Hospital-A Chau-
tauqua Mass Meeting.
CONFIDENCE MAN wEAKENs.
A Split School Board.

The action of certain members Of the
school board in pursuing adog-in-the- manger
policy in regard to the adoptionof plans for
the proposed new building is the subject of
much unfavorable comment. The public at
large, and also those who are personally in
terested in the matter, said but little when
the deadlock was first formed, as IL was sup
posed that after carefully talking over and
considering the matter a decision would
speedily be arrived at. As has been stated
before, the choice lay between a plan sub
mitted by S. K. Maxon and one submitted by
Allen & Bell, all of this city. McssSs. Law
son, Rain and Blaxsim favored the former,
and Mcssrs. Atkins, Couch and Stewart the
latter. 1t was conceded by the MaXon adj
hererts that his plan as submitted was i'm
practicable, owing to the amount OF ground
required, still they positively refused to even
entertain for a moment the idea of accepting
that submitted by Allen & Bell.
The members OF the board who were in
favor of this plan then wanted to have their
plans exhibited and let the people at large
who foot the bills examine them and say
which should be adopted.
Messrs. Allen & Bell then had the eleva-
ton of their plan photographed and framed
and placed in Bushnells window, where it
was much admired. Mr.. Maxon, however,
did not take kindly to the idea of leaving
the matter TO an unprecedented publlc, put
withdrew his plans and changed them CON
Va dDlNs L ~ Stlb b1l " ~ biO
board together with entirely new ones, but
the board would not entertain the new plans,
as they were not submitted until after the
expiration of the advertised date.
irA after o6 holding i several m f%rgitless so, m a
time, it was decided to reject all the
plans. Those who had been in favor of
adopting the Allen g. Bell plan then pro-
posed to consult some architect out of the
city. as it was impossible to agree on any
Onn at homo Jlut tbiS Nyoi11l nnt do rnithpr
would anything else but to accept Mr..
MaxoD's plan. In fact this seems to be the
whole gist of the matter, and these three
members seem determined to ring in Mr..
MaXon by hook or by crook, or to tie the vote
OF the board as FAR as any one else IS con-
cerned. Their purpose was announced some
time ago, when one of them stated that 1.-THE
case won't be decided on its merits, but the
man will get it who can pull the right string"
Now if the case is not decided on its merits
it is time for the people to know it. If such
Is the policy of certain members of the
school board il is time to investi-
gate their carefully prepared course OF
action, and prevent them from throwing the
city money to some Of their pets, while they
are wholly Indifferent as to what return the
city will get. These officers seem to forget
that they are the servants of the people and
ignore the plans that meet with popular APP.
proval simply because they are not submit,
ted by their favorite. The city did not ap.
proprlate $40, 600 to give to somebody's pet, but
to erect a school building, suitable to the
needs of a growing city; and the exterior OF
which shall also reflect credit on the city.
The board of trade has appointed a com
mittee Of six to wait upon the school board
and protest against employing foreign archi
tects when there is the necessary talent al
home. The public has already made {
choice from plans submitted, but these three
officers, with supreme gall, turn up thcil
noses and say, 'Oh, you fellows can pay the
money, but it's none of your business where
it goes or what you get in return for it. W.
make the choice and if you don't like it YOU
can lump it.n