The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-31
THE CONSOLIDATION.
Eapt. Stewards Proposed Scheme
for School Districts
AGAIN DISCUSSED LAST EVENING.
No Conclusion Arrived at, but Number OF
Schemes and Plans from Different
Sources Suggested

4 The meeting of the trustees of the va
rious school districts of the city called by
Superintendent Stewart to meet in the
Thirteenth ward schoolhouse and discuss
the points inculcated in the bill which is to
come up in the county court on next Mon
day with reference to the proposed con-
-soIidation of all the school districts OF the
city into four districts, was attended by
about twenty members from different parts
of the city Superintendent Stewart
stated the objects of his petition and the
principles it involved and the advantages
10 be gained. He also presented a table
giving the condition of each school dis
trict, the capacity of their buildings num-
Der of pupils and other information bearing
on the subject, showing that there were
not more than two districts out of the
twenty-one in the city that had sufi-
cient accommodations for their pupils.
1T was necessary for these districts to vote
a lax to put additions to their school build
hgs, and the question was whether it was
not cheaper for them to consolidate and
invest their money together in four large
graded schools.
MIR. Alff said he was in favor Of improv-
ing the school system, but did not sec
where the money was to come from, as the
people objected TO being taxed and it would
cost from twenty tive to fifty thousand dol
lars to build each of the four new proposed
buildings
Mr. Critchlow said he favored consolida-
tion, but suggested that the entire city be
made into one district, instead of four. ''In
our own district here,'' he said, Il tried to
secure a consolidation with the Twelfth in
order that we might be able to unite and
build a graded school together, but there
was too much opposition and the plan
failed am in favor of consolidation, but
not in the way Mr.. Stewart proposes. If
I'VE have only one district, with
one high school, the expense
will only be one quarter of the
amount it would be to maintain
four such schools" The speaker then in
timated that the consolidation was politi-
cal scheme to prevent the establishment of
free schools in the city, rs it was a well
known fact that the party that had been in
power so long was not in favor of free
schools, and there had been none until re
Gently, and he did not think it was to do
away with those already in existence. Here
the speaker was interrupted by several
trustees who mentioned free schools which
had existed at different times in several
districts.
.ldr. Green then arose and said he was in
favor of free schools and consolidation, but
did not see what power the county court
had to act in the matter, or the trustees, as
4hey were simply servants of the people.
Prof J. H. Paul said we already have
one high school at the university, but what
We needed was graded schools gin different
parts of the city. At present we pay
teacher competent to teach a graded school
good wages to teach few, while If the
consolidation was made he could Just as
well teach fifty and let cheaper teachers
teach in the primary department. He said
he was in favor of free schools, but he
knew intelligent men in both parties who
were opposed to free schools. The speaker
discussed the question at some length, after
which opinions pro and con were expressed
By different trustees present.
Mr. Green moved that it be the sense of
the meeting not to favor any change at
present, but that a bill be prepared and
presented to the legislature. After some
discussion the motion was lost.
Mr.. Stewart then made few remarks,
showing that it would be necessary to eX-
pend 100000 in school buildings at once
10 supply the present demands, and he
thought it would be economy in the long
run to expend it in the consolidation of
graded schools and continue to use the pre-
sent buildings for primary departments.
vote was then taken on the proposed
bill, after which petition was presented
by Mr.. Stewart and signed by majority
present, asking the county court to aid in
the matter. Superintendent Stewart thinks
that he will secure at least forty of the
school trustees to sign the petition. The
assembly then dispersed.