The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-15
The Additional Subscription for School
Buildings.

There will be submitted to the quail
fled voters of the town of Newberry, on
the fifth OF February proXimo, the
the Question of subscribing five thou
sand dollars for the erection and equip
ment of buildings for the Graded
Schools, in addition to the subscription
voted for that purpose a year ago. The
Trustees of Newberry School District
have been formally authorized by the
State Legislature to put this question
to popular vote; and it will be determ-
ined by the majority of voters IN the
town whether the additional subscrip-
ton shall be made or not.
If the vote results in making the sub
scrintion, bonds will be issued for that
sum, payable in twenty years, and
bearing interest at the rate of six per
cent. per annum. The additional year
ly charge upon the taxable property in
the town will, therefore, be three hun
dred dollars, until the termination Of
twenty years, when the bonds will ma
ture.
The School Trustees have en-
deavored during the past year
to procure the erection of suita-
BILE buildings at a cost not exceeding
the ten thousand dollars subscribed
wear ago. They had the same interest
that other taxpayers have in making
these Improvements at as small an eX-
pense as would be consistent with the
requirements of the situation But al
though they invited bids in the State
and out of the State, they failed to re-
ceive single bid for such building as
they find Necessary even at the SUM of
ten thousand, which was all that was
allowed them tor purchasing grounds,
erecting buildings and furnishing build
ings. The property already owned by
the male and female academies for
whites was soon found to be utterly in
adequate for graded school; and the
Trustees, therefore, felt compelled to
purchase the DeWalt lot, at the price
of twenty-five hundred and fifty dol
lars.
This property, though we'll worth the
price paid for it, and though offering
decided advantages in extent, in situa-
ton and in buildings which would as
sist the white school, has no buildings
On it, as is we'll known, at all fit for a
school-house.
fit should be put in the power Of the
School Trustees to sell the property Of
the male academy and that Of the fe-
male academy, and invest the proceeds
in the Graded Schools, as we trust will
come to pass, there would be left in the
end in their hands little, if anything,
beyond the $4,000 already subscribed,
after paying for the DeWalt lot and for
the necessary repairs on that lot outside
of the school-house. And besides the cost
ofa school building there are needed fur
nishings-desks, tables, blackboards
and apparatus-which will probably
cost from two to three thousand dol
lars. And to all these expenses is to be
added such repairs, extensions and
equipments as may be found necessary
for the colored school. The most care
full estimates by the Trustees and the
opinions of expert builders convince US
that this work cannot be successfully
accomplished without $4,000 in addi-
ton to what we now have.
Already nearly three hundred chill
dren are taught in the white schools,
and about two hundred in the colored
one. And the number in each is sure
to be considerably increased. Roomy,
comfortable buildings are required for
schools; and we have to build now not
for the next year, nor merely for the
next ten years. What we build must
furnish the school accommodations for
many years to come. A cheap, i'll
arranged, confined building will prove
a great waste of money. The part of
true economy is to erect a structure
which will answer all needs for at least
the next twenty years.
1t is to be hoped that our citizens
will appreciate the demands Of the Sit
uation. J. F. J. CALDWELL,
Chairman Board of Trustees.