, 1891-04-25
GIVE LIGHT

GIVE LIGHT
One week from Monday the annual
school meeting will he held As has been
the case as long A. we have any personal
knowledge Of the facts there is little or no
preliminary consideration OF the impur-
iant work 10 be done at that meeting.
Usually it Is merely a pcrfunctory gather.
ing which attracts comparatively little
public attention There is rarely any
previous discussion over men or measures
and never any public nominations until
the aeyGal day Of the meeting. Even
then there is rarely any contest and the
men selected by the members of the
school board themselves are formally
declared elected From that line forward
until the next school meeting there is
seldom anything heard about the actions
of the school trustees and there is never
anF mention Of the proceedings Of their
meetings IN the papers Of the city. THIS
may BE- partly the fault Of the newspapers
and partly the fault Of the board but
from whatever cause it may have arisen
the result is now evident that the school
board is the closest corporation
of any public body that ever ez.
isted in Wyoming Not one person in
500 knows anything about their
proceedings. Frequently certain actions
are taken which involve the outlay of a
great deal Of .he peoples money. We
are very far from intimating that this
money is not judiciously spent, perhaps as
iudioiOusly as though the light OF day con-
stautly streamed upon every transaction.
Nevertheless we wish to say aud say it
emphatically that the principle is wrong
aud the proceedings Of the board should
always be known to the entire public as
tho whole body Of people contribute TO
the school funds.
We understand that the names Of the
two men who arc to be selected at the
annual meeting are already known to a
certain few. They are men who stand
well m the community and who are well
qualified 10 I'll the places but the affair
smacks too much Of the cut aud dried"
method Of doing business. The people
should have the opportunity Of saying
who they want to represent them. This
duty they have not delegated to the mem
bcrs Of the school board and if the school
board has assumed it las we arc informed
they have the assumption should be re-
bukcd at the meeting on May 4. The
entire board is now comprised Of men
who live within a very narrow radius in
this city. Why not 90 outside of thus
Just for once Why not make a selection
from the South side, Tor instance There
is a large and growing section altogether
without representation in the board.
1t Is also understood that the people
will be called upon to vote on the ques-
uou Of issuing school bonds to the amount
OF S2l 600. Part Of this will go toward
paying for extra work on the new high
school building, paying Tor lots on the
South Side aud the balance will be de-
voted to the construction of a new four
room school building 10 the extreme east
ern part Of tiwn. These things should
be discussed IN advance aud in times Of
such financial s]tringenry the people
should be allowed ample time to carefully
consider the muttar. During the past
year thu board spent, we understood,
$1,000. The new public school builiiug
will Accommodate about $50 pupils 1t will
cost in the nrighburhood Of $50. 600. At
tins proportional rate it would cost a
good deal TO house the school children Of
this clty. Now another new building is
demanded. 1t may be an immediate
necessity but we are sure the public
would like TO hear from the school board
on the nnLi-nt-