St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-05-07
Cur Psblic School Building.

We understand that at the tiual meet
ing OF the old Board, held on Monday
night, Mayor CI,ache,c appointed three
members of the committee of five who
will be charged with the erection OF a
public school building for which spe-
cial tax was voted last year by the citl~
zens of the town. Tie tax ordinance
provides that in addition to the three
members of the committee whose aD-
pointment was vested in the Mayor, the
School Board shall appoint one and the
Committee Of Twenty-Five the fifth.
Now let these bodies proceed at once to
fill up the committee and let that com-
mittee enter actively upon the work
which the people have entrusted to
their hands.
Some fears have been expressed
(Which, we are glad to say, we do not
share,) that some of the outgoing May
or's appointees may prove stumbling
blocks in the way of prompt and Wig
orous prosecution aud ali early consum-
nation of the work. These gentlemen
-Messrs. Latreyte, j. b. Sandoz and
Pulpcrd-ale men of too much lntelll-
gence and public spirit, men whose
most vital interests arc too closely IN
tervoven with the welfare Of the COM
uuuity, and who have too enlightened
conception Of what is proper and
necessary for the promotion OF the pub
lie welfare, to even do as much as raise
a finger in fruitless attempt to arrest
the car of progress, freighted as it is in
this case with benefits and blessings the
value of whicl cannot be computed ID
dollars and cents. Even admitting that
some of them wero originally opposed
to the levying OF the tax, the tax having
been levied by an almost unanimous
vote and their fellow citizens having
decreed in unmistakable terms that
they wanted a decent public school
building, and wanted it without any
unnecessary delay, these gentlemen
surely have too much respect fer the
wishes of the mass of the good people
of Opelousas to not lay aside their prl-
yate feelings in the matter and then
perform the public duties incumbent
upon them in such way as to further
aud carry out the desires OF those ID
whose behalf they aIe supposed to act,
and not to thwart them.
We think this building should go up
this very summer 1t is true that there
is not enough money available to pay
for it, but what is lacking could be bor-
roved, and the interest to be paid would
exceed but little the amount expended
! for rent of inadequate and insufficient
" ventilated buildings. And then the
/ mere possession of suitable building
two or three, or probably four or five
wears sooner than it we waited until
| the necessary amount was accumulated
by the slow process of taxation, would
! be worth to the community many times
tie paltry sum paid for interest.
| At the suggestion of that progressive
citizen, DR.. V. K IrioD, chairman OF the
Committee of Twenty-Five, plan has
been drawn and Rough estimate OF
| cost made for a double story building
containing four large class rooms and
wide halls, with teachers rooms, porch,
&C., to cost about $4,000. The class
rooms would accommodate about fifty
pupils each. Such building might be
put up at once, aud in the course OF a
few years, when more money is avail
able, its capacity could be doubled at
less than the original cost, it being
planned with that end specially in view.
We have given the matter some
thought, and have come to the conclu-
sion that we could do no better, under
the circumstances, and thereby meet
and reconcile the divergent. views held
on the subject, than to adopt this plan
and build without delay.