The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-03
SCHOOL HOUSE WAR.
Lively Meeting at Minooka to Protest
Against the Erection of an Ad-
ditional Building.
Special to the Scranton Tribune.

Special to the Scranton Tribune.
MINooKA. Aug. 2-The citizsns Of
Minooka met in loud protest at No. 9
school building last night to cry down
the action of the school board of
Lackawanna township in passing n
resolution to spend the sum of $S 0OO
toward the erection of new school at
Moosic.
The indignation meeting, as it may
very properly be classified. outheralded
any caucus gathering or any similar
meeting ever held in the South district
of Lackawanna.
Peter Mullen was the most nervous
gentleman heard from. His speech
was an amusing medley of views on
the labor question, cash store business
and general arraignment of big compa
MES and corporations.
Mr. Mullen said: 1--WE are the mas
ters and the school directors are our
servants, and we don't want any class
of men, or for that matter, any body
Of men, to speak beyond their
conscience This expression was
the only relevant reference made
by him on the subject, and he sat down
leaving his auditors in a confused
plight as to his meaning or his views,
with the following conclusion: ~ hope
| have clearly stated my views in this
matter" Deep silence followed.
Director Griffith T. Davis arose to ex.
plain the position of the school board
in the matter of the Moosic school.
He said that the board became con-
vinced that it was useless expendi-
ture of money to go on year after year
making Improvements on the two
school buildings in Moosic, as in the
end they would be still far from the
point which would prove to the cti.
zens that any material good was done
by patching up old buildings. He ex-
planned the reason why the school term
was curtailed one month last year
was because free text book bill was
passed last year by the state legisla.
lure and the board in carrying out the
provisions OF that law was forced to
expend large amount OF money, leav-
ing a deficit in tue treasury. Mr.. Da-
Wis then quoted the rates of millage
levied in certain school districts in
this county which compare with the
wealth of the Lackawauna school dis
trict.
For the year 1898 the following as
Sessments were made i'll Carbondale
township, 81 miles Archibald. 1S miles:
Emhurst, 20 miles; Olyynaut. 90
miles; Winton, 90 miles. This year
the millags of Lackawanna township
will debut 1S miles. Martin Nc
Donough, John J. Coyne. P. ]. Mul-
herin, Owen Connolly, Thomas King.
Peter Mullen. Patrick Higgins. Thomas
Sullivan and Griffith 7. Davis expressed
views on the subject and a matron
was then made to appoint a committee
to examine into the matter and report
at the next meeting Of citizens, which
is to be called when the committee is
ready to report.
The following committee was ap-
pointed: John j. Coyne. Frank Toole,
John 7. Brown. Martin McDonough,
John Egan, Owen Connolly, John
Kelly. The committee on resol ution
presented the following report:
Whereas, 1t has been recently decided by
the school board Of Lsckawanna town
ship to erect new school at Moosic and
Whereas, 1t is the sense of majority of
the citizens of said township and even a
large portion of the resident citizens of
Moosic, as shown by their late petition to
the board in opposition to this measure,
that either no new school is necessary at
all in that place or should any additional
school room be needed the contemplated
bnilding is SO out Of all proportion in the
dimensions and cost to the possible needs
Of the case that its unoccupied rooms
would serve only as standing monument
to our folly and reckless extravagance;
therefore be it
Resolved, That we place on record our
unqualified condemnation of this proposed
reckless expenditure of this townships
money, and that two at time, and under
the pretext Of economy, the school terms
has been abriged and the schools closed q
month beyond the usual time, and educa.
tion of our children entirely neglected for
three long months; therefore, be it further
Resolved, That we at this meeting exert
ourselves to Illustrate this design of burd.
ening the taxpayers with this enormous
and needless expenditure.