The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-23
new SCHOOL BUILDINGS
Board Of Control Decides to Erect
Two Of Them.
BOTH TO BE ON TnE WEST SIDE
One In Fourteonth Ward TO Take the
Place Of No. 10 School and the
Other In Annexed Portion Of
the Fifteenth Ward.

At meeting Of the board Of control
held last evening 1t was decided to
purchase plots Of ground in the Four
teenth and Fifteenth wards. and to
erect school building on each.
Chairman w. J. Welsh, of the build
ing committee. presented q report
recommending the purchase OF four
lots In the Fifteenth ward. annexed
district. at Locust avenue and Birch
street. having together a frontage Of
40 feet and depth Of 1877 feet, for the
sum OF $4,000. They also recommended.
as the new site for q building In the
Fourteenth ward to take the place OF
old No. 16 school, the lots described In
the propositions secured from ]. r.
Farr and Mrs. Mile Acker. Mr.. Farr
offered to sell his oroperty on Chestnut
street, occupied present by himself,
for the sum of S., The property has
a frontage OF Is feet and depth of 165
feet. Mrs. Acker made an offer to sell
lot No. 81 of the william Merrifield
plot, adjoining Mr.. Farr's property. for
the sum Of $4,000 The frontage of the
property is A feet. inches. the depth
being 230 feet.
In its report the committee recon-
mended that the propositions made by
Mr. Farr and Mrs. Acker be accepted
and the joint property purchased for
the sum of Sl4,500. 1t also recommend
ed the purchase of the property In the
Fifteenth ward.
Advantages Of the Property.
In supporting the adoption Of the
recommendation T. ]. Jennings eX-
planned the advantages Of the Chestnut
street property and said that 1t would
give an opening from that street to
Fairview avenue. In reply to F. l..
Wormser, Mr.. Welsh said that 1t was
expected that the sum Of $1,000 would
be realized for the sale Of old No. l6
school property on Chestnut street.
The recommendation Of the committee
with regard to the purchase Of the
property at Locust avenue and Birch
street was adopted without dissenting
vote, but when the meeting was divided
on the recommendation to purchase
the Chestnut street plots 1t was found
that James A. Evans, John Devaney
w. s. Watrous and o. B. Schriefer were
against the adoption Of the recon-
mendation.
The committee then presented their
report with regard to the new build
ngs and recommended that q. school
building comprising twelve rooms be
erected at a cost of $1,000 per room in
place of the old No. 13 school in the
Fifteenth ward, and a similar building
in place Of the No. 16 school In the
Fourteenth ward on Chestnut street.
Considerable discussion ensued with
reference to the proposed school in the
Bellevue district. Fifteenth ward.
Herman Notz, in criticising the COM
mittee's report. said that more SUBJ
stantial reasons should be given be-
fore they decided to erect 12-room
building, as with the excellent accom-
mediation already provided in Hyde
Park he could not bring himself to
think that such a spacious building was
necessary.
Wanted Limit Fixed.
W. S. watrous also objected to the
proposal to specify the proposed cost
by the amount of 5000 per room. and
suggested that a limit Of 100000 be
placed on each building. People made
1t their interest to get as much money
as they possibly could out Of the dis
trict and It behooved them to be more
strict in defining the total cost Of the
building They were told that the high
school would cost but $150,0O0, but In
all probability 1t would reach s225,000.
F. L. Wormser also expressed HIM
self strongly against the recommenda
ton and urged that an eight-room
school would be ample. Mr.. Notz made
a second speech, in which he submitted
statistics tending to prove that ut was
a sort of disease among members to get
as large building as they could" and
also that while total Of $425,00O was
spent by the board in the city, but $1,000
was expended in the South Side. Upon
the principle that the South Side had
been neglected he objected to the pro-
posal to erect a twelve-room school.
After many members had taken part
in the discussion 1t was resolved to ap-
prove of the new school building on
Chestnut street, but to refer the recon-
mendation as to the building in the
Fifteenth ward to the teachers COM
mittee.
Struggle Over Architects.
The building committee also recon-
mended that they be empowered to Sc
cure architects plans for the proposed
building. but upon the motion of F.. l..
Wormser 1t was decided to make the
appointment forthwith. Chairman
Welsh thereupon proposed John A.
Duckworth to prepare plans for the
Bellevue school and the motion was
carried.
r. ]. Jennings proposed Mr.. Davies.
Of the firm of Won Storch & Davis. to
prepare plans for the Chestnut street
school. AS an amendment Mr.. Wat
rous moved that +. L. Brown, Of the
firm of Brown & Morris, be appointed.
Thirteen voted for the amendment Of.
l.. Brown. and five for the original mo-
ton Davies). Some Of the members
who had voted against the amendment
requested that their votes be changed.
This caused Mr.. Wormser to rise and
propose that the meeting reconsider the
vote on the amendment, when F. s.
Barker asked the object OF the mo-
tion. Mr.. Wormser replied that It was
20 prevent the matter being reconsid-
cred at another time. This explanation
had the effect Of causing q number Of
members to leave the room, who urged
others to follow them. so as to reduce
the attendance below the quorum.
Eleven members, however, remained,
who all voted against the .amendmnt
and the matter was thus disposed of.
A letter was read from principals Of
schools renewing their application Of
last year for an increase Of salaries.