Omaha daily bee., 1898-10-04
LEAVES 1T WITH THE PUBLIC
School Board Hesitates to Decide the High
School Question,
VOTERS MAY PASS UPON THE MATTER
One or Three TO he Submitted Along
with the Bond Proposition-ReIo-
cation of Pupils and the OPEN
ing of New Rooms.

tunity to say whether they want to vote
bonds at the coming election for the erec-
tionsof a single High school building or two
additional High schools. one on the north
side and one on the south. This was the
action determined upon by the Board of Ed
ucatlon at its meeting last night The board
did not care to shoulder the responsibility
Of deciding the question without securing
an expression OF public sentiment,
According to the report of the committee
which has been considering the matter, the
report being adopted, a circular will be sent
out to the patrons of the schools. This cir
cular will outline the advantages and disad-
vantages Of the two schemes. The opinions
OF both the taxpayers and those who do no.
pay taxes will be asked. The circulars will
be distributed by means Of the school chill
dren and by mail The cost OF the circulars
is to be limited to $50
The action was not taken without some
objection, portion of which was based on
principles Of economy. Others, the support
ers OF the one e-school plan. wanted the mat
ter settled at once. Mr.. Kicwit maintained
that the board should not think of plan
for an extra building in its present finan-
cial status, when 1t is running behind It's
Income every year. Mr. Sears asserted that
after a canvass be had found the business
was finally determined, however, to canvass
public opinion to avoid a possibility of not
having the bonds carry.
Labor Question Up and Down.
The labor question again bobbed up in
the. shape of a resolution by Hess. This
provided that the board should recognize
and employ in its repair and construction
department only such mechanics as are
hot t,tnp
now employed and not members Of unions
should be examined as to their competency
by committee of three. one selected by
the Building Trades council, one by the
board and the third by these two; II the
men are found competent by the commit
tee they should be admitted into the unions.
All laborers should be exempt from the pro-
visions Of the resolutions, provided that
they shall not be allowed or required to do
mechanics work. 1t was further resolved
that all employees should be bona fde citl-
zens voters, taxpayers and heads of fami-
lies in preference to others. All differences
were to be referred to an arbitration COM
mittee Of one from the unions, one from
the board and third to be selected by
the two Their findings were to be binding
upon all parties.
This resolution was very promptly
squelched. Hess was frowned down on as
raking up a matter that has been disposed
OF and making a grand stand move for po-
1itical effect. motion was made to lay
the matter on the table and this was car
rled by the following vote:
Ayes-Buchanan, Burgess, Dennis, john
Son, Kiewit, Moore, Sears, Thomas, JORDAN
80.
Nays-Bandhauer Hess, Trey, Van Glider
Grafton. Penfold. not present.
Who May Attend school.
The question Of admitting into the Omaha
public school children who live outside the
city limits, which arises at the opening oi
every school year, was raised. Van Glider
wanted to let every child attend the schools
but he gracefully dropped back into hi
chair when 1t was pointed out that tina
would be in violation Of the state law
It was suggested that rule should be mad
that everyone who pays taxes to the city
whether on block Of real estate in tn
heart OF the city or or an office desk, shoul'
be permitted to gend his children to tn
Omaha schools. After considerable discus
sion the m1tter was referred until tn
next meeting.
The petition to open another room at tn
Davenport school was granted despite IN
face that a committee reported against sucl
grades at present have to go less than
nbout a mile to attend other schools. An
other room will also be opened at the Am
bier school to accommodate children livin
In a distant portion of the district who g
mt present to other schools The additiona
rooms will necessitate the employment OF
couple of extra teachers. Several member
insisted that the rooms are not required an
that they will result In an unnecessary ex
pense. Among those who held this opinio
was Kiewit, who gave notice that he woul
move to reconsider the action at the mex
meeting If a full board is present.
A petition was received requesting tina
another room be opened in the Amble
school.
Superintendent OF Schools Pearse made
recommendation that night schools be cor
Quoted during the coming winter, as 1t
likely that there will be q demand for thel
such as there has not been since they wei
abandoned three years ago. The recon
mendation was referred to the committee Q
teachers and examinations.
The Katz & Nevins building at Elevent
and Douglas streets, which was secured II
the accommodation of the pupils when II
Dodge school was sold last spring for Gil
Jail purposes. will be rented for the san
purpose during the remainder of the yea
Inc pTeSiuenI anu SeCfttdly VI iuS bOai
were authorized to enter into a contract Il
the use of the building for the term of
year. beginning July l last, at MONTH
rental OF 800.
Pupils who live in the half block SOU
Of Center street to the alley and from Seyel
teenth west to the railroad tracks and wi
now attend the CASTELAR, school must attel
the Cormenius school in the future. II
transfer. affecting about forty children,
made because there couple of vaca
rooms at the Comenius school and the 9th
Is crowded
Want Military Instructor.
The secretary was instructed to reque
tho War department to detail an officer
instruct the High school cadets Last yeal
Instructor was Lieutenant Campbell of Z
Twenty y-second infantry, who accompani
his regiment to Cuba.
October 10 will be observed as Lafayet
day in the public schools. This day will
observed throughout the country. Exercis
will be held and the admission money W
be turned into Lafayette fund, which
10 be devoted to the erection OF monume
over Lafayettes grave In Paris. which "
be unveiled on United States day at t
Paris exposition, July 4, 1900.
OrtOh MI 10