The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-25
SCHOOL BOARD HAS
A LIVELY MEETING
MINORITY BUCKS PROPOSED
EXPENDITURES.

/
Propositions to Purchase New Build
ing Sites and Construct New
Buildings Cause Bother-Messrs.
Barker, May and jennings Lead
in opposition-Minority Succeeds
in Only One Instance in Over
throwing the Plans of the Powers
That-Be - Principal Is Charged
With Abusing a Pupil.
| From the call to order to adjourn
| ment it was one continuous SCRAP at
! last nights meeting of the board of
control and several times some very
! heated arguments were INDUCED in.
The opposing sides were lined up about
| as they We're at the organization and
| the powers-t -that-be, in consequence,
| won out in each engagement. Most Of
| the fighting centered about the follow
ing report of the building committee:
First-That sites for new school build
ings be purchased as follows:
First ward, four lots on Raine tract on
| the boulevard. price $500, payable, one
third ON the execution Of contract, and tho
balance in two equal annual instalments.
Tenth ward, three lots at the corner
of Prescott avenue and Myrtle street, at
a cost of 5000, 25 per cent. down, the
balance i'll three equal annual install
ments.
Twenty-first ward, three lots corner
| Lincoln avenue and Bulwcr street, Trip
park, at a cost of $500, payable, % per
cent, down, balance in three equal annual
payments.
| We recommend that Architect f. IL.
| Davis be employed to prepare plans for a
! Broom building to be known as No. IS,
| to he located at the corner of Prescott
avenue and Myrtle street in the Tcnth
| ward, the cost not to exceed s., 800 per
| room
Also that Architect James Feeney he
employed TO prepare plans Tor an S-room
building to take the place of old No. 3
III the Seventh ward, the cost not to ex-
Ceed $500 per room.
| We recommend that W. j. Price be ap-
pointed ianitor at No. 81 school in the
Fifteenth ward in the place Of the present
Janitress, Mrs. Hannah Lewis.
| We recommend that the iauitOr at No.
2S be paid 81 additional per month on
account of the opening Of two additional
rooms i'm that building since the begin
ming of the year.
That the contract for erecting fire es-
cape at No 81 school building be awarded
to Fred Mursch for $50 he being the low
| est and best bidder
| That the board advertise for bids for
sale of old No. 16 school property.
a competent surveyor has made sur
vcy of the lots on which No. 3 school has
been erected and reports that the lots
| t.gta Of Ia, ETa1g i,t,,,
only IS feet front instead of 30 feet as
called for by the contract, and we rec
| Ommcnd that the secretary be instructed
to write to Mr.. MaloDcy for an eXplana-
tion.
LED THE OPPOSITION.
Messrs. Barker. May and Jennings
who led the opposition to the report
attacked sereatim nearly every recon.
mendation it contained
In substantiation of the claim that
the First ward lots We're not needed
Mr.. Barker said that buildings Nos
2G and y, which now accommodate
that portion Of the city, have room fol
24S pupils more than the average at
tendance for last month and that the
city schools all through. can accommo.
date S,4S7 more pupils than are attend
ing at present.
Captain May said he investigated tn,
matter and was satisfied that there
would be no need of a school there
for three or four years. No. 26 schoo
is only 1000 feet away from the site
which it is proposed to purchase and
No. % is only $500 feet OFF. The mat,
ter of relieving the district from the
rental of temporary anneXos should
first claim the attention of the board
Captain May believed. If the com.
mittee's recommendation should pre-
vail, he said, it would work a great
injustice to the taxpayers. "Gf yOu
start that sort of thing you might as
we'll throw the flood gates open At once
and let everybody get in on it," h,
concluded.
Mir. Jennings said he would neve,
oppose the erection of building where
one was necessary. In this case. how.
ever, there was no ueressity of a build
ing. The attempt of the majority t.
carry this recommendation through
was "A piece Of high handed work. he
said. The board is now owing S23, ,o)l
on lots and that was enough h,
thought.
Mr.. Shres disputed the assertion
lndl llltGr was no lllllntllbte necessity
Tor the lots and said it was eeotstica
for McSsrS. Barker, May ANA Jennings
80 set their judgment against that o.
the controller Of the ward. the buildinl
committee and the people Of the ware
who had petitiuned for the purchase o
the site
Mr., Gibbons said the opposition
wasn't sincere; that the proposition
was opposed simply because il haC
/ come from the building committee
Ever since reorganization these sam,
/ gentlemen, he said, had opposed every
thing the committee offered 1t i.
simply an effort to obStruct and to up
set their work. He suggested to thos.
Who are now crying so loudly agamS
eXtrayaganCe To go back over the rec
Ords Of the board for four or five years
? Mr.. Barker took this as direct ad
: dress to him and raising slowly to hi
feet he said: "lt is true there was eX
= travagance in the past. | may hav,
made mistakes but that is no reason