The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-27
SCHOOL BOARD MAY NOT BUILD
NOT SATISFIED WITH THE GRAND
JURY's APPROPRIATION.

Col. Mercer Says the Board Cannot
Build on Wells square. But II Owns
Lot Fronting the Squnre-He Is
Opposed to Going in Debt for n
New school HOusc-Mr. Mills
Thinks the hoard should Build on
Wells Square and Borrow What
ever Amount Is Needed to Com
pIete the building.
Whether the Board of Education will
make use Of the special appropriation of
$4,000, made by the grand jury to be
used only in building a school ION Wells
square," is yet to be determined.
Col. George A. Mercer, president of the
Board of Education, expressed a doubt
yesterday as to the legality of the action
of the grand jury in prescribing where
and in what manner an appropriation
made for a specific purpose shall be spent.
He does not object so much 10 the re-
quirement that the special appropriation
be used for extending the school facilities
Had this been oil, he would not have con-
planned, though he regards $4,000 as too
sinai an dtilOllAA AOA AtiS ~ 1917 ny
of the schools next year.
''How can the board build a new school
house with Sl0OOO?' asked Col Mercer
land how can we build one on Wells
square? Wells square is a public park,
just as much as johnson square, and we
have just as much right to build a school
on johnson square as we have on Wells
square. 1t is true that the Board of Ed
ucation owns a lot fronting Wells square,
but the grand jury does not say that the
board must build a schoolhouse on this
lot That is doubtless what it intended,
but it says that we must build IL on the
square"
About the most remarkable thing In
the grand jury presentments" said Col
Mercer, lis that they recommend, prac-
tically order us, in fact. to remodel the
rooms on the upper floor of the Henry
Street School, in which they were entirely
correct but instead of giving us the means
10 do so, the only appropriation available
for the purpose is required 10 be expended
on Wells square. / am surprised that the
members of the grand jury did not per-
ceive their own inconsistency"
As 10 the building a school house, Col.
Mercer said that il is out of the question
20 undertake to erect a suitable building
for $4,000. The Anderson Street school
cost $25,000 he said. and the Board of Ed
ucatiOn would not be satisfied TO erect any
thing less. Col. Mercer said that the
board has had all the experience 1t cares
for in going in debt for the erection OF
school houses, as the interest on the loans
eat TOO largely into the appropriations
THE Anderson Street school is in three
sections" said Col Mercer. 1.-The only
thing l can suggest as feasible is that we
adopt the plan of the Anderson Street
school for a building fronting on Wells
square and advertise for bids for its cree
ton by sections, erecting one section with
the money just appropriated by the grand
jury and adding the other sections as fun
ther appropriations are made. BY COM
plotting the first section in time for the
opening of the schools this fan we would
be able to accommodate the 300 increase in
school population, which Is looked for and
thus settle this question for the ensuing
year"
Mr.. George ]. Mills. who was foreman
of the grand jury, when asked about the
school matter, said that he regretted that
the majority of the grand jury had seen
M to tie the hands of the Board of Educa-
ton in its use of the special appropria-
ton for additional school facilities
/ was of the opinion that II would be
much better TO leave the expenditure OF
the appropriation to the discretion of the
board said MIR. M.lls. THE board might
have considered ii more advantageous to
use the money in adding to the accommo-
dations of the other buildings AT the same
time l do not see any reason why the
board should not go ahead and begin the
erection of a school on Wells square. With
the increase ia population in that section
the school Will he needed there by the time
II IS completed and it viii tend TO relieve
the pressure upon the schools further
north. BY erecting a building there SINH
lar 10 the Anderson street school think
we VIII have sufficient school accommoda-
lions for several years 10 come The Board
OF Education can get the building well an
der way with $4,000. and this being done
there would be no doubt about the grand
jury appropr,atng sufficient money to COM
plete he building next year. II would not
require any great hnancicring TO obtain the
money needed with which to complete the
building this year and as this was done in
the erection of the Henry Street and An
dersou street Schools see no reason why
IL. should not be done IN this instance"
The whereabouts of Wells square is prob.
ably unknown 10 many people In Savan-
nah. The square is in the southwestern
section of the city. and is bounded by West
Broad, Eighth, Montgomery and Ninth
streets.