The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-05-25
THE SCHOOL QUESTION.
A Citizen. Republican and Tax Payer Calls At
fention to Some Pertinent Facts.

Ientf0n 10 some pertinent Facts.
To the Editor HERALD: As citizen
and taxpayer / should like TO make
few statements for the benefit of your
readers. regarding the school question
which is now disturbing the public mind
would suggest way out of the present
controversy which seems to me to be
perfectly feasible and which will furnish
abundance Of school room for the next
few years. 1t will call for the expendi-
ture of only about one third the amount
of money asked for at the late election,
and last, but not least, will remedy any
defects In the present structure and
make it perfectly safe 80 that patrons of
the Columbia School may feel safe in
sending their children there at all times,
thereby earning all State Money which
for the past two or three years we have
been losing on account Of absence OF
scholars from this building on windy
days.
First-The school district now seems
to be about $50, 900 in debt, and with our
county aud city Indebtedness added
makes very poor showing to present to
intending settlers who are now coming
in with little money 10 invest. Now,
why step in $l5, 900 deeper when by the
iudicious use of one third of that amount
we may have all the room needed for at
least three or four years to come as well
as avoid paying interest and insurance
on $40 900 for which we receive nothing.
SecOnd-We will concede that new
school house would add to the appear
ance of our city. Yet at this time, with
our city, county and school district so
deeply IN debt that our taxes are so
heavy already as to cause investors to
turn away without buying. question
the wisdom of adding more than abso-
lutely necessary to our already heavy
load.
Third-If new building is erected it
will require the services of an extra prin
cipal and an extra janitor, amounting to
at least 81 900 each year in extra expense
all of which will be saved if we build an
addition to the Columbia school, for the
present principal and janltor are fully
capable of satisfactorily filling the
places.
Fourth-As to the crossing of the
track by school children. II one will
take the time to go over u the railroad
at s 20 in the morning or 4:l5 p. m. he
may judge for himself how many more
cross the track one way than another,
then see how much ground there is for
the cry, 1--WE can't send our children
across the track" judge the children
from the east side are fully as capable of
caring for themselves as those from the
west and further, that parents would
as lief have their children cross the rail-
way twice a day as to have them playing
morning, noon and night next to an open
canal with perpendicular walls, and out
of which no small child could ever climb
without assistance. Right here should
like to suggest that all parties interested
go and examine the proposed site before
voting for $4,000 structure there.
We have no record of any school chill
dren being injured IN crossing the track.
The two boys who haye been injured at
diff rent times were playing on the track.
The first one being a west side boy who
was not attending school at all, and the
latter boy from the east side who at
tended school on the east side and had
no occasion to cross the track to or from
school. Now then, supposing all this
danger of crossing the track does exist, |
we see by last weeks papers that the
city council has set move on foot to
tunnel under the track This will avoid
any necessity of crossing the tracks at
any time and the parents of children
who are obliged to pass either way will
be relieved of the worry incident thereto |
Fifh-When the Columbia school was |
first built the high school was placed |
there and none but the larger scholars |
were required to cross the track. there |
being room enough for all small children |
on either eide in their respective build |
lngs. Then more room was needed on the |
west side and the upper story of what is
now the evaporation was used for year
or two. Then came the demand for an |
addition to the Central school, and pop
ulists. democrats and republicans, east.
siders and west.siders, all joined hands
and the present Central school was built |
and the High School removed to the |
east aldo aud the rented ahan