Omaha daily bee., 1900-01-16
ATTEMPT TO MAKE A CHANGE DEBATE

Mcmbc Moore is Unsuccessful In His
Efforts to Have the boards Action
Selecting the Ballard Prop
crty Repealed.
The Board Of Education, at its regular
monthly meeting Monday night, failed to re-
scind its action in selecting the Ballard
property adjoining the Grand hotel on First
avenue as the site for the proposed new High
school building, although urged to do so by
Member Moore. None Of the members who
voted for this site seemed willing to take
upon themselves the responsibility of maxi
ing such a motion, and the board adjourned
leaving the matter still unsettled.
The question was brought up at the close
of the meeting after the routine business had
all been disposed Of, by Member Moore ask
ing If there was any member who had voted
for the Ballard site who was willing to move
that such action be %rescinded. Not having
voted for the site, Member Moore said he
was prevented from making such a motion,
although he would be perfectly willing to do
so. Before any answer could be made to
Moore's inquiry, Member Stewart moved to
adjourn, but failed of a second.
Member Moore then took the floor and
urged that the action be rescinded. He said
it would be nothing short of an outrage to
erect the building there, as it meant the
closing Of the hotel and, what was more, no.
body wanted it there.
Stewart again interposed with a motion
to adjourn and secured this time a second in
Cooper, but on being put to the vote the mo
tion failed to carry.
stewart Explains His Position.
Failing in his motion to adjourn, Member
Stewart got on his feet and in a lengthy ad-
dress explained his position in the matter.
He said he had always been in favor of the
Oakland avenue property, but the state sup
ertntendent had decreed that the school
could not be built there. He had done the
next best thing, in his judgment, and that
was to vote for the Ballard property. For
his part he was not willing to rescind the
action selecting that site, neither would he
vote for it.
Member Henry asked: Are you in favor Of
building the school there"
To this Stewart made no reply, but, con-
tinuing, said there were not fifteen people
who were opposed to putting the school next
the hotel except it might be the members OF
the hotel company.
This statement brought Moore to his feet
with the declaration that he was willing to
bet any money that he could find 1000, or
even more. citizens who were strongly op-
posed to having the school located there.
Continuing, Stewart said that in his hum
bic judgment it was now the duty of the
board to consummate without further delay
the purchase of the Ballard property and to
instruct the architects to prepare plans to
suit the site.
President Sims then said that, although he
did not vote for the Ballard site, he would
not under any circumstances vote to rescind
the action unless it was coupled with a prop
osition to submit the question to the people
at the next or a special election, to secure
from them an expression as to where the
school ought to be located.
This Settles 1t.
Again Stewart interposed with a motion to
adjourn and being again seconded by
Cooper, carried his point, the members be
ing evidently not willing to further pro-
! long the discussion.
At the opening of the meeting Thomas f.
Casady, acting for Simon Cusady, submit
ted a formal tender of the warranty deed
to the Oakland avenue property and also
made a formal demand for the payment Of
the purchase price, $4,000, and interest at
6 per cent from April II, 1899. The board
unanimously voted to reject both the tender
of the deed and the demand for payment
The following communication was re-
ceived from the legal firm OF Stone & Tin
ley, which had been retained by the board
to defend the district in the suit brought by
Cassidy at a fee of 500:
'Gentlemen-We have the pleasure to re-
port to you that the case commenced By
service of original notice upon the district
for alleged contract price for what is known
as the Oakland avenue site, was not carried
further than service of notice, as the plain
4 tiff failed TO file the D%etitiOn. The failure
on the part of the plaintiff to file the Pc
tition constitutes, under our statutes, a dis
missal. 1t Is unnecessary for us to say
that neither the school district nor our
selves contemplated the payment Of the fee
provided by the contract under present con-
ditions. We therefore make no charge
whatever for the matter"
The bills of b.. o. Burlington and John
Clark for $3.50 and $50, respectively, for
taking the shorthand NOTES of the evidence
in the Smith appeal case before County Su-
perintendent Sawyer and transcribing the
same for the appeal to the state s%uperin-
tendent, were referred to the secretary, to
report as to the boards liability in the
matter.
Out Goes the
on motion of Member Stewart it was
decided to dispense with the telephone that
was placed in the Washington avenue build
ing for the convenience of the High school
class while occupying two rooms there.
This building is occupied by about 700 chill