The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1903-03-14
A NEW SCHOOL OR NO SCHOOL
The All important Question that VI fhs People Of
this School District for Solution.
all Differences Give Proper Fa-
eiies Is ;he General Ses;iAenL

depicts the condition in which school
matters rest at this particular moment
in the Crystal Falls school district.
AS was noticed in these columns
several times. the school board of this
district had bill drafted TO re-organize
the present school district The bin
incorporated, besides the re-organiza
tion features, clause allowing the
bonding OF the district to the amount
of . per cent Of the assessed valuation
which, at the present time, would
amount to little over $50, 600. It
was not the intention of the board to
ask for that much money. As near as
we have been able to ascertain. the
board wanted TO raise about $40, 600.
The bill was sent to Mr.. Moriarty
several weeks ago and entered in the
senate !, here it was referred TO the
committee on such matters. The
Detroit papers contained notices OF
stated that the amount asked for was
$50. 600 This mis-statement was the
initial one TO a revolt against the
action of the board The taxpayers,
association. whose only information
was that CLEANED from the newspaper
reports at once started a protest
against the bill.
Then the mining companies and the
loading taxpayers Of the district, feel
ing that they had not been consulted
by the board in the matter. at once
got mp petition asking stay OF
proceedings until matters could be
investigated. All sorts Of rumors were
put in circulation, some Of them true
and many of them false. The agita
tion developed into a whirlwind and
swept all before it, eliminating at a
meeting Of the board last Friday even
ing when number of the taxpayers of
| the district assembled to talk the mat
! ter over with the board There was
considerable argument pro and con
but, az there was no data before the
people to direct the arguments 10, the
talk was much on the tangent line
except upon the matter of the makeup
of the board upon which everyone is
well qualified to judge. The meeting
developed at last into discussion be-
tween Captain Richards and Captain
Bjork, the former agreeing to pro-
position to limit the bonding for a
new building to $50. 900 and to incor-
porating clause into the bill making
it mandatory for two of the members
of the board to reside in the township.
Mr. Bjork disagreed with Captain
necessary and no compromise was
effected The meeting broke mp and
the people awoke TO the fact that the
new school house . knocked in the
head
The gieat trouble in getting at the
roots of what is best for the whole
community in matter of the kind
at issue is that the great bulk Of those
who take the Initiative are not true
to their convictions or else are not 81
constituted that they can tickle the
palate of every individual in the com
munity It's human. nature to fnC
fault and it's very easy to find reasor
TO find fault. If these reasons ar,
traced to their origin they, ia ninety
nine cases out Of hundred, are bull
on either personal desires or presona
prejudices. The man with the axe i
far more in evidence than the mar
with the hoe.
so much in gen eral. Now to b
specific. What ought TO be done in thu
case at issue There is no lodging
the question. We ought to have new
school. How much should be put into
it3 That Is another question and one
that am free to say that we don't know
and I'm not fearful of being disputed
when | say that neither the school
board nor the people know for thu
simple reason that no steps have beer
taken to find out.
We have been clawing the air like 1
lot OF scnool boys playing blind man'I
buff. The school board guesses thai
$40, 600 ought TO be raised, Other
guess $50, 600 Is enough while othen
guess different sums just take this
matter home II you was going tC
build new house with borrowed
money would you guess that You
needed 81, 900 and go and brorrow Of
would you first find out what kind OF
q house you needed, how much IL would
cost and then size up your pile and find
out how much you need to borrow. Nc
plans, specifications or estimates have
been placed before the people to date
and II we 90 ahead and bond we will