The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-24
MUST FULFILL CONTRACT
SCHOOL BOARD REFUSES RITTERS
PLEA FOR MORE TIME.
He Must Move House on New Irving
ton School Site or Forfeit Property
board Pays Bonds.

With the urgent need of a new building
for the Irvington schools constantly be-
fore their minds, the members of the Board
Of School Commissioners were in no mood
last night to heed the request of Fred Rit-
ter that he be granted additional time in
which to move a building owned by his
mother off the site of the new building.
The board has just closed a deal with Mrs.
Ritter by which the old school property
in Irvington is traded for property owned
by Mrs. Ritter at Washington street and
Ritter avenue, with extra cash consid-
Grafton of $S,125, in favor of Mrs. Ritter.
The contract specified that the Ritter res
idence should be moved fifty feet from the
space to be occupied by the new building
by July 25 that the Ritter residence be
forfeited. Fred Ritter told the board last
night that he had talked to every house
transfer company in the city, and they all
informed him they could not take up the
work and complete it in the time mentioned
in the contract He was urgent in his plea
for more time, and finally declared that
the board was unreasonable in its attitude.
1.-The facts are simply these" said Mr..
Moores, every days delay in getting the
new building for Irvington Is working in
calculable mischief. We do not want your
house. Mr.. Ritter, but we do want the
ground that it stands on, so that the con-
tractors can get to work. Our contract
gives us the right of way, and / think the
board should let that contract stand as 1t
is.'' His opinion was reinforced by the
emphatic statement of Superintendent Ken
dali that nothing should interfere with the
immediate construction of the new Irving
ton building. Other members OF the board
took the same view and the result of the
matter was that the question was left to
Business Director Cleland to settle. He
will probably insist that Ritter live up to
the contract.
BONDS PAID OFF.
The board ordered obligations to the
amount of sS4944.33 Cancelled last night.
Included in this amount are two payments
of bonds. Funding bonds of 1899, i'm the
amount of $4,000, bearing interest at per
cent, were paid off. The total amount of
the funding bond issue was 100000. and the
amount still left is s4S5,00O Library building
bonds to the amount of $4,000 were ordered
paid The total issue was $4,000 and $50, 900
of the amount still remains unpaid
The item of real estate submitted in Mr..
Cleland'S statement was So, Sal AZ. This in
cludes the purchase of properties for the
new Irvingtop school. school No. 40 and
school No. i. other items related to library
maintenance, maintenance of the Manual
Training School, free kindergarten and in
cidentalS.
On the recommendation of Superintendent
Kendall the staff of truant officers was re-
appointed for the coming year. The staff
is made up of Parry N. Hiser, director;
Ella B. M'Coy, j. w. Failey, Joseph Bris-
tow and ]. +. Wright.
The following appointments were an
nounced as teachers: William Hogle and
Ralph Funkhouser, as assistants in the
physics department of the ShOrtridge High
School, and Flora Grady as a sixth grade
teacher.
The following designations were an
nounced: Marie Brown, teacher in the
Douglass School, and John f. Brown. teach
er in the Manual Training High School.
On the recommendation of the Gregg fund
committee, Lena Kirk, a colored teacher,
was appointed to attend the summer school
at Hampton; Va, in place of Bessie Hill.
who declined the appointment to the sum-
mer school at Chicago University.
The board will meet at 1 o'clock Saturday
to discuss new buildings, grounds and other
improvements.