Arizona republican., 1904-01-12
CALL FOR BOND ELECTION
Citizens Call for Issuance OF $4,000
for High School District.

In response to the mass meeting
| call. about fifty citizens gathered last
last night at the High School build
ing to consider the matter of request
ling the High School board to call an
o.e-..on on the question of voting
bonds for the relief of the High School
district which has found itself in an
! embarrassing position as heretofore
explained in the public prints. The re-
suit of the meeting was the adoption of
a resolution by a vote of "a to 4, in
structing the board to call an cleo
ton at the earliest possible time, for
the authorization of the issue of High
School district bonds in the sum Of
$50, 600, to run twenty years and bear
five per cent interest That election
must he advertised at least three
weeks and viii doubtless be held as
soon thereafter as possible.
1t has been heretofore announced
that the hole" into which the district
has fallen was made by the school
board having bought a block of land
north of the school building, expecting
to pay for il from the school fund,
which was later ruled to be an illegal
proceeding The board il explanation
says it was instruc-e I'd to purchase the
lard by mass meeting held last June.
1t was believed that an investment OF
that kind could be made and paid for
by tax levy and the board sull con
tends that half the school districts in
the territory have contaminated such
deals in that manner, one case that is
cited being where a school district
bought a water right and paid for it
by tax levy. At any rate, the board
contracted to buy this land, reported
to the superintendent who, in turn,
added sufficient to pay for
it to the estimate for
the coming year TO be added to the
regular levy. The board of supeTVis-
ors eliminated this from his estimate,
on a ruling from the district attorney
that the levy could not be made. The
land having been bought a voucher
was turned in to the superintendent
who issued a warrant on the general
fund. not knowing. he claimed, that the
levy had not been made by the board.
After the caShing of the warrant.
therefore. the treasury was depleted
beyond the limit of maintaining the
school the rest of the year. Under the
ruling of the district attorney the mon
ey was irregUlarly used and win have
to be made good by the board. or by
a special election for a tax levy. in or
der to restore the money for the con-
duct of the school unless the bonds be
voted.
The purpose Of asking for $4,000
bonds is as follows: TIE school IS
crowded and has increased this year
beyond all expectation. 1t was known
that Improvements would have to be
made in a year or so and the land was
bought for this purpose when il w&s
thought to he available at the proper
price. Now that a bond issue is neces-
sary and the school is crowded so
there are fifty more students than
there are seats for in the study room,
il was the sense of the meeting last
night that the improvements should be
inaugurated at this time. the bond is
sue being made large enough to cover
present and immediate future necessi-
ties. These viii include the building
of a wing on the east side-of the build
ing, two stories high, for study, room
purposes and estimated to cost $4,000.
The recitation rooms are now too small
for the larger classes and the present
study room will be devoted to that
purpose 1t will take $500 to restore
Jne price OF the lOI 10 the present tund
for school conduct and the remaining
$4,000 is to be devoted to the repair
and Improvement of the present build
ing.
The meeting also instructed Profess
or McDonnOld and the school board 10
prepare and incorporate in the call a
full statement of why it is desired to
issue the bonds. The meeting last
night was presided over by B. F. Nc
Fall, r E. Miner acting as secretary.