Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-21
NEW POLYTECHNIC
NEEDS REPAIRS
Reinforcement OF FRONT
WALL NECESSARY
School Board Authorizes Work to Be
Done Before Opening Of School
Season, Set for septem-
ber "

Members Of the school board yester-
day anxiously inquired whether a por-
tion of the contract price of the Poly
tecnic high school had been retained.
According to the boards building ex-
pert the front wall of the structure will
have to be strengthened in some man
ner and bands must he placed about
the smokestack.
In addition to these repairs, which
have been suggested by Building In
spector Backus there must be erected
two fire escapes.
On motion of Inspector Frank the
building committee was authorized to
at once have these repairs made, in
order that the building be in proper
condition for the opening of the school
September H. which date has been de-
cided upon for the beginning of the
next term.
Says II Is Not Serious
At the conclusion of the meeting In
spector Frank, who is a member of the
building committee, said to The Herald:
THE conditions at the Polytechnic
high school are not at all serious, and
/ believe that with the repairs con-
templated the building will be perfect
~ safe. The contractor. Mr.. Engstrom
told me a. few days ago that 1t would
be necessary on account of the settling
of the ground to anchor the front wall
and to reinforce the smokestack, and
that he would stand any reasonable ex-
pense.
He could not be compelled to do this,
as he has received the full contract
price. The building was erected under
the old law by the city council, it was
accepted by that body and afterward
by the board of education. Under the
present law the construction of school
buildings Is entirely in the hands of
the board which now has under way
eighteen new buildings.
THE growth of Los Angeles is"lnost
remarkable. and it is keeping the board
busy to supply new districts with
school facilities and to prevent the
overcrowding of the older Districts
New Work is Planned
Considerable new work was author
lied by the board yesterday by the
adoption of the following report of the
committee on buildings:
That one temporary building be
erected for sloyd room and another
for cooking room at the Fourteenth
street school.
That IS feet on the Ascot street side
OF the Vernon avenue school grounds
be fenced off from the rest by palisade
fencing, and that/a temporary building
be moved there and put in order for
use as special ungraded school.
That one of the rooms of the So
lano avenue school building be fitted
up for use as a special ungraded school.
That the building committee be au-
thorized to award the contract for the
1oreto street school building.
That. the building committee be in
structed to award contracts for cement
work at schools advertised for.
That the building committee be au-
thoriZed to purchase 80 feet of land
adjoining the site of the Loreto street
school, upon such terms as it may be
a BILE to make with the owner thereof,
and to draw on the funds for the pay
ment for same.
THAT we have instructed the fore
man of school buildings and grounds to
confer with J. ]. Backus, chief nspec-
tor of buildings. in regard to fire es-
capes and chimney at the Polytechnic
high school.
THAT cesspool be put in at the
Thirty-ninth street school,"
Library Knot Is United
The board authorized the suggested
separation of the school library from
that of the city library. The books
belonging to the city schools are to be
placed in the Grand avenue school
schools has been directed to prepare
lists of titles of books suitable for use
in the schools, to be purchased with
the library fund of the board of edu-
cation. The board authorized the en-
ployment of a librariaQ for the pub
lie school library at $ salary not to
exceed $40 per month.
A report was adopted recommending
the acceptance of the offer of the child
study circle of the Thirty-fifth avenue
school to place In the grounds of that
school athletic apparatus consisting OF
swings. see-saws, maypole, etc.
The board adopted the report of the
purchasing committee, recommending
contracts be made for various supplies
for the ensuing fiscal year with the fol-
lowing firms: j. w. Hellman H. Jevne
company, F. w. Braun company. Jones
bookstore, Parker & Stone, P. Lazarus
& Co. A. Zellerbach & Sons c. f.
Weber & Co. and Stoll & Taylor.