The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-06-22
School Board Puts Off Install
ing One At Franklin.
DISCUSSED THE PROJECT.
Director L. G. N. Fletcher Has Some
thing to Say Anent the Districts
Financial Condition.
From Thursdays Daily.

lhe school board last night wreStle'
with the problem of providing TIN
Franklin school building with heat
ing plant and system of water closets
and after considering it for awhile wa.
convinced by Mr. Fletcher that tn,
treasury OF the district is in no condi
ton to stand so great strain, ant
therefore put the whole matter over un
til next spring. In the meantime it may
be that levy will be made large
enough to warrant the board in carrying
the Improvement through next year.
Architect Pass had plan ready fol
the proposed Improvements, and explain
ed it in detail.
1t seemed to strike the board favor.
ably, in the main, and was accepted. If
the plan is carried out, the building
will be made practically three stories
for the present entrance to the first
floor will be removed. and an entrance
made into the basement. This will keep
the upper floors a great deal warmer
and at the same time will be IA convent
ence to the children at recess time, as
they will not have to 90 down to the
basement to reach the closets and then
climb the stairs again to the first floor,
anti then 90 down the long flight of
steps to reach the ground. Stairways
will lead up from the front entrance in
to the present cloak rooms, but the lat
ten will be enlarged, so that they will
be as large as they are now. The first
floor hall will be finely lighted. The
plan is adapted to the building of an
addition in the rear later on.
The closets will be placed in the south
west corner of the basement, and the
heating plant in the northwest corner.
The same system of ventilation will be
used as is in the West Mankato and
North Mankato buildings, which Mr..
Pass said was perfect and economical.
Mr.. Pass also presented another plan,
which provides for leaving the entrance
as it is now, and which would cost $3.50
less to carry out.
Mr.. Fletcher, who is treasurer of the
district, presented financial statement
temptible' financial condition, as com.
pared with what it was five years ago
He said that the current fund is over
drawn about $500, and after using up
everything that is in the other funds,
the district is still overdrawn $4,752 l3
At the June settlement the district will
receive enough to pay all the over
drau9hts and have little left. No more
money can be expected until the state
apportionment i'll October and the
November settlement. The September
and part of the October pay roll will
have to be/taken care of before any
funds can come into the treasury. Mr..
Fletcher said that the board had not
used the right kind of economy the
last few years.
Captain Comstock said that in view of
the financial condition of the district
the board ought to seriously consider
any unusual expenditures. The June
settlement will be the last until Octo-
Der. He would not like to leave much of
1atc al I'd iob AL
hold in September, unless it was alb.
solutely necessary. The board had
strained a point to reduce the bonded
Indebtedness by $500 last year, and
after one year will be in increasingly
better financial condition. If the i'm
provement could be deferred for one year
it would be the part of wisdom. 1t is
sanitary necessity to put sewers and
water into the building, and he was in
favor of doing that this year and finish
ing the improvements next year.
Mr.. Pass was called upon for an esti-
mate of the cost of making the i'm
provements proposed, and said that the
heating plant would cost about 1900
but that the change made necessary in
the building would bring the cost up to
$2,l69. He estimated the expense of the
plumbing at 500, and the changes that
would be required in the building, such
as cement floor in the basement, parti.
tons, doorways, etc, would add $624
to the expense. With some other items
added, the total expense of all of the
improvements would be 1913. If the
heating plant was not put in, stove:
would be needed in the closets to keeI
the pipes from freezing in winter.
Mr.. Fletcher asked whether the add
ton in the rear could not be built fol-
$500, but Mr.. Pass said that it would
cost 1924, finished in the rough, with
out floors, etc. The heating plant ought
not to be placed in the addition. II
would cost $1,000 more to put it there
Judge Comstock moved that the com
mittee on property and expense advcr
tise for bids to cover such alteration.
and reconstruction as is necessary to in