The Republican journal., 1907-08-15

ed IN the light of modern schoolhouse con-
structlon, their continued use is almost
criminal negligence. There is not q room
| in one of these buildings that is sufficient in
| size or suitable in light for the purpose
Each year attention has been called to this
fact, and yet, though it has been frequently
| asserted that a plan can be devised to f.
nance the erection of q proper building on
the Common, absolutely no steps have been
taken leading to its erection.
The superintendent, H. E. Ellis, whose
report is above referred to, said, under the
caption OF School Buildings:
Your attention has been called to the
pressing needs of our city in this direction
for several successive years. But in the
| meantime nothing has been done to relieve
the crowded condition of our schols Crowd
the highest grade, Belfast's school buildings
are blot on her good name. Poorer by
far, so far as my knowledge extends, than
that of any locality of equal population in
the State. Wholly unfit for the purpose for
which they are used, either from size or the
sanitary point of view. To have more than
one hundred pupils huddled together in a
room that, under the best of circumstances,
should not contain more than sixty-five,
with no system of ventilation, no means
whatever OF changing, the air except
/ through doors and windows, with at least
twenty out of the one hundred without a
desk to sit at, is a condition that demands
Your immediate attention.
President Bickford in the report for 1866
again calls attention to the need for better
: school buildings, and presents statistics
showing the crowded condition of the
schools, the want of ventilation, the insult
fcient and unsatisfactory light, and the
danger to the children in case of fire. Mr.
Ellis, the Superintendent, again refers to
the bad condition of the school buildings
in the Central District, and speaks partcu-
larly of the danger from contagious diseases
i'll unventilated rooms. He says: 1--WE have
just passed through period of chicken pox,
a disease that in itself is slight, but illus
trates well the thoroughness with which
any contagious disease would do its work
1t was surprising to see how thoroughly
the school was inoculated as soon as the
disease made its appearance But how
could it be otherwise, in the winter season
at least, when doors and windows must be
closed and with no other means of ,ventila-
tion whatever? If the germs of tubercu-
losis, catarrh, ETC., responded as quickly,
got in their deadly work with the despatch
that attends the germs of childhood dis
eases, the buildings we need would have
been built long ago.
In the report for 1867, Rev. Ashley A.
Smith, President, refers to previous reports,
and in particular to the report of President
Bickford of the preceding year, as to the un-
sanitary and unsafe condition of the school
buildings on the Common, and says "The
nS IN
! seriously handicapped by these conditions,
neither teacher nor pupil can do their best
| in these antique and overcrowded buildings.
Your committee feels that these buildings
are not only reproach to our educational
spirit and ideals, but also, in view of the
| fact that no other city, and but few of the
smaller towns Of the State, maintain such
conditions and support such school build
ings, that they are diScredit to our citizen
| ship. Numerous small towns throughout
the State are teaching US wholesome lessons
| in modern sanitary schoolhouse conStruc-
ton, with adequately lighted, well-venti-
lated, thoroughly equipped class rooms for
| the convenience and efficiency, health, COM
| fort and safety of teachers and pupils.
| Therefore, this committee recommends and
| earnestly prays your honorable body to do
| something large and generous, beftting our
Immediate and imperative needs, and in
| keeping with the cause of the education of
the youth of city, which cause should, of
course, have the first consideration of in all
| true citizenship"
Superintendent Knowlton in his report
said of the school buildings in the so-called
! Central District: "These are much worse
than the others, which are far from what
they ought to be for city of our size. I
much doubt about it being possible to find
other school buildings in any part of the
State, even in places OF much less popula-
-tion, in as poor and unsanitary condition.
They are detrimental to the health of teach
ers and pupils every DAY they are in them"
| n. j. Pottle, inspector Of buildings, said
| in his report: II wish to call your attention
to your school buildings. They are sadly
out of repair and out of date. While l do
not take the responsibility of condemning
the High school building, it ought to be
done. 1t is a menace to the safety of the
pupils. l would recommend building new
school building on the Common at once and
| Wucu Lut lClCO luuu 10 dtdlldUlc Uutlu d
new South school, as that building will be
past usefulness by that time
Mayor Hanson in his address last spring,
published in full at the time in The Jour
nal, had this to say concerning schools:
The educational department of our city is
one Of the most important in our whole
social system. Here we train and educate
those upon whom will soon devolve the
responsibility of good citizenship.
While we are attending to their mental
development we should exercise the best
care possible of their physical condition.
Crowded rooms, with poor ventilation,
unsanitary conditions in and around our
school buildings, may lay the foundation
for insidious disease that will eventually
terminate in years of suffering and death.
Failing to supply the proper conditions,
we fail to perform our duty toward those
whose present and future welfare are large
ly dependent upon the care we give them.
1t is Unnecessary for me 70 enter into de-
| tail, for the unsatisfactory condition OF our
school buildings is well known to every citi-
| zen.
That the city needs a modern school
building in what was formerly known as
the Central District, is acknowledged by
every one, but the problem of how to OBJ
| tain it remains unsOlved.
The method of creating fund by setting