Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-04
HEAVY TAXPAYER
FAvORS BONDS
BELIEVES MONEY SHOULD BE
VOTED
Prospect Park and East Hollywood
School Question ls to Be Set
tied by Election Feb
ruary II

I'VE cannot have too many schools,
because institutions of learning are
necessary for the advancement Of the
American citizenship"
SO declared Arthur Let's while dis
cussing q school proposition which is
agitatlng the residents of the district
comprising Edgemont, East Hollywood
and Prospect Park.
There is a division of sentiment re
garding the advisabllity of bonding the
district for an additional $4,000 for the
purpose OF enlarging the present school
building, located on Prospect avenue,
near Vermont.
Connected with the affair Is a real
estate proposition which tends to COM
plicate the question. After the present
school building was erected several
years ago an enterprising real estate
man purchased land on Franklin av-
enue, directly back of the school, and
opened a street leading toward Pros
pect avenue and up to the lot on which
the school building is located, His de-
sire was to have the school removed
and the street extended through to
Prospect avenue, which many of the
residents say will be necessary when
the district becomes built up.
Other Points involved
There are some who, on the con-
trary, say that the school Is located at
the proper place and that 1t is not nee
essary to cut the street through, while
others are in favor of selecting a new
site and making it possible to extend
the street.
Still others are opposed to voting
bonds for an enlargement of the build
ing, on the theory that the district soon
will be annexed to Los Angeles and
that the taxpayers Will be compelled to
assume their portion of the city's bur-
den and as a result the greater city
should furnish proper school facilities.
Others, however, declare that in
creased school facilities are absolutely
necessary now, and they prefer to as
sist in paying an additional 100000 of
bonds for the purpose of acquiring a
better school Immediately and not walt
ing for the uncertain action of the
school authorities of the greater city.
AS a result of the many factions into
which the residents have become
aligned there Is great uncertainty as
to the outcome of the election which
Is to be held next Monday to decide the
bond issue.
Proposition Defeated
The election was held January 16,
but owing to the fact that the polls
were opened only from a. m. to p. m.
few of the citizens voted, and the vote
resulted 3S ayes and q noes, which
was not the necessary two-thirdS for
voting bonds.
on the plea that the polls being
closed so early in the afternoon did
not permit men whose business Is In
Los Angeles to vote, another election
was called and on this occasion the
polls will be from 1 p. m. to sunset.
A committee of residents have just
issued statement in which they de-
clare that the tax rate even now is toe
high, and that while they favor schools
they believe that the people should wait
until the annexation election before in
creasing their burden.
When the school was built few
years ago the assessed valuation Of the
district was $172,0O0. Last year it was
$777 900, and 1t is believed that it has
increased to over $1,000000.
Mr.. Let's, who is the largest individ-
ual taxpayer in the district and who
probably pays nearly as much taxes as
all the others in the district combined.
declares himself heartily in favor of
voting the bonds.
Willing to Pay His Share
"I have little interest in the school"
said Mr.. Let's, except to the extent of
desiring to see the district acquire ade-
uuate school facilities, which it does
not now possess. We cannot have too
many schools, because institutions of
learning are necessary for the advance
ment of American citizenship.
II admit that there are conditions
which make it difficult to decide re-
garding the manner in which the
money should be expended, but there
is no question that the bonds should
be voted and the increased facilities be
secured just as soon as possible.
PERSONALLY l do not believe that we
should wait for the Los Angeles school
board in anticipation of annexation to
supply the district with increased
school facilities, because we know that
the wants of the greater city in this
respect are not supplied now and any
new district taken into the city
doubtless will have to wait long time
before it will gain what it desires as to
schools.
MY advice would be to first vote the
bonds and then decide whether to en-
large the present building or select a
new site, because the district must
have increased school facilities at