The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-08-15
OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS.

We present in other columns a sum-
mary of opinion as to the needs of our
city in the way of school buildings. It
will be seen that it is not case of
many minds, but of many men of one
mind. Indeed, it would be difficult to
find one citizen who would dissent from
the opinions of successive school COM
mlttees and superintendent as to the
need, the urgent need, for better school
buildings. There is no occasion there
fore for argument on that point. The
stumbling block is the financial end of
the proposition. While in one sense it
may be said that Belfast cannot afford
to lmperll the health and retard the
mental advancement of her future citi-
zens by the present over-crowded, poor
ly-llghted and unventilated school build
lngs, on the other hand it is said that
with the city debt up to the limit and
expenditures in other directions requir-
ing tax rate as high as seems war
ranted under our circumstances, the
erection of modern school building
at this time is out of the question. 1t
is believed, however, that this problem
may be satisfactorily worked out, and
it is with this hope that the matter is
now fully laid before the people for
consideration.
The school committee, although handi-
capped in various directions, has done
good work. Elected by the people and
entrusted by special act of the legisla-
ture with full control over the public
schools it has to go to the city council
for the necessary appropriations, and
sometimes finds its estimates cut down.
1t has to contend also with popular ig-
norance as to the condition and needs
OF the schools. 1t has been criticised
tor expanding money in repairing and
improving the old buildings: but with
no immediate prospect of new buildings
to take their place there was no other
course to pursue. The limit has now
been reached in this direction No fur
ther Improvements can be made in these
old buildings.
In reporting the crowded condition
of the school buildings it will be no.
ticed that the committee excerpts the
North Primary The demand here for
more room was easily and inexpensively
met by an addition to the one-story
wooden building in use. The South Pri-
mary was harder proposition. This is
brick building and though substantial
ly built it rested on trench wall which
the action of the frost had so disturbed
as to imperil the structure. At the
time repairs were begun one corner of
OF the building was giving way. Five
stoves were used to heat the school
rooms, the pipes running the whole
length OF the rooms over the pupils
heads. There was no ventilation except
by the doors and windows, the light was
poor and the closets disgrace to civil
lied community. The school committee
having secured the necessary appropria-
ton had cellar dug under the front half
OF the building, using the earth taken
out for grading the grounds, a furnace
installed of sufficient capacity to warm
the whole building in the coolest wealth.
er, ventiiating shafts put in, hardwood
floors laid, and suitable closets provid-
ed. Half of the building now rests upon
a substantial cellar wall, the other half
upon All insecure trench wall. 1t was
suggested at the time these improve