Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-02

will find those figures given in the re-
port of the Schoolhouse Commission.
Mr.. CARL: Mr.. Chairman. most of
us, when we have job to be done in
the house or in the barn, start out
with the fixed fact that we cannot
spend only about 50 much money.
Now we propose, if majority of us
should favor it, we want school
there, and that something like $4,000
or 10000 would be all that we can
spend. What would be the best way to
spend that money, and how much of
the neW-fangled frlls could we work
in?
Mr.. SturgiS: Those are really
the conditions under which all of us
work. We always have to cut our
coat according to our cloth. ] should
not think that amount would go very
far towards giving you the equipment
that you need there. To provide the
class rooms alone, for the number
that you want to accommodate, would
I should think cost you more than
that.
Mr.. Brooks: AS to the modern
lighing arrangement for a school
building, you have not mentioned that
at all.
Mr.. Sturgis: l believe in the
one-side lighting as being the best way
to light a house, where the desks are
fixed and the children always looking
one way. The children should have the
light on the left hand side If the
room were on the northeast side l
would rather have the windows in the
eyes of the teachers, and rather have
the light in the eyes Of the children
tan not have any sun at all.
Mayor Plasted: MIR. Chairman.
1 am very much interested, I am very
much gratified, and will say that l am
| somewhat surprised, to find that you
have brought such a practical man
! here. | wish to say that the board has
risen in my estimation very much |
! am delighted with what he has SAID,
and ! wish that you could keep him
long enough with you so that ne could
advise you after fully understanding
the conditions that confront us.
think the city would be the gamer.
| and the board would undoubtedly
| learn something to their advantage in
! regard to school buildings.
| will say. Mr. Chairman, to tell Mr..
ISturgis the conditions as they exist,
we need more room. we want to en-
large the course of study, and we want
to add those things that have been
| spoken OF by you. and our chairman,
and by cur superintendent.
There is demand for a commercial
course. and for manual training. We
| cannot meet that demand with the
| present accommodations, and yet our
people, l think-many of them, be-
lieve as you tonight say, that we have
| too good a building to tear it down.
| And we were trying and I know the
board is trying, to find some way to
| meet this demand and not be accused
| of extravaganza, if it can be done, II
we can get what we want to fill the
| bill
| If it We're possible to make an addi-
ton, as Mr. Brooks has suggested,
| that would give us a course of manual
training. and still preserve the High
school building, at a cost of 100000 or
$4,000. 7 think we would be willing to
| get along with the present building
as far as architectural beauty is con-
cerned. It is the practical result We
are after. 1t is the financing that
| WpiT1cS the DOar0, ana worries inc
people. We have not the money that
| you have in Boston to do this work..
We have got to cut our garment ac-
| cording to the cloth. And in this little
| city we cannot raise the money that
is necessary to build just such build
| ing as YOU, or all of us, would like 10
see from an ARCHITECTURAL point Of
view.
| Our bonded Indebtedness in this town
Is $2S2.000. The valuation is abou.
| $7.oooooo. Five per cent. of that is
s3o0.0o0. That gives us some $50. 900
that we can borrow. but on each side
| of the river there were two school
| districts, before the consolidation;
each one owed $4,000 There is SPA
900 outstanding and that would bring
| our borrowing capacity something I'M
f.; der $4,000. We could raise part of this
| by temporary loan, but / think the
board would like to know if they could
get satisfactory building for $4,000
or $4,000. 7 think if we could that the