Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-14
HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECTS.

The building committee Of the City
| Board OF Education is clearly right III
pointing out that the City sorely needs
another high school building.
! The City superintendent has recently
shown that 1000 pupils now attend
the High school In the northwestern
part of town, and that more than
| three quarters of them are compelled
to use streetcars In going to and
from the building. He thinks that u
building with seventy-five rooms, at
least. ought TO be provided, with II
| capacity of 1880 pupils.
| Now, we think that this would be
| mistake, If it means giving up the
| present high school building. A build
ing with Il capacity for 1900 would be
sufficient for only a few years if the
City grows as 1t ought to. a better plan
would be to build an East side high
school with a capacity for 1900 pupils.
Then wa should probably have made
provision for twenty years to come.
The proposition to purchase one en-
tire block and to erect a building to
cost approximately half a million
dollars seems unwise. 1t Is argued
that since the center Of school popu-
laticn Is in the region of tho City and
County building. enough of the par
GELS of land could be secured In that
neighborhood TO warrant condemnation
proceedings to gain the rest and that
such a course might be followed.
Would it not be better plan to Sc
cure cheaper land farther east and
nave two City high schools, one on
each side Of the business center?
The present situation in relation to !,
new high school is a reminder Of the
lack of4foresisht on the part !oEpil.,
former City administration in selling
at 4 very low price the exposition
square in the first precinct That
square is just where this now high
school building might have been To-
Gated. The City administration in
the days Of Mayor Thompson sold that
splendid property for $4,000, we be-
lieve. To purchase now a less suitable
location through the condemnation of
City lots elsewhere at a price probably
len times as great-this Is the condi-
ton which the situation now makes
clear
What can now be said in justihca-
ton of the policy of selling off the
property of the City to get few del
lars with which to meet current ex-
penses?
The City at one time contemplated
the sale to a railroad company of
Pioneer square on the West side, for
the sum of $3.50, 900. 1t was proposed to
make a depot out OF It. Some people
then took action in the courts and de-
feated that proposition, though It was
in monetary way more than five
times more reasonable than tho sub
saquent sale OF the Exposition square.
At different times the City govern
ment has contrived to sell its valuable
property. If We remember right, it
was the administration referred to that
disposed of City land on Capitol hill
and on Thirteenth East street.
Now comes the penalty There is no
land available for necessary school
purposes. How the people of this city
like the prospect OF buying high school
property at ten times the price they
received for property more suitable for
that purpose than any that can H. pur-
chased nov? We fear that this sorry
situation created by lack of official
foresight, will result in delaying the
erection Of the much needed high
school