The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-17
THEY CAN'T BE TRUSTED.

We print this morning on anothe
page a plea by Miss Beulah NJ Worl'
for a new high school. In that pie;
she sets forth the disadvantages of thu
present high school situation, and i'm
AGNES that because of these dIsadvan
tages nothing ought to stand in thu
way of the proposed issue of bonds
She is mistaken In assuming that NC
do not understand the need of a high
school, We understand 1T fully. But
tho question is, whether we can get
what is needed in case the bonds are
voted. With the present grating board
grafters whitewashing grafters, what
is the outlookl We do not even know
what the board proposes, We don Z
know that they intend to havo two
high schools; we don t know that
they intend to have any change
of location. or If so, where the new
site is to be. The board keeps the
intentions, and naturally the Taxpayers
who are expected TO vote this money
want to know what is going to be done
with it.
AS we have said, whenever this mat.
ter has been mentioned in these col
umns, we are all in favor of supply
ing whatever is needed for the public
schools. We agree that n new high
school is needed. There should be two
high schools in this city, beyond any
doubt one on the east side and one on
the west side. There is ample material
for good, strong classes in each. The
100000 proposed would, if properly
used, give us two good high schools.
But we have nothing from the board,
and Judging from their action in white.
washing Bridwell last week, there is
little dependence to be placed in their
integrity or good faith, They white
washed Bridwell on the plea that the
of his case had been
stopped, and nothing had been ad
Judged against him. But the reason
why they stopped was because mem
bers of the board were afraid that they
themselves would be, caught in graft
and unlawful practices precisely as
Newman, one OF the members, had |
been caught, only In other directions;
md one of the most interesting fea-
,ures of the investigation was the final
hot between Bridwell and Giauque as
o certain Understandings be- |
,ween them.
A board which has not the courage |
% push an investigation of that kind
% the end a board whose members dare
Tot finish it lest they themselves should
DC caught In the tolls, is not the kind
# a board that the taxpayers can re-
'ose any confidence in, or to whom they
an safely intrust their money.
II it were true that everything were
traightforward, above board, and be-
-ond suspicion with respect to the board
f education, that board could afford to
gnore precedent and demand that the
onds should be voted without any ex-
lanation on their part as to what they
intend to do with the money, though
uch explanations have always been
iade heretofore. But implicated in
raft as they are, their good faith
fashionable, their integrity at stake,
is impossible to intrust them with
honey, as might be done with honest,
Intelligent, thorough. going men.
We Judge from this letter, and also
rom other indications that are ap.
aren't, that the board intends to use
ne schools as an electioneering ma
hine in campaigning for this bond is.
ue. This, Of course, would be a deg
adaticn of the schools, and unjust and
warranted use of the pupils. Still,
18th the taint attaching to the board,
is not to be assumed that they would
e above that kind of clectioneering [,
,ickery. In fact, the presumption is
,at that is exactly what they would 6
o, and this presumption is fairly :,
orne out by information received
The board is, however, in receipt of =,
oney in such unstinted amount that
ought, in fact, to be able to put up '
high school without any such big call 9
pom the taxpayers. And, although the .
,ed of high school is very great, and 7
Though the disposition of the tax !
ayers of Salt Lake is liberal with re- 6
'ect TO the schools, the fact remains /;
lat 1T is dangerous to vote money to
? expended by the present grating q
hool board, =
l.