Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-03-29
THE HIGH SCHOOL.

The officers and members OF the
Dallas Merchants Association did
good work last night when they ap-
pointed a committee to circulate petit
tions asking for the construction of
High School building suitable to the
needs and importance of the live and
growing city of Dallas. Already the
Improvement has been too long delay
ed. and these business men did well
when they took the necessary steps to
bring it squarely before the people of
the district.
The need of a modern, Well-equipped
High School in Dallas is so well known
and so thoroughly appreciated by
every friend of education in the city
that it would be useless to call more
than passing attention to it in these
columns. 1t is subject upon which all
right-minded citizens are agreed, and
it only remains to get the movement
for building under way. This move
ment the city can positively no longer
afford to neglect, if it would hope to
retain its prestige as a community
keenly interested in the mental train
ing of it's boys and girls. Granting that
everything is favorable to the move
ment, it will require several weeks TO
make the necessary preliminary ar
rangements for the construction of the
building, followed by several months
devoted to the actual construction
work itself, so that If we would hope
TO open the school next Fail, the time
to get busy is right now.
The Observer believes that the new
High School building should be a
structure in keeping with the progress
i've spirit of the great and growing
West. 1t should be building to which
every resident of Dallas would be able
to point with pride. 1t should be sub
stantially constructed of brick, or
stone, or both, and should be equipped
according to the latest and best ap-
proved ideas as to sanitation, Venti-
Iation, comfort and convenience. 1t
should be built with an eye to future
as well as present needs, for 1t must
be borne in mind that the school popu-
lation of Dallas is rapidly increasing,
and 1t will be found cheaper and more
satisfactory to build at the outset
building that will be a little larger
than may seem necessary, than to con-
slider only present needs, with the
idea of adding to the capacity of the
building from time to time in future
as necessity shall require. The work.
q L, F,t he, ,a,Nas
school building will fall to the lot of
the district officers. 1t Is a task that
will call for careful investigation and
serious consideration, but one which
the present board of directors may be
fully trusted to faithfully and wisely
perform. All that the taxpayers of the
district will ask is dollars worth of
building for every dollar voted to its
construction.
A well equipped, well-managed High
School will prove the best investment
of money ever made by the people of
Dallas. Such an institution, aside from
its first and greatest value as a bless
ing to the boys and girls of the COM
munity, will be powerful factor in
promoting the commercial growth and
development of the city 1t will attract
immigration of the most desirable
class. 1t will advertise Dallas as a
wide-awake community. 1t will at
once remove the handicap now oper-
ating to turn homeseekers away from
Dallas to towns Offering better educa
tional advantages to the children of
the working man and the man of mod
crate means. 1t will prove its value to
the community from the very day that
the first shovelful of dirt is moved in
it's construction.
The business men who have kindly |
volunteered their services in circulat |
ing a petition asking for the needed |
High School are entitled to the thanks |
of every man and woman in Dallas. |
We owe 1t to the children Of our dis |
trict and to ourselves to aid and en-
courage the members of this com
mittee in their laudable work by every |
means at our command. Now, that the
good work is at last under way, IL |
must not be permitted 60 cease for an
instant until its great and noble pur-
pose shall have been fully accomplish
ed.