Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-25
.PASADENANS DISCUSS
SCHOOL BOND QUESTION
Education Board Asserts I'M
provement Work Is Ham,
pered by Lack of Funds

PASADENA, July 25.-Many citizens
have expressed opinions on the local
school bond question, which in SUBJ
stance are as follows: Pasadena
needs more of the get together, stay
together spirit. Seeming differences
should be overlooked. A majority of
voters should be allowed to decide on
public improvements, instead of a mi
nority as at present under the two
thirds majority system. More conf
dence should be placed in public Off
ciaIs. There should be more secrecy
in the manner of voting at school cleo
tions, and stricter laws as to residence
and property qualifications of the
voters"
On the other hand, from members Of
organized labor, residents of the north
side and downtown business and pro-
fessional men who opposed the bonds,
come remarks which can be summed
I'D as follows: "Of the 966 so-called
insurgents who defeated the issue, it
is generally conceded that not more
than sixty-six are opposed to higher
education and the voting Of bonds to
provide better facilities. To the un-
preiudiced mind the only conclusion to
form is that in this enlightened age,
when the remaining 900 who favor ed
ucation will defeat a high school bond
issue, there is something wrong with
the manner in which it is put to the
people,"
George F. Kernaghan, former men,
ber of the board of education, who on
one occasion was instrumental in de-
feating. a bond issue to bring up and
carry one for a larger amount, in an
open letter says in part: 'The people
have lost confidence in the present
board of education. Telling the tax
payers not to worry will not do. The
people have a lively recollection that
six or seven years ago a board of edu-
cation fully as reputable as the present
board failed utterly to do as they said
they would The board should have
spread all the information it had prior
to the election. The people are SUI
preme and it is useless to assume diff
ferently"
Members of the board Of education
maintained before the election and
since that they have held nothing back
that they were able to give out; that
lack of funds prevented drawing plans
and specifications, and that according
to the state law the bond money would
be safeguarded by the provision that
it could not be used for any other
purpose than voted, and that all war
rants must be approved by three coun-
ty officers before paid.
A. C. knight, one of the leaders Of
the North Pasadana delegation which
urged the board to place the north side
on the ballot with the others, resents
the report that he made overtures to
have that site included to catch the
vote Of the north side and later with
drawn. He says: 81 with others
worked hard to get the board to give
North Pasadena a square deal. we
were not sure the voters would select
our site, but We were willing to leave
it with the people. I was approached
by members of the board, who asked
me if the north side site would be with
drawn if the Hardness site was taken
off the list. I told them that 7 would
favor it, but that I could not speak for
my neighbors, and that if they showed
a willingness to treat the north side
fairly it would make them many votes.
It is another attempt to deceive the
people and shelve another Of their
blunders. I voted for the bonds and
urged my friends to do so, believing
that the need Of a school OVerbalanCed
the question of the selection of a site"
Common comment on the street is
to the effect that if the board of edu-
cation will recede from its position and
nut up the proposition of bonding the
district 10 add to the present high
school and grounds or erect new build
ings on the present site for polytechnic
features, the issue will carry four 10
one. Preceding the last election $50
citizens, mostly business men, petit
toned the board to that effect, and
many others expressed the opinion who
were not given the opportunity 50 sign
the paper, owing to the fact that it
was circulated and presented after five
hours work by the circulators.