The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-03
PUBLIC OPINION
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE
 BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Board passed measure discountenancing the use of the Public School buildings for any purpose other than that for which they were primarily intended In doing this your Board showed a spirit inconsonant to that prevailing in other parts of the country where the School buildings and grounds are open to the public, for any, or all, legitimate purposes, including lec- lures, social gatherings, discussions debates, political meetings of all parties, concerts and other harmless throughout the country are already becoming the Fanueil Halls-cradles of hberty-where an education is go- ing or that is incalculable.
 Education is not confined to chill dren of school age; we are all stu dents and the day may be considered as good as lost in which we do not learn som ething new.
 We ask for increased opportunities, we ask for opportunities that are at our doors. where we can meet our fellow-man and exchange thoughts in conversation or discussion, or where the night shall be filled with music and the cares that infest the day shall fold their tents like the Arabs and silently steal away or where we may forget for a time that we are slaves to a corrup and altogether un- righteous system. We ask for these opportunities which are to be found only in the open school house. We have had only taste of the forbid den fruit of education and like Moth CT Eve we find it desirable and good for food; (mentally) perhaps you may think that "a little education is dangerous thing" but I will go fur ther and assure you that lesser IS individual but to society at large.
 No harm can come from judicious education, and education should nev- CT cease only in death or mental in-- frmity, then give us the opportuni- ties for betterment, to be found in the open school house and grounds.
 More than a million and a half dol- lars are invested in the land. build ings and furniture of the public schools of this city, or to be more shoe shomed tns valuaon o sf ass 5s and about one third of the taxes goes to supporting this institution! The working class alone creates this wealth and the working class fur nishes all the means for maintaining .and yet you say they cannot parti- cipate in the enjoyment of this wealth which they have created and are maintaining, but shall be used for day and night school purposes only.
 These buildings are used for school
 
 year out of a possible S,760, so at least 75%o of the available valuation of these buildings to the public is wasted by allowing them to stand idle when they might be utilized for the benefit of all.
 The library hall is opened during the winter season for the entertain ment and education of the public but while central to the business part of the city, it is so far removed from IL IL IA very few can avail themselves of the opportunity to attend, whereas the school buildings are practically at their doors.
 It is evident that the cosmopelity of our city is on the increase and the naturalize this fast increasing ele- ment is by a return to the democratic which characterized this nation century ago, when the little red school house ranked in import ance with the State Capital.
 These simple people no more un- derstand us than we understand them, we see only the evil side in them and they regard us in the same light, many of them have been drawnj to our shores by deceptive methods of advertising, and their ignorance of the purchasing power of our money has been taken advantage of, by em- ploying them, to the detriment of all other employees, at wage rate too low for human beings to exist on, there fore they are more to be pitied than blamed.
 We owe them the means of a con- structiye education and this can come about only through their familiarity i with the open school house and all that it entails The school house and grounds are now regarded as forbid den territory to the public in gen. eral, and your board composed though it is, of wise, scholarly, patriotic gen. tlemen and representative citizens, may be laboring under a misappre- hension or Illusion ip adhering to this policy of exclusiveIiess, which we cannot avoid terming short-sighted- I ness. in view of the stand taken by other large cities.
 There is no good reason why Bridgeport with all it's remarkable l facilities and inventive genius which is heralded throughout the world, l should always be found at the tail end of the race when the comfort, and welfare of it's citi- | zens are at stake. The public veal 1 and the greatest good to the greatest l number is the only motive in writing this; hoping it may meet with your and an early conpliancei thereto. 4
 I am your respectfully,
 DAVID M. JACKIE, Secretary Socialist Party of 18th Dis
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