The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-03-31
School Bonds Badly Needed.


Norfolk. Neb., March 2S.--To the
Voters of the School District of Nor.
folk: There seems to be some misun.
derstanding in the minds of some of
the Norfolk voters as to our purpose
in asking for an issue of school bonds
just now. The statement has been
made that our motive in asking for
these bonds is to defeat the bonds for
a municipal lighting plant, should the
latter be voted upon this spring.
1t is only fair to the public to state
that the board of education has not
now, nor have they had any intention
of minglng in the controversy over
the lighting of the city. We wish to
make it clear to the public that the
school bonds now asked for have been
contemplated by the board of educa-
ton for long over a year-long before
the municipal lighting plant became
an active issue in city politics. We
fully realized year ago last October
or November that if the same rate of
increase in the population of the Grant
school district continued for another
this coming summer. The recent dis
Coyery, too, that the East Lincoln
school building is in dangerous con
dition has made it necessary to ask
for the amount named in the official
notice, $4,000. 1t is, therefore, not a
matter of politics, but matter of
sheer necessity in providing for Nor
ell, To-. H..
children-that has compelled us to
| ask you, the voters, for these bonds.
1t is entirely within your hands to
determine what Norfolks school pol
| icy shall be. The board will be gov
erned entirely by what you wish. If
you, the voters, desire that Norfolk
shall adopt in her school system a
policy that is non-progressive; pol
| icy that will keep our schools at a
standstill while our neighboring school
systems move forward; a policy that
will keep the rising generation of Nor
| folks young men and women from
making the Norfolk of the future all
she should be, then these bonds should
be defeated. The defeat of these
bonds will do just these things.
The defeat of the bonds will mean
too, in the immediate future, the fol
| lowing very bad conditions:
|. 1t will mean the continuance OF
halliday sessions in the kindergartens
and first grades.
>. 1t will mean that dozens of Oul
bows and girls will have to so without
proper instruction and attention from
the teachers; for where so many o
our teachers have from forty-tive tt
fifty-tive pupils in the rooms it is i'm
possible to give the thorough instruc
ton that should be given, especial.
to the weaker pupils.
8. 1t will mean that many LITTLE
children will have to continue to eros
railroad tracks. and go long distance
to attend in districts where they d'
not live.
! 4. 1t will mean that 200 of our boy
and girls will continue to be crowded
into dangerous tiretrap-which ough
to be abandoned, even now. This i
to invite disaster and disaster to MOI
folks most precious asset, her chi
dren.
Voters of Norfolk this matter rest
. entirely with you. These schools an
these children are yours. Do you wis
to crowd them into building in whic
you would not think of conducting
business? Do you wish to have thel
: trained less carefully than you woul
look after your own financial int
ests? Or do you wish their future
be safeguarded and well provided fc
in modern and well organized schot
q system? You will largely make {
mar the future of Norfolk in the wa
: you decide this question. To answe
y in one way means the best bushes
investment Norfolk can make and I'll
I best guarantee of her future. To a
Il swer it in the other means the halt (
/ progress and the sure results Of
T. short-sighted business policy. The f
I ture of Norfolk's schools and of No
II folk is in your hands. Let your VOTE
tell your decision.
Respectfully yours.
A. II. Viele, Pres.
~