The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-07-23
SCHOOL BONDS
ARE WORTHLESS
TICKET AT ELECTION DID NOT
PROVIDE FOR PURCHASE OF
SlTE-ANOTHER ELECTION.

Col Georee Henry Bruce, who has
been clerk of the city board of aduca-
tion since the memory of man runneth
not 10 the contrary, made the state
meut Yesterday that under the bonds
voted by The people i'm March, 1909.
the board of education could not build
new high school building. When
asked TO explain the situation he said:
The ticket at the bond election called
by the city council called for The is-
suaucc of 100000 worth of bonds for
the purpose of building a high school
building The bonds were voted but
when the matter was brought down to
the selling point We have been inform
ed that there was no provision made
on that ticket for 4 portion of the
funds 10 be used for the purchase Cf
a site and We have not found that
person yet who is willing to donate a
site for the building The resolution
of the school board was drawn in
proper form calling for the purchase
OF site and the construction of the
building and the advertisement in
serted in the paper giving notice of
the election was properly written but
by an error just at the wrong time
the ticket was improperly written and
the site cannot be purchased with
the bond money and no high school
can he built"
Several members of the school
board were discussing the matter yes
terday. Each one was anxious that
the city have the high school and was
disappointed over the contents of a
letter which President Hefner has
just turned over to Clerk Bruce.
Whether the vote of the people was
presumed to have been for a site and
a building too makes a question for
the courts TO pass upon. and Mr.. An
derson said it was much cheaper to
hold another election than It was to
take matters through the courts and
he favors submitting the proposition
to the people again for their indorse
menJ
Every member of the board seen
yesterday was in favor of resubmit-
ting the question to the voters of the
city and allow them to pass upon i'll
one way or another and then abide
their wishes.
r. A. Hefner, president of the board
who is also a lawyer, stated that in
his opinion none of the money could
be used for the purchase of site
and he took the question up with bond
attorneys i'm Chicago. 4 letter came
several days ago which impressed him
with the correctness of his ideas and
another letter from Harry =. Weber
received yesterday convinced him
that the money realized from the
bonds cannot be used for the purchase
of a site
The letter follows:
Chicago, July 20, 1911. /
Mr. r. a. Hefner,
Counsellor at Law,
Ardmore, Okla.
Dear Sir: am Just in receipt of .
your kind favor of the 18th inst, call
ing attention to the statement in my
letter to you Of the 11th inst, to the
effect that these bonds can be issued .
only for the purpose of constructing .
4 high school building. You say that
If this is true 1T will not be necessary
'or us TO proceed further with these
bonds because We have no site and
could not buy one for a less amount
han 100000" and that you have no
way of raising this amount except
ly the issuance of bonds.
BY referring to the record you will .
lote that the proposition submitted
o the voters of the city school dis
rict was that of issuing the bonds
If the board of education in the
mount of 100000 for the purpose Of
"A high school building.
# cannot be presumed as a matter
# law that the voters OF the district
n voting for the bonds for construct
ng a high school building intended
o authorize the use OF 10000 in
mount of the proceeds for the pur-
hase of a site for the new high
chool building.
The electorate voted only for the
ssuance of the bonds for building a
Ugh school in and for the district, and
he terms of the vote cannot be de
arred from so as to permit the board
o issue a portion of the bonds for
urchasing a site.
# therefore, as you state, the board
f education does not desire to pro
eed in accordance with the vote and
ssue these bonds for the purpose OF