The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-10
MORE USE OF scHooLHoUsEs.

We have urged from time TO time
that the scboolbouses of this city should
be thrown open to more general use
than is now made of them. During the
progress of the school year the struc-
lures are occupied by the daily attend
ance Of pupils and teachers 10 the course
Of education; but they are not occu-
pied at all in the evenings. and during
the summer months they remain vacant.
AS VIC have pointed out heretofore,
large numbers of the schoolhouses In
the cities OF the East, in Chicago, in
Cleveland. in New York, have been de
voted TO social uses, both winter and
summer. And now Boston has taken
UP the extended use of the schoolhouses
in that city. Superintendent Brooks
recommends the use of the Boston
school buildings for social center work.
His idea is that there should be gen
eral manager Of such extension, ac-
countablc 10 the board Of education, and
that a small appropriation should be
made for the establishment of the work.
The Boston Traveller commends Super
intendent Brooks's recommendation,
stating that ''his plan is similar to the
system already adopted in many other
American cities with marked advan-
tage to children and parents.
The same paper notes that the Wo-
men s Municipal League of East Bos.
ton, has conducted a social center dur
ing the past year, and that the super
intendent seeks TO make such activity
"A part of the city S regular educational
work, and broaden its scope. The ten
tative programme is that "there would
be provision for ucighborhood meetings
Of a social nature at the school houses,
and occasionally entertainments and
educational lectures supplied from the
public funds" A suggestion is made
that part of the expense would he borne
by individuals or by the localities en-
ioying the privilege Of the use of the
school houses; but it is urged that ''thc
absence of such private support should
not prevent fair trial of the PLAN
Our idea about all that is that those
who would use the school houses would
not only pay their own way in such
use, but might contribute a small sum,
which would he merely nominal. for
tho use of the school houses There
should be no money obligation imposed
upon the general school fund or the
ing entertainments Of a sociul, educa-
tional or amusement sort III the school
honses, should pay their own way, but,
of course, charging no entrance fee and
in general allowing the attendance OF
all who might be within the radius
of the occupancy Of the house for school
purposes. 1t would not do, of course,
to allow the neighbors to hire out the
school houses, but only to establish
social center for the ncighborhood. us-
able for that neighborhood for social
and entertaining PURPOSES, without al
lowing any locality to make money out
of il. The use of the school houses
would be free, but every such use
should pay its own way. The cost of
this would be so small that any neigh
borhood desiring the use of the school
house would not feel il Mt all, and the
availability of the school houses for
such purposes should be the sufficient
warrant for the neighborhood use.
1t Is TO be hoped that our board of
education may take this matter up in
earnest, and provide means whereby
the citizenship within the radius Of the
use of any given school may be al.
lowed to use that school house under
such regulation as the board may es-
tablish. securing TO the public the free
use of the houses on condition that
the user should pay all expenses IN
cident thereto.