Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-14

land supervise the construction of said
i building.
MIR. Brooks Speaks for New Building.
Mr.. Brooks spoke at some length in
behalf of the report. He alluded To
the $4,000 Cony High school extern
ision. which he claimed was a wise
Expenditure of money and that the
increase in High school enrolment
had borne out the claim at that time
lof the Board of Education, What
Ewould you have done with the 2i0
Ipupils that have been added to the
High school enrolment, if you had
mot erected that addition" he asked.
f"What are you going to do with the
loverflow of from $50 to 200 that you
have now in the grades?''
| He alluded TO the crowded condi-
ton of grade room on the Eastern
side of the hiyer where 40 pupils were.
crowded into an inner room which
was not suitable for more than IS
to 90
He said that the issue should not
be confused with that of the need for
"a central fire station and that if the
people desired it they could vote fer
a central fire station and new school
house as we'll. In closing he made a
powerful plea for the minds and souls
of the school children, who were now
/, housed in cramped and poorly venti-
lated quarters.
! On motion of NJ. E. Sawtelle the re-
port of the committee was accepted
and placed on file.
| The proposition as originally submit
ted was in the following form:
| Voted. that the finance committee
i he and hereby is appointed the agent
! of the city to contract. on its behalf,
/ a loan of not exceeding So, 900 and to
/, give the necessary security therefor
for the purpose of erecting and equip
ping a Grammar school building on
Middle street. the principal of such
loan to be payable in 10 successive
! annual installments of equal amount,
| the first installment to be payable on
! june /. 1913"
On motion of Lewis A. Burleigh, the
! original proposition was amended, so
that the above mentioned price of s33.-
900 should include the lot as well as
| the building and equipment
! On motion of E. f. NeWhert. the or
der was further amended so as to sub
stitute the mayor and city treasurer
for the finance committee.
| on motion of f. NJ Mower it was
voted that the ballot be by written
vote. yes for the proposition. ami
no against it. Dr. w. johnson, y.
NJ. Mower and n. L. Bassett were APP
| pointed committee To receive, sort
and count ballots.
The whole number of votes cast was
| 346; yes. 2s9; no. 107. safe margin for
the proponents of the measure over the
necessary two-thirds.
Choice Of Lot.
| II was. over the choice of the lot that
the excitement Of the evening came.
FRA Fl. Randall moved that the location
OF the school building be left with the
| Board of Education and then the fun
| began.
/ Alderman e. c. CARL expressed him
self as in favor of the lot at the COR,
| ner Of Stone street and Eastern ave-
nue. and complained that there had
been no discussion upon the natter
Frank G. Harrington said that the
school board welcomed discussion and
haG there been more discussion the
! yes vote would have been larger than
| it was.
| City Clerk Elmer f. Newbert said
! that the people in the back part Of the
hall had not heard what was going
| en- and there should have been a
| chance for discussion. The town meet
ing bad voted for a splendid new
scheolhouse and he voted himself in
favor of it, but he wanted to see dis
| eusson as to where it should be plac-
ed.
| City hall was built on a dump by
men who once controlled affairs in This
| elty exclaimed Mr.. Newbert warm
| ing uo 10 the situation. He declared
that he wouldn't take a gift of seeeral
| of the lots mentioned for the site of
the new school building and wound up
| by declaring that the lot at the corner
| Of Stone street and Eastern avenue was
the finest lot in the city for the pur-
pose, East side or West side
Mr. Brooks replied that the main oh
lection to the LOT favored by Mr.. New
bert was that II was not central
Hon. Payson Smith, State superIn-i
tendent of schools, entered The discus
| sion with the remark that the boys and
| girls would be willing to take a five
or six minutes longer walk for the
| sake of going to school where there
was ample room for play on the larger
lot He was in favor of leaving the
matter 60 the Board of Education, with
the understanding that the school
building should be looted upon the most
spacious lot,
vote was carried leaving the Sc
lectmen Of the lot with the Board of
Education. Then Alderman Carl sue-
gested that the sense of the meeting
be taken as TO what lot should be Sc