Arizona republican., 1913-06-20
OPPOSES THE SALE
 Of THE CENTRAL BLOCK
One Of Reasons Given by Tax
 payer.
To the Editor of Te Republican,
 Sir.

To the EdltOr Ot re Republican,
 Sir:
 If I may be permitted to express my opinion upon this important question as an old timer and having paid taxes in this state and county for more than forty years I do not think the question of benefitting the tax payers should enter into the consideration of this subject.
 The question to be considered is first the utility of the property for school purposes; second, the contract both as to letter and spirit I was here and well acquainted with Doctor Alsop and am of the opinion that he gave the property to the children for school pur- poses with the distinct understanding in letter and spirit that it was to be- long to the children of school age, not to the grownups. The school board accepted the gift with the same spirit because they believed it could be util- ized for that purpose. If they could not have utilized it. they would no- have accepted the gift. l do not think, the doctor was thinking about the tax payers when he made the gift, but rather he wished to set an example and leave an imprint of his name upon and for the public free school policy Within this state, county and city, know Doctor Alsop to have been a man of the strictest honor who kept every contract he made. written or inn piled. therefore am of the opinion that the school board has no right to try to twist the meaning of the contract.
 He did not give lot. or even two lots. which would have been ample for his time but he gave a big city block, because he wished to give room for building a big educational institution which would perpetuate his name upon the history of the educational institu- tiOns of this state and people It does not make the least difference about the cash value of the ground, if it was worth a million dollars, or only worth one dollar. the space is there the same and for school purposes would be just as ample in the one case as in the other. If he. the doctor. was with us today do not believe he would give il just to relieve the taxpayers of their just burden of keeping mp the school funds. but he would only consider about it being utilized for school pur- poses.
 Now therefore, I think this is all our present school board. or the people have right to consider If it is no longer of use for school purposes. then the people and the present school board should act exactly like the school board would have acted in the first place and refused the gift and returned the deed to the estate of our bencfactOr with many thanks for the use of it for so many years. I do not think we should keep it for a school if it is a fire trap and we are taking chances of burning our children. but I wonder why it has been made and kept a fire trap. Is it either burn our children or force us into bad faith with our dead bcnefactor MT. EditoT. let us at least keep faith with the men who came and gave their lives to the hardships of frontier life. that they might leave us this great inheritance of this great commonwealth. Let us not take their bounty and then rob the dead of their last fond hope. No, MT. Editor, there is just two things we have the right in honor to do with the Central school, use it in the spirit that it was given. or return the gift to the heirs of the donor
 M. M. ELDERS,
 1920 Grand Avenue,
 Phoenix