The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-07-10
Members Of School Board
Fail to Agree on Repair
ing Old High School.
MANUFACTURERS PROTEST
Commissioners Argue for Nearly Four
Hours Without Reaching Any Agree
ment and Adjournment is Taken IN
til Tuesday to Reach Decision.

The board of education had another
long wrangle over the problem of a
new high school at the regular meeting
of the board held at the city hall on
Tuesday evening and after spending
more than three hours the board adj
journed without making any final deci-
sion in regard to the repair of the old
building or the building Of a new high
school. The argument of the question
was pretty well concealed in the ex-
change of personalities by the mem
bers of the board. Bids for the low
ering of the roof and making improve
ments on the Central school as suggest
ed by Architect Hahn were opened
Gottlieb Schaefer was the lowest bid
The next lowest sbidder was John
Kreuser, who wanted to do the work
for $4750. Schaeffer failed to furnish
a check in the amount demanded by
the board but it is probable that this
regularity could be taken care of.
w. w. Vincent appeared before the
board on behalf of the manufact urers
of the city and urged that the high
school project be delayed for year
and that when new building was built
it be built as unit. The board re-
ceived a further protest in the way Of
letter from T. G.. Simmons, which fol-
lows:
Kenosha, Wis, .Jnue 20tn, 1915.
To. the School Board, Kenosha Wis.
Gentlemen-As taxpayer | wish to
go on record as opposed to the scheme
of destroying the present High school
building and erecting a new one on the
same site; that if the estimated cost is
$40, 900, it will cost US 100000 before
you are through with it. 1t seems to
me that with moderate investment the
present building can be made safe.
When we require new high school
building, let us get competitive draw
ings from all over the country, and then
pick out the very best,-many school
boards have gone through this same
problem then let us get new site
for it and turn the present high school
building into ward school, which we
seem to be always short of.
1t must be borne in mind that we are
old one, both at the same time. Ger
tain things we must have, and they are
big burden. Let s go slow on any
unnecessary expenditure until we can
catch up a little. Kenosha taxpayers
have shown a fine spirit of go-ahead-
ISM With the city's finances in any
thing but good shape, and on top of
the heaviest expenditures in the history
of the city, nearly everybody wants
and is willing to 60 down into their
pockets, and pay for the necessary
things required by Kenosha. My plea
is to keep this spirit among our peo-
mense expenditure,-like $240,000 to
$500, 000-should be most thoroughly
debated by the people and then not
authorized until the board is sure they
have gone over every phase of the sit
nation, and have secured not only the
very best plans, but have gone and
looked over other buildings for the same
purpose.
When you have taken every precau-
ton, and the needs are crying, it is time
enough to rush into spending so vast a
sum of money as $4,000 to 100000
or a sum equal to about the total
largest city receipts for year.
Yours trulv,
q. G. Simmons.
Two plans We're suggested for the re-
pair Of the old building. The one re-
commended by the architect and the one
recommended by the commission which
recently examined the building. The
cost Of following this plan would be in
the neighborhood of $500. The discus
sion Of these two plans was decidedly
spirited and the board finally adjourned
to meet on next Tuesday night. The
finance committee presented the an