Arizona republican., 1913-06-30

| tain possession and use of it during | the coming school year.
 If sold it now and the funds were available now, we should still l have to use it another year while con-
 struCting additional buildings. And if | we sold it now, but had to wait six | months for the proceeds, we probably would have to use it for two more i school years. On the other hand, if we | sold it now, and could have available
 immediately the sum of $5O,0 ,0OO say. we | would inlnlediatcIy construct the pro- i jected building south of the tracks and 1 could give possession of the Central | block a year hence.
 It is not alone the necessity of planning far into the future IS to new l buildings that engages our attendance. l We ought, so far a S we can within our means bury sites while they are avail I able, for use hereafter. Available sites are already very few in number. By available sites. I mean blocks on which
 there are no buildings. We shall soon be up against the necessity of paying for buildings costing nancy thousands of dollars, which cucumber blocks we must use. and from these buildings we shall get little salvage. To illustrate: In buying to enlarge the Seventh street site above mentioned. we had to pay extra for houses which cost us several thousand dollars: and the best offer we have been able to get for them was one hundred dollars. We accepted it.
 This is q phase of the situation which l am afraid many of our friends do not consider when they dwell upon the great increase in the value of the
 Central block which will be gained by
 holding on to it
 Is it not possible that this increase of future years win be fully offset bv the increased purchase price of sites necessary to be bought in the future? Might it not be good business to sell the Central block for a good price now, and buy several sites for future use? Any of them not found necessary in future years can be sold al q good ad- vance presumably
 My notion as to the present value of the Central block may be expressed by saving that if owned it individually and somebody should offer me a quar- ter of a million for it, I should do my best to close the deal
 Now as to the leasing proposition. If it were practicable to effect leases covering this property. each member of the board would, I feel assured, ap- prove, as q trustee the leasing scheme. no matter what he might think of the civic center idea as q private citizen For. it would appear practicable to sub divide the block and lease the several lots for sum which would pay in tcreSt on bonds to the amount of S2O0.- 900 and possibly $25O.00O
 "But-and here is the rub-the dis trict appears to be without authority to lease this property. I have taken the trouble to consult some of the best lawyers in Phoenix, and they are unan- imous in advising that the question is of such grave doubt that they would not permit a client to construct a building on he property under lease from the district. The law, it seems, gives Us the right to lease as q tenant, but not a s landlord. That is We can lease ground or buildings for our school uses but may not lease school property for private uses. California I understand. is in the same predica- ment. The law which formerly per mittcd school districts to lease school properties for business purposes has been so amended as no longer to per init it.
 There will be no legislature pre- sumably. until 1915. So if the people tomorrow vote in favor of leasing the Central block, their commands cannot be carried into effect until the Iegis- lature comes to our relief. If the leg islature of 1915 grants the power to lease, and the people should still de- mand that we grant the property under lease. We should have to hold posses sion in any event until new buildings had been prOVided-thus ensuing a de- lay of another year after 1915, provid- ing there had been no further bond is- sues meanwhile.
 True it is claimed that the courts in some states have held that a 99- year lease is, in law, q sale; and that if We should lease this property for % years We would be within the law which authorizes the district to sell. If this be so. it would provide q Way out of the dilemma which presents it. self in connection with the pending proposition to lease.
 'TO repair the Central building so as to make it fit for school uses during the next three years win cost it has been estimated. some s2O,O0O"