The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-10-14

The board of education seems to be
against a stone wall in connection with
the proposed plan for the purchase Of
Bonny Hame, the Balm farm, as a
future site for Kenosha high school,
Under the city charter and the state
laws the board of education is given
no power to enter into land contract
and as the board is unable to pay cash
for the land to be purchased the pur-
chase is going to fall down unless
some arrangement can be made to Sc
cure more power for the board from
the common council. The question was
taken up at the meeting of the board
on Tuesday evening and tonight the
buildings and grounds committee of
the school board will meet with the
finance committee of the council in an
effort to find way out of the diff
ficulty. At the time the plan was
made for the purchase of the property
it was agreed that the purchase price
should be thirty thousand dollars with
the understanding that small cash
payment would be made and the re-
mainder of the purchase price paid in
the way of bonds issued for the school
board This plan met with the approx
al of the committee of the board and
the owners of the property, but when a
start was made to put it into action it
was found that the board of education
had no power to enter into land con-
tract of~this kind, Before the board
may effer Ire eontract aud pledge
future payments for the lands 1t must
have the consent of the common coun-
ell provided by resolution. Under this
reading of the law the common council
will have the chance to decide as to
whether or not the entire site proposed
shall be purchased.
There is another way out Of thedif-5
iculty The owners of the property
have announced their willingness to
sell fifteen acres to the board this year
and give an option on the remainder of
the site to be taken up in another year.
Tt might be possible for the school
board to arrange it's finances so as to
make possible payment of fifteen
thousand dollars this year.
The school board committee has been
instructed by the board to extend the
option on the property until the first
of November in order that the matter.
may be taken up blythe council at its
next regular meeting. a large ma
jority of the members of the board are
strongly in favor of the purchase of
the property and they may be able to
convince the majority. of the members
of the council that the plan is,wlse.
At the meeting of the board on Tues
day night the question of-delaNss on the
new, Lincoln school brought about a
considerable discussion. The. work has.
been proceeding, but proceeding slowly
and a motion was passed providing that.
the bondsmen for the contractor be no.
tilted that the board was not satisfied
with the progress being made on the
building The committee had been
hopeful that the building, would be un-
der cover before the end Of the pres
ent building season, but it is feared
that this viii be impossible. Members
of the board hold that il the building
is to be ready. for occupancy by the
opening of the school year in Septem-
Der, 1915, there must be lot of work
done and larger force employed. Tt,
is thought that the appeal to the bonds
men will. bring an. immediate change
in the work at the school and that the
work will be rushed
The board voted to change. the
vacuum cleaning system in the school
from a single to double sweeper at
an additional cost of two hundred and
forty-seven dollars.
The board voted to employ Miss Ed
ma Ely of Cadillac, Mich, as a teach
er in the sixth grade at the Weiskopf
school and she is expected to begin
her duties at once She is an expert
eneed, teacher
The board had considerable amount
of routine business TO take up but
most of the meeting was given over
to the discussion Of plans for the new
hsfi1diu1