Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-10-10
CORPORATION GIVES
SCHOOL BOARD JOLT
Must Dig Up $500 or No Gas
School Building Pictures
To Be Taken

compelled by force of circumstances to
swallow it-dictum of the p. r. l.. and |
| p. Regarding the conditions under |
which they would construct gas mains
to pipe gas into the Lincoln school so
that the cooking department of the
school could proceed.
And the demand of the gas company
was 5000 for doing the work.
1t was pay up or get no gas, and the
school board felt the prod of iron. They
admitted they were up against it, inI
fact helpless in the face of the gas
company's ultimatum. And teacher
had been hired, equipment secured, and
pupils ready to go to work.
The board emphasized in no uncertain
terms its displeasure of what they term
ed holdup of the public interest. 1t
was felt to be serious matter when
a public service corporation, a corpora
tion they alleged was bankrupt, could
issue such an uitimatum to representa-
tives of such an institution as the pub
lie school.
The school board was stumped. They
hated to knuckle down and be bled.
They felt the keenness of the injustice
of giving franchise to company that
tuu uoC llS ONH " oti
or not serving the city.
Franchise Harmless
Max Buren, declared that the fran
chise issued by the city was useless as
by recent law public service corpora
tions were taken out Of the hands of
the city and placed under the jurisdic-
tiOn of the public service commission
He did not like the proposition a bit
and the fact of being backed against
the wall did not set well with him. He
felt he was obliged to surrender as the
range used last year was out of the
question for service this year, and elec-
tric fixtures and heating out of sight,
and the children would lose the benefit
of the course of study if the gas plates
were not installed.
II. L. Clark said he did not blame the
people for not using gas. He was peev-
ed also. Mr.. Barnes showed some amel-
> iorating items in the fact that six per
cent interest would be allowed by the
company on the money advanced and
t one third rebate of all new consumers
= bills on the new extension, which would
help to lessen the total sum somewhat.
$ So, after the pros and cons of the
/ matter were discussed, and the school
$ board saw how deeply it was bottled
! up by the gas company, it voted to au-
: thorize the gas company to connect up
the Lincoln school with the gas mains
for the sum of $500. Mayor White did
not like to do it but he voted for the
e authorization, as he said they were de-
7 cidedly up against it:
: Wants School Pictures
Things went along smoothly until a
e request from the state superintendent
] of public instruction for pictures of the
] high school building and the play
grounds with equipment in use came up.
e Directors Barnes and Clark struck fire
: in their ideas of the usefulness of the
pictures and the advisability of spend
ing the public fund for merely having
: the pcutres in a booklet.
4 Director Barnes was of the opinion
Q that the money would be well spent
: and that the city would receive great
!. deal of profitable advertising from the
I fact that the booklet, or senl-annual re,
l. port of the state superintendent, would
: 20 to Washington, d. c., and be plac-
$ ed on file with other public records.
l. Director Clark took fire when the
c attack on the public treasury was to
!, he made and said it was too easy to
! drop money here and there. He said 1t
I was lust like taking money out of has
/ pocket. and Mr.. Barnes replied that a
GOOD deal came out of his own pocket
but that he was willing TO pay more II
: il would do the schools of Salem good
0 Mr.. Clark averred it vas not necessary
IS to advertise in this manner as h'
+, thought the expenditure a waste; How
d ever, he granted Mr.. Churchill the I'D
II ertv to take all the pictures of the
J. schools and playground as long as Il
h did not cost the district anything.
e Director Barnes did not think TINS
It attitude a good one to take toward tht
g state school authorities and moved tha'
is the city school superintendent be glV
II en- authority to secure photographs OF
g the buildings and Fairgrounds as de
II sired by the state superintendent inc
% motion carried.
IS To Bring Friendly Suit
# An important item OF business was
t transacted when the board authorized
h legal steps to be taken to secure an IN
d terpretation of a court regarding theil
e claims against County Superintendent
k w. NJ. Smith for interest on their IN
c vestment in high school building ahd
depreciation of property IN edncatiht
= pupils from outside the school district
This action is friendly one and Is
in the hands of George Bingham. The
: salem school board maintains that the
investment of school buildings and
their depreciation in wear and teal
should be considered in estimating the
cost OF educating the children who at
tend the school, just as investment ana
depreciation are considered in estimlat
= ing costs in other businesses The coun
tv superintendent refuses to allow
i claims for interest on the investment
and depreciation of buildings
So in order to get ruling of court
on the ease and settle the matter FOL
the entire state of Oregon as wei al
Salem the friendly suit is to be brongh'
The resignation Of Miss Bertha Dun
can was accepted. The resignation IS &c
take place on October l3. Miss Mel
Hay of Seattle was elected to fill the
4 vacancy.
Gym May Be Used
On request of the Baptist young peo
ple. City Superintendent Todd was au
thorized TO allow them the use OF th'