The Alaska daily empire., 1917-10-13

school building. After a delay of some two years, and great deal of work done by all parties interested the necessary legislation was se- cured, Congress passing the act Sept. z, 1916. Immediately there after our city council ordered an election to be held to ascertain if our citizens desired to bond the city for such purpose, and at the polls on October 16, 1916, the electors by an overwhelming ma jority declared that they did. MT B. D. Stewart, as mayor of the city, immediately after the election, ap- pointed a committee of five citizens of the community as ways and means committee to investigate and report to the council the best and most expeditions way to erect new school building.
 After examining many appli cants Mr. Harlan Thomas was nom mated by the committee as the ar chitect and the committee further advised that the best way to erect the building was by contract rather than by day labor. Both recom- mendations were approved by the city council on December 1, 1916, and Mr. Thomas was directed to prepare plans and specifications and to arrange for bids. On February 12, 1917, the city council opened the bids and awarded the con tracts to the successful bidders. And the contracts with surety bonds to guarantee the fulfillment of the contracts were filed with the City Clerk on March 1, 1917.
 Tear Down Old Building.
 Work on wrecking the old build ing was begun on April 7th. and the grading for the new building was started on April 18th, 1917, and the building occupied by the pupils on the last day of Sept, 1917.
 The city council at it's meeting held February 12, 1917, appointed the school board their agents re- garding the expenditure of the $75,- 000. All account to be certified to by the school board and then paid by the order of the city council, thus making it necessary for each account presented to be checked over by the two separate bodies.
 up to the present time we have paid out the following sums of money:
 "To Mr. Peter Woeck, who had the general contract, the sum of s50,424. This amount pays Mr. Woeck in full on his contract for the building. This does not, how ever, include the sum which we owe for the walks around the building, the driveway and retaining wall and the finishing of one class room. These items will be paid for from the annual appropriation for the support of the schools.
 He Gives Amounts.
 For the heating and ventilating system we have paid the A. T. Bas- sett Heating & Plumbing Co. the sum of $10,650, and we owe on this 
 For the plumbing system we have paid out to Marshall & New man $2,802.15 and we owe on this contract the sum of $583.85; Mea- cham & Babcock for our electrical wor, S1,700 and we owe on their contract $S29,35; Frank Metcalf the sum of $17 for checking up diff ferent excavations and measuring yardage in the foundation; w. P. Lass $500 for his services as an inspector; Harlan Thomas, charges for his services as architect and supervisor, $3,42348 which has been paid; Juneau Hardware Co.,, $527.50.
 "Totaling the amounts we have paid during the construction, the sum $69,844.13.
 We owe on our various contracts he sum of $4063.2O, and we have tt the present time in the bank the sum of $5.155.S7.
 This balance will be used, how ,ver in paying for our shades, cleo lrical fixtures and the few furnish ings which we have put in the building.
 What It Is Costing.
 "The people of Juneau at this time have invested in the school building approximately the sum of 0,000 and they are paying each year for the maintenance of this educational institution an addition Il $25,000. In. other words, it is costing the City of Juneau approx imately $500 month for each student enrolled. Now this invest ment is the same as any other in- vestment, it must be paid back and by the persons receiving the bene- fits of this investment, the stu dents of the school. True, the citizens do not ask you to pay 1t