The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-02-08

! ent Deamer indicated that the high
school can be taken care of in the
Central building very comfortably for
the time at least and indicated that
the crying need at the present time
is room for the grades.
He said that the pupils in the Civic
Center are quite comfortable there:
that those on the first floor of the
building could not have much better
| school quarters, but said that those in
the basement are nee in an ideal posi-
ton as basement quarters are not at
all desirable for school purposes.
To Have Plans Prepared.
The result of Superintendent DEAN
er's statement was to cause the board
| to seriously take up the matter of
building a grade school at once and
the special plans committee, compos-
ed Of Members John Frame, Major M.
F.. Steele and j. w. McHose, was in
structed to interview local architects
and make report at the next meet
Ing which will probably be a special
call session to select a designer and
superintendent Of construction.
The board still has the power to
float $4,000 worth of bonds without
calling a bond election and first steps
were taken last night to sell this
amount Of bonds to the state board of
university and school lands, Secre-
tary e. George Guthrie Of the board
reporting that the board has the funds
and will have until the end Of March.
Funds can be secured from this board
at per cent, the lowest rate obtain
able.
Board Talks Architects.
Before taking up the matter Of the
construction of a grade building next
season instead Of beginning work at
once on the new high school, the board
took up the matter Of an architect for
the proposed high school building.
The plans committee, which was
given the work OF recommending an
architect made complete report last
night. The report stated that the To-
cal architects had been communicated
with in reply to the petition that the
board choose a designer for the pro-
posed building through the competi-
tive system recommended by the
American Institute Of Architects. in
which the committee rejected the
system as being too expensive and not
practical for the work in hand and
the condition of funds available for
the purpose. .,..- ~
The committee then communicated
with the Washington offices Of the
American Institute Of Architects ask
ing for recommendations and this Of
fee referred the committees COM
Of the institute. From this chapter a
list was secured and this and the
names Of several architects Of Fargo
were submitted to the board in exc
cutive session where the subject was
discussed fully and freely, the result
being that the list was narrowed
down to two Fargo architects. Haxby
five Minneapolis, st. Paul and Duluth
firms. It Is very likely that one Of
these seven firms Will be finally Sc
lected by the board.
Investigate Offices and Work.
The board then decided to send
Member Frame and Superintendent
Deamer to make a thorough investiga-
ton Of the offices of all these seven
architects, find out their methods of
doing business, see the drafting rooms
and equipment and probable fitness to
handle a job of the size Of the new
high school guiding with special ref
erence to school house work and to
view such buildings as have been de-
signed by any of the seven firms as
may be found in Minnesota or North
Dakota.
This committee will then report its
findings to the board which will have
the work of an ultimate decision as to ,
the architect to be employed.
The meeting of the board last night |
was probably one Of the most import
ant that has been held in years and |
practically resulted in a decision to |
have a new grade building under con-
struction on Block IS of Roberts sec
ond addition as soon as the building
season opens and to postpone the
erection Of the proposed high school
until later time. 1t also re-
suited in some progress being made
for the selection of an architect for
he proposed high school building.
Block IS of Roberts second addition
s. situated between Twelfth and Thir-
:eenth streets and Third and Fourth