Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-04-12

lieved it could rely upon the united
support of our citizens in an under
taking, the sole object of which would
be to correct the impossible condi-
tions then and now, for the reason
assigned, existing in our schools.
Before deciding upon building
program, however, the board, i'm
PEELED by an earnest desire to provide
for the children of this city, schools
equal in every way to those found in
any other community of similar size
and wealth, sought expert advice as to
what had been proved to be the most
successful methods in the conduct of
schools of the higher grades and as
to the number and character of build
tngs which would be required If such
methods were adopted in this city.
The board very properly recognized
what should be taught in such schools
and how 1t should be taught, and then
seeing to it that new buildings be so
designed and located, and old ones
so remodeled as to be best adapted to
the purposes for which they were to
be used. Accordingly, DIR. James Fl.
Van Sickle, of Springfield, Massachu-
sets, Il recognized authority on the
subject, was engaged to make a sur
vey of the whole situation and report
to the board.
"Realizing the value of an endorse
citizens. the special committee on
high school unanimously agreed that
committee, previously suggested by
the Chamber of Commerce and COM
posed of A. d. Bacon, w. M. Donald
son, Francis j. Hall, e. A. Heffelfinger
and William Jennings, be appointed
to advise with the committee in the
further consideration of the report of
the subcommittee The Chamber of
Commerce subsequently, as the invi-
tation of the high school committee
to fill the vacancy caused by Mr.. Hef-
felfnger's inability to serve, named
George A. Shreiner in his place.
Unanimous Approval
"Dr. Van Sickle's recommendations,
made after q comprehensive and in
telligent investigation of the condi-
tions, were duly reported to the spe-
cial committee and the citizens COM
mittee, and were, for the most part, If
not entirely, unanimously approved
/ by those committees. The Board then
set to work to plan for raising the
funds required for the needed addi-
tions and Improvements to the school
plant, and requested authority to bor
row $1,250,000, the amount recon-
mended by the citizens committee.
subsequently, the board unani-
mously requested the citizens COM
mittee to continue to act in conjunc-
ton with the board in the selection
of sites, selection of an architect,
adoption of plans and awarding of
contracts for the new buildings
Previous to this time, at a meeting
of the high school committee, two
members of the citizens committee
were appointed to take up the work of
promoting the campaign for the loan.
Upon their suggestion, the Chamber
of Commerce appointed the following
campaign committee: j. Horace Nc
ri II
con, j. Austin Brandt, William Jen-
nings, Herman p. Miller, Frank c.
Sites, John f, Sweeney, A. c. Stamm,
j. William Bowman.
All Worked For Passage of Loan
Conscious of the importance to
the city's progress of carrying out the
proposed program, the campaign COM
mittee diligently worked for the pas
sage of the loan. The Rotary Club,
the Municipal League and the Civic
Club all united with the Chamber of
Commerce, under the committees di-
rection, in calling the attention of the
public to the proposed improvements
and to the great benefit to the people
which would result to them if author
lied; and the Chamber of Commerce
contributed literally toward the finan-
cial cost of carrying on this work.
The result of all these efforts was that
the same public, which, a few years
before, had refused permission to bor-
row a much smaller sum for a similar
object, now approved the largest loan
ever authorized by the city for any
single purpose. This approval was
due, in q controlling degree, to assur-
ances given by the campaign commit
tee, through the organizations attili-
ated with it in the conduct of the
campaign, that, if the loan were au-
thoriZed, merit alone should be the
basis upon which the work would be
conducted, without reference to per-
sonal or political influence whatever.
Wide Inquiry
"The loan having been approved,
the board next directed its attention to
the selection of an architect or archi-
tects, under whose plans and supervi-
sion the improvements should be
made. All of the local architects and
nine nonresident architects were in
vited to enter the competition, by
which the rules of the board required
an architect to be selected. Seven of
the local architects and six of the
nonresidents, invited to appear, ac-
cepted the invitation. These were fur
nished with a program, approved by
the members of the board and of the
citizens committee, which requested
the competitors to meet with the
board and present such data as they
might see fit, bearing upon
"1-Their professional training;
'2-Their professional experience,
including the magnitude and extent of
their work;
"'3-Their knowledge of school
construction problems and of school
administration problems as they re-
late to construction problems;
"'4-Their idea as to the solution
of the particular problem this board
has in hand in the construction of an
intermediate school building, with the
estimated cost of the building without
equipment
THE program also stated that,
while this was not to be q competition
of plans, competitors were invited, If
they saw fit, to present, also, such
sketches and other data that might
give the members of the board some
idea as to how competitors would
deal with the problem at hand.
-Four different afternoons were de-
voted by the joint committee to in
terviewS with architects entering into
the competition, no architect appear
ing more than once. The members of
both the board and of the citizens
committee were faithful in their at
tendance. and gave close and intelli-
gent attention to the expressions of
the respective candidates in answer
to the program and to the questions
addressed to them by the committee.
Recommend w. B. Ittner
After all of the candidates had
been heard, the joint committee ap-
pointed "A subcOm mmittee to considar.