Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-12-27
Il + 4 x X = x *** ** x !
Open Forum
OF THE COMMITTEE ON
PUBLIC INFORMATION
The Holman Property

property at this time9
! Answer: The Holman property ad
joins the high school grounds immedi
ately on the south on High street anC
is piece of property that rightly be
longs to the high school. In the opinion
of the school board it was better tC
pick this property up while it could be
had at reasonable figure, rather than
to have to institute condemnation pro
leeedings sometime in the future and
Ipay a much higher price. This has been
the policy of the school boarti for years
Question: Was the price rightP
Answer: Yes, the price paid for the
Holman property was $3250. This prop
erty is assessed at $3400, which ae-
cording to the assessor is only 6S per
cent of its real value, making the real
value of this property 5000. Other
school boards in the past have attempt
ed to buy this property and have new
er received such a favorable quotati tion.
Question: What is the school board
doing with it
Answer: At present it is being remod-
elled by the boys of the carpentry
class under the direction of Earl w.
Heckart, practical carpenter and con-
tractor, at cost to the district which
| is very small. In fact, it will cost no
more to remodel this building under
this plan than it cost to run the man
ual training department under the old
plan 1t is fact also that no additional
teachers are needed in the teaching
force to carry on this work.
Question: To what use does the school
board propose to put the Holman prop
ertya
Answer. 1t will be used as domes-
tic science house for the purpose Of
giving practical instruction to the girls
in home economics. The work will be
actual housekeeping. In order to COM
|ply with the demands of the Smith
Hughes act, the school board had to.
have house for this purpose and it
seemed that now was an opportune
time to make use of conditions in or
der to make this project work ouJ.
Question: Us the appropriation from
the government permanent9
Answer: Yes. Salem will receive her
allotment this year and the appropri-
ations are made for a number of years
to come. 1t is a settled policy of the
government.
Question: What sort of financial
proposition is connected with the pur
chase of the Holman property9
Answer. The school board will re-
ceive subsidy from the government
of $1,000 per year on account or she
two teachers that are employed for
that work. Let it be understood that
these are not additional teachers to
the high school faculty. Besides, there
will be an income from the house Of
at least $780, making a total income
per year on this property OF $500. 1t
will be readily seen that it will pay it
self out in practically two years
namely, this year and next.
Question: When were the teachers
salaries raised!
Answer: The salary schedule for
teachers and the election of the teach
ers who were to remain in the school
system occurred last April. The amount
Of the raise to the teachers at that
time was none too large and most of
the raise was granted to those teachers
who were getting the lowest salaries.
Question: Why did the school board
raise their salaries9
Answer: The school board raised the
salaries in order to be able to COM
pete with other school systems and
with other professions in the matter
Of holding their teachers and of obtain
ing suitable new ones to fill the va
cancies. This has proved to be a very
difficult matter with the school BOARD
this year and even with the increased
salary wage it was difficult to get
teachers. The salary raise was justl-
fled.
Question; Is there any prospect of
there being cheaper living conditions
soon9
Answer: Such Il condition in the
United States does not seem to be I'M
mediate. Merchandise is still high and
in. some lines in which reduction was
expected there is no decrease in sight.
Question. Win the returning of the
soldiers and the decrease of needed
assistance to the government better
tho teaching situationa
Answer: There is no immediate pros
peet of there being y Dvtter condition
in regard to hiring teachers this year.
Respectfully submitted,
By the Committee on Information.
MILTON MEYERS,
JOHN ROBERTS,
w. NJ PLIMPTON,
WALTER JENKS,
JOSEPH ALBERT,
BEN +. WEST,
FIRED TIIIELSEN,
THEODORE ROTH,
WILLIAM TRINDLE,
III. H. OLINGER.