The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1919-04-10

III is 10 he hoped that the board Of education will
find 10 practical "a proceed immediately with the
pubic school building program that has been
held IN suspension for two wears. All departments
of the national government, Including the treasury
department. are encouraging Immediate resumption
VI pablc building prolests AZ tho snrest way TO a re-
turn 20 normal industrial conditions. Our ahlest
students OF finance and industrial problems and
conditions urge that course The immediate effect
Of resumption If public building projects here will
be 10 lead the way for numerous private enterprises,
now held in suspension BY mistaken estimates of
construction costs and conditions present and in the
immediate future.
Locally, however. we have a more urgent reason
for proceeding with this particular public enter.
prise. Oar present city school plant has been ouf
grown. We thought when we built the new high
school that our building problem had been cared
for. AZ least for % number OF wears. We under.
estimated the rate Of Albuquerque growth. An
who are familiar with today condition know that
our school buildings are over-crowded and thar the
new building ~ needed impcrativcly n we are to in.
sure hcalthftl school room conditions and Z we
are to maintain our present standards of school IT.
ficicncy.
II any reasonable prospect existed for lower
building cosis we might afford b. wait q wear for
a new school building campaign. The wisdom Of
mat course would he open Ia serious q%urstiun IN
view III considerations Of schonl efficiency and
school health. Where there IL no possible prospect
OF any early reduction Of building costs the ubvious
course seems 10 he 10 90 ahead aud to go ahead
now.
There n a mistaken impression M 10 the extent
q which building casts have increased. That mis-.
taken impression has done aud II il still dome untold
damage IA holding back development. progress. ~
construction. grnwth. normal onditiuns-whafrver
one chooscs 10 term IL. Increase in building COSTS
IN thus country began IN 1905. Thereafter advance,
we're steady az from ) "a n per cent each wear. n
we compare todnys lmilding cssts with those Of
1918, We will find that we can charge 10 the war
and the war new price levels nm Increase in hnld.
ing costs Of not 10 exceed 10 per cent over and
above what would have been the normal inrr,gsc in
six years.
There wiz be no material reduction from ioiav's
hnhning costs Tor years To come To-day cost levels
are NOT wholly the produrt ~ wartime emergencies
ana readJusimenis. They are the product OF "A slow
growth that set IN fifteen wears ago. lrreuinbIe
statistics prove H. II we fold oar hands. CLOSE our
packets aud wait for lower huilding costs before we
move onward we viii presently decay.
The Albuquerque city school equipment mu.t be
Kept abreast and q little ahead of the city growth.
We can II We viii. turn down desirable people who
wish 10 ltv" here and VIII" cannot for lack of homes.
nat we cannct afford H. turn down the necessity of
our chiidren for comfortable. henlfhfnl. wholly ado.
qha'e school room equipment. If we must vote
more bonds so provide thai equipment. let us vote
more bonds aud move onward.