Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-09-11
PURCHASING POWER OF DOLLAR
sHRiNks ~ PER CENT DUR.
ING STATE CONTROVERSY
FORT DODGE LOSES
$4,000 IN RETURNS
Quarrel over Site For New S65o,ooo
High School at Fort Dodge Delays
Letting Of Contract While Prices of
Material and Labor Go Soaring
Plans Modified and Changed.

Fort Dodge, Sept ll.-President {.
A. Helsell, of the school board, gave
the following signed statement for
publication:
"Mr. William Ittner, of st. Louis,
the architect with whom Messrs. Da-
mon and OMeara are associated in the
building Of the new high school, was
in Fort Dodge on Monday and Tues
day Of this week. School patrons may
be interested in learning OF his report
on the plans for the new school.
! when Mr.. Ittner was employed,
shortly after the bonds were voted, he
was informed OF the amount OF money
that would be available and returned
to st. Louis to prepare preliminary
sketches. These sketches he brought
with him and presented to the board
at meeting on Monday evening Of
this week.
J MIR. Ittner states that the money to
be realized from the sale of the bonds
has a purchasing value of not to ex-
coed so per cent of such value at the
time the bonds were sold. To state
the matter bluntly, the delay IN locat-
ing the high school and getting the
building started has resulted in the
loss to the school district Of Al per
cent Of s650.000, or 100000. This Is
not mere guess work or an opinion on
| tho part Of MIR. Ittner. He let con-
tract for the construction Of high
school buildings shortly before the
Fort Dodge bond election and has done
~ tNka l, r{v he,
| The average cost per cubic foot has
Increased from 16 cents to 80 cents.
! THE result Is this: 1t is necessary
to very materially cut down the plans
| for the building. It will be impossible
to construct high school that will ac-
| commodate 1900 pupils. A large part
| of two wings have been cut off, and
the entire building materially reduced.
! It may be necessary to eliminate one
! gymnasium and the swimming pool
| Twelve class rooms will have to be
abandoned and every economy prac-
ticed II It Is expected to construct the
building at present prices.
TT may not be out Of place to point
out that the appeal taken from the de-
cision Of the board was not taken until
after the expiration Of twenty-nine
days after the boards decision. In
other words, those taking the appeal to
the county superintendent waited until
the last possible moment to serve no
tice. After the decision Of the county
superintendent the appellants again
waited until the last day to serve no.
tice Of appeal. thus wasting another
thirty days, or sixty days in all. re-
sulting from the delay in serving
notices. The public can scarcely be
expected to believe that they are acting
in good faith when, as every one
knows, these notices Of appeal could
have been prepared in fifteen miutes
time and served within half an hour.
Those who object to the Lincoln site
have advanced the argument that it is
too costly. The delay which they have
willfully caused has resulted In a loss
to the school district in an amount ap-
proxinately twice the amount of the
Lincoln site. If a suitable site were
pectancy of seventy-hve more for the
the present time, the delay caused by
the appellants has resulted in loss
twice as large as the saving which
would result from obtaining a free
site.
There are at present 536 high school
students enrolled, with a probable ex-
pectancy of ceventy-fe more for the
second semester. This means more
than 500 pupils in a building equipped
for 800. It has become necessary for
the board to rent rooms In the Wah-
konsa annex building for its Offices
The Easements Of all the grade schools
are used for class rooms. Every room
in every school in the city, except one
room at the Hawley school on Round
Prairie, is full to capacity, and there
are fifty pupils in great many rooms
which were planned for thirty five"