Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-09-22
Do Taxpsyers Of Augusta
Endorse at this Time Burden
Of New High School Building!


u Question Asked BY "A Tax Payer"
-f5s cails Attention e Present
Tax Rats and eayss sDsfeee Build.
ing, Let us Halt and See II We Can
Afford IL"
From an article appearing In the Ken
nebec Journal under date Of September
y II appears that the Augusta Board Of
Education have under consideration
quite an extensive building program
which IL carried through. means the ex-
penditure OF . large amount Of money
in addition to the $4,000 voted last May
by the citizens for grade building 1t
Capitol Park ON Union street. Invest
CATION by the writer indicates that thu
Board Of Education instead Of carrying
out the program which they them
selves presented at the May meeting
and which the voters directed. they
should follow, have switched on on 4
proposition to erect q new HIGH
SCHOOL building costing much more
than the original program. and tn or
der to obtain the desired amount Of
money are intending TO ask the voterS
for authority to divert the $4,000 appro-
priated for grade building. TO this pro-
posed high school project. and for the
balance. ask for subscriptions plus an
additional bond issue. What has
brought about this change Of program?
Where do conditions differ from last
year? II the writer 10 correctly in
formed. the Board last year anticipated
a congestion in the school buildings on
the west side of the river. based upon
the increased attendance, and predict.
| ed that IL would become necessary this
year TO secure one or two rooms outsid .
| Of the school buildings to care for the
| overflow. Just before the May meeting
| il appears that the figures indicated
| less congestion than was at first feared
and that additional rooms would not be
required this year but in view Of the
probable needs by the time new build
| ing could be finished, 1t was the unani-
NOUS vote Of those present At the
Board meeting that the citizens should
be asked at the May meeting for 2
grammar school building for Capitol
Park. which was accordingly done an i
the appropriation was granted At 4
subsequent meeting Of the board. ar
chitects were employed by the board 70
proceed with plans for a building and
a committee was chosen to proceed with
the work. 1t further appears tina.
sometime later the board discussed tn.
proposition of building a high school
on the Capitol Park property. instead
OF the building asked for and granted
! by the citizens. On September sth in
accordance with the time advertised,
bids from contractors for the grade
building were opened and found to be
too high for the money available. ye.
il is understood that no attempt was
! made to revise them or to make tn.
necessary changes to bring the build
ng with n the Appropriation but that Il.
was voted to reject all bids and to defe-
any further action regarding the BULL
ing. On the nth Of Septe mber. how
ever. az a meeting Of the board. it was
voted to endorse the Junior High school
form OF organization (Which in itsel;
calls for more expensive building pro-
gram and 1t was decided to proceed to
! endeayor to arouse public sentiment in
favor Of new building on or near the
| cony High school grounds. and to have
publ shed in the Kennebec Journal, the
article which appeared on the morning
, OF the 10Th. The writer understands
that there 10 q congestion at Cony
High which necessitates occupancy
Of rooms by the students whic,
are not as convenient as could be
| desired, yet he also understands
that it viii! not be necessary to
secure rooms outside Of the building
;his1 year either for the overflow from,
Cony Or from any overflow from tn.
buildings on the West side of the river
Another year may witness a further
congestion in either case or there MAJ
be as appears TO be the case on the ives,
side a slight relief from what was an.
ticipated.
Augusta tax payers are laborins
un<er very heavy rate t55 miils) with
little or no probability Of a lower rat.
In the near future. and while the write:
. ID staunch supporter Of the public
schools 1t seems from opinions recent,
expressed that the people will protes
e against the expenditure Of more none,
. than has been authorized for schoo
r buildings until An absolute need can b,
> Shown. The board may be and doubt
Il less are honest in their belief that .
Y Junior High school and another buildin,
4 Is necessity but before making an,
Y radical departure from our present pro
gram involving an additional expendi
ture Of money even though the chang
3 may possess considerable merit, let u
2 halt and see whether we can afford II
It 10 understood that the Board Of Edu
: cation hope to obtain from generou
citizens a part of the amount desire
3 for the change now advocated by them
yet In all probability with a program
which would no doubt call for upward
Of $4,000. beside the cost Of additions
land should that be required, 1t woul
appear that the taxpayers would b
called upon for quite a stable amour,
There 10 little likelihood Of the boar
attempting such change until tn
, citizens at the annual meeting mex
!. May have an opportunity to pass upo
: 1t. at least 1t impresses the writer tina
any change In our school program at
!. fscting 80 many homes in QUO cit,
|. should properly be submitted 70 tn
: people and with the facts laid befor
them we can trust the voters to rende
safe and sensible verdict.
! A TAXPAYER.
\ Augusta, Sept. %. 1918.
/. Superior Court
9 After brief session Saturday the su
= perior court adjourned about noon Z