Norwich bulletin., 1919-10-10
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Junior High School Should Wait.

1 The Junior High School Should Wait Mir Editor: Hundreds of people in Norwich are trying to make both ends meet in their living who have not. had their wages increased since the wal started and that makes them strug gle for existence on a dollar worth about 10 cents in the marts of trade Students Of political economy claim that the only way to reduce the high
 cost of living. and that is the goal of all the people who pay taxes and those who do not, is to eeonomize. And it would seem as though good way to begin is to keep down the tax rate of the town and not allow ourselves to buy what we cannot afford or to try out any new fads that may be a de- triment and a great expense in the near future and that we may be left to work out ourselves after the advo- cates have gone to another and bet ter field.
 All who want to see this town keep up with the times know that the rate of taxation must be kept down. for it is twice as high as 1t was a dozen years ago. and the people are not getting as much for their money.
 If the tax asked by the selectmen and the school board is voted and the money for the Otis Library. the s17,- 800 for the Free Academy, and money for the Yantic bumper and for more light at Bean Hill in the streets, and more light is what we all need just at
 
 of at least IS mills voted which will make a total tax in Norwich of about B mills. I think that would be the hiAh water mark for any city in New England.
 Thus it would look as though it is a good time to refrain from going in to the building business with the building rates looked upon as pro- of New York. It would seem to be a good time to defer the building of a junior high school until we get back to the level of 8 hundred cent dol lar, when it might he possible to build would add at least 4 mills to the tax rate and then we would have the rate of a western mining town No one will be harmed if the project Is post poned until we get the war matters adjusted.
 High taxes may not do harm to people who have good salaries, but to the wage earner the paying of taxes Is something of a burden.
 It is hard to discuss this Junior high school matter as there is so little that is of a poitive nature to be gained from those who even claim to be up in the matter. It is said there are none in this state. and Hartford. the richest city in New England, gets along with it's old school districts and no junior high school The superin- tendent of the school in a big city says such school should be only To- cated where the children could go to dinner, and the school is still in an experimental stage. From another state educator comes the word that there is no recognized definition of a junior high school
 A prominent superintendent in this state says a junior high school is not necessary.
 The fact that the taxpayers of this highly taxed town cannot afford to try out 8 junior high school ought to set tie the matter and many people can not see why the new style of school will not harm the Free Academy. and it's introduction might cause the peo- pie to shift the aid from the Free Academy to the junior high school
 It seems strange that though the matter has not been voted upon we see plans of the building inside and out and if this is so what has become of the doctrine of the open covenant openly arrived at or keeping the world safe for dem
 A CITIZEN.