The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-04-15
Afford High School Building?

CAN GONWlSON COONtH
Afford High School Building?
Since the proposition of bonding
the County in the amount of 100000
is to be submitted to the people at
the school election on May Sd, it is
only fair that all the people should be
given the entire history and status
of the whole question of the proposed
building for high-school purposes.
We thought, that this matter had
been settled; we voted $4,000 in 1918.
Why was it rot put into a building!
Where is TINT money now, anyway?
Wasn't that money enough? If it was
enough in 1918, why not now?
1t is true that in the spring of 1918
the High School Committee submitted
to the people the question of mourning
bonded indebtedness of $4,000 for
the construction of a separate high
school building. The proposition at
that time carried by large majority.
The six per cent bonds had previously
been sold at one per cent. above par,
subject to the approval of the voters.
This yielded $780, 800 which with &C.
crued interest now amounts to $685.
5OO.05 and more, only small part OF
which has been expended in initiating
the building. A large portion OF this
money was invested in short time GER
tificates of the United States Govern
ment, and drew interest until March
| 16, 1920, at AZ per cent. Some OF
the money is now in the banks draw
ing interest until used.
I The war being at its height in the
spring of 1918, all construction for
peace purposes was discontinued and
not again resumed until the spring of
1918. All estimates for the construc-
tion of the county high school build
ing had been based upon costs as
they were before the spring of 1918.
The High School Committee very nat
urally assumed that after tho coming
of peace, prices on building materials
and labor would go down instead OF
up. They were therefore quite as
much surprised as all the rest Of the
world to discover that the facts were
just the opposite began to
soar in the month of November, 1918,
and they are going up daily by leaps
and bounds.
Therefore, when the County High
School Board advertised for bids In
the spring of 1919. although they pub
lished for them in Denver, Pueblo.
and Colorado Springs, they received
only one bid, and that on the general
work Of the main building mot in
Guiding plumbing, heat and lighting).
This bid was in the astonishing sum
of $1O7, 900, for the completion of the
general work on the building that
could have been done for $4,000 be-
| fore the war.
Because the Committee had only
little over $4,000, it decided to let
the contract for simply the basement
of the proposed building and the
walls of the ground floor with tenn
porary roof that might be removed
later il ever the people wished to
complete the building. (The letting
of this contract released the contract
ors from their bid on the work for
the entire building). This much OF .
structure was to cost $5O,O2I, ana
only the basement was to be ready
for use. Obviously such q building
would only to q very limited extent
relieve the crowded condition OF the
schools and 1t would not give tho
high school students the facilities and
advantages that young people IN
these days are demanding; nor would
IL afford the preparation that the
times are demanding of the young
people.
during the winter just past, to try to
find out how much it would cost to
complete the proposed high school
building and make 1t usable through
out. (Remember that tho earlier bid
had been for general work only.
They discovered right away that now
no contractor can be found who VIII
take a lob ON any but a cost plus 1919
basis. There is such uncertainty about
the cost of the material and labor
that contractors everywhere have quit
taking contracts on the old basis.
Although 1t is Impossible to keep
up with the shifting prices. the ar
chitects employed by the Committee
estimate that on the cost-plus basis,
the building might be completed for
something within one hundred thou
sand dollars addition to the first $780,
900. This additional bond issue
would give total of over $l50,00O,
which would very probably enable the
County to build and equip high
school plant that would meet all de-
mands for many years to come. Of
course. the High School Committee
is not bound bv any agreement with
the builders to let the job on the cost
plus-ten-per-cent basis; but it can do
so if the people approve.
Should the people permit it? Well.
in the first place. it does not now look
as though building would ever again
be as cheap as before the war. The
longer we wait, the higher things go.
Other localities are going right on
with their preparation for educating
their young people. Are the Gunni-
son County boys and girls Of this
generation and the next twenty-five
years worth as much to the State and
nation and to themselves as the boys
and girls of other localities? Delta
is putting up new high school
building larger and moro costly than
our proposed building-and it is not a