Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-01-07
WEDN ESDAY.
THOSE SCHOOL BONDS.

For the information of taxpayers
who will vote on the proposed school
bond issue OF $425, 900, in the election
called for January a. the Journal
has made an analysis of the grade
school enrolment of Albuquerque dur
ing the month of December last. 1t
shows a condition of overcrowding in
our schools which demands correction
as speedily as possible. This is by
building more school buildings or an
larging the present ones, or both.
There is only one way open to the
city to provide funds for these neces-
sary buildings. That is by a bond is
sue.
For this reason the case in favor of
the $4,000 school bond issue seems
TO the Journal to be complete and UNI
assailable on any reasonable ground.
That Albuquerque will refuse to take
proper care of its children of school
age is unthinkable. With the facts
fully before them the Journal believes
that every taxpayer in Albuquerque
viii vote for this bond issue. The en-
tire amount proposed may not be re-
CURED in providing teaching rooms
for the present enrolment but the
rate of growth in the city school en-
rollment is so rapid that every inch
of the increased space proposed will
be required within one to three years,
and 1t Is obviously the wise course to
provide all of the room likely to be
required within a reasonable period
in Il single building operation. Many
important economies can be effected
in building all of the buildings and
doing all of the remodeling and en-
larging of buildings at the same time.
In December our grade school
rooms had an average of forty-nine
pupils to the room. This average is
seventeen more than can be cared for
BEAUTIFULLY or taught efficiently in al
single room 1t is not alone the eX-
cess of seventeen that suffer; al
though even that would be intolera-
BILE: But it is the whole enrolment
of our children of tender years who
suffer by this overcrowding. 1t SIM
ply must be remedied and there isl
only one way to do the job That way
is to vote this $425,000 bond issue.
Let us make it unanimous.
Even if this proposed bond issue
should mean a material increase in
our city tax rate, it would still be ourl
our duty TO vote the bonds and pro-
vide these necessary buildings. Butt
the interest and sinking fund re-
quirements of the bond issue will not
materially increase taxation. A levy
of / 1-2 mills will take care of the
interest requirements on the basis of
the present assessed valuation of the
city 1t is to be questioned if such an
increase in The levy will ever be re-
quired, because it is more than prob !
able that the normal increase in prop |
erty valuations will take care of these
new bond issue charges.
There is another phase of the mat |
ter worthy of consideration. The
$4,000 produced by this bond issue
will in the main go directly into circu-
Sation in Albuquerque. 1t will be paid
out to contractors, sub-contractors, !
workmen in the building trades and
material dealers. IT will stay at home
and will be reinvested here, making
for a further increase in property val
nations and adding to our growth. In
other words, this $425.0OO of school
building money which we propose TO
borrow, will stay here and work to
help pay off the bonds when they be-
come due.
it will be proud day for Albuquer-
que when we can open the fine new
public school equipment proposed. 1t
would he a sad day for Albuquerque
if, in the face of the pressing neces-
sity, we should fail to provide the
equipment. 49,.