The Belding banner-news., 1920-03-10
WHAT OTHERS HAVE 10 SAY
Gives school Boards View

Editor Banner-News.
There seems to be some mis-under-
standing and again some deliberate
falsehoods in regard to the special
meeting Of School district No. 8 held
last Thursday night. As Sec'y Of
the School Board may be able to
verify the facts.
At the beginning let me say there
Is one thing certain in this world
we cannot all think alike, and il is
q good thing. A discussion Of diff
ferences of opinion brings out the
best Of both sides and the result is
a mutual benefit for all concerned.
That Is the way this school PROPOSE
ton will work out If we all keep our
shirts on.
Regardless of the fact that the
Board now stands publicly accused of
crookedness, we are still on the Job
trying to do the work we were elect
ed to do, namely; looking after the
welfare of the schools. Possibility it
has not occurred to the people that
we too. are taxpayers and as such
must help foot the bill.
Personally l respect any mans
opinion if it is his own and has even
OtlC lex W Otdiiu VII. Dut Il NAVE DO
charity for a man or woman who de-
liberately makes false statements to
bolster up their argument. / refer
to the statement made to members
of the Board of Education and also
broadcast for effect, that the special
meeting of the Taxpayers of this dis
trict called for Thursday night, Feb
ruary 26 was illegal as notices had
- okn e. A.
is absolutely false. Every step
leading up to the meeting was prop
erly taken, blanks being furnished by
the State Department of Public In
struction, all properly filled out and
sworn to. Anyone can see these pa
pers in my Office.
The notices for the meeting were
posted on Feb. II on all the school
houses and in four other conspicu>
Gus places as required by law. Only
ten days notice is actually required
The statement was also made that
no public meetings had been held.
This is also false. At several differ
ent times the Board tried to get our
people out for meetings at the school
house, through the medium of hand
bills, newspaper notices, typewriter
notices carried home by school chill
dren, everything but personal en-
graved invitations. All were asked
to express themselves freely which
they did and about the same people
came to each meeting. Making use
of such opinions given there and TAX
ing into consideration the actual ne
cessities of the present and the mis-
takes of the past, the Board decided
the two ward school buildings was
the only solution that would relieve
the crowded conditions at Central,
rather than build one building and
throw away few thousand dollars
more of the taxpayers money trying
to patch up the old traps we have.
The motion made by Mr.. Barker
was entirely proper but whether or
not it was legal to present this after
voting had actually commenced, or
whether it was legal to adjourn with
out giving all the voters chance to
express themselves. is question
soon answered when we try to sell
the bonds.
However the real point at issue is
this: Do we need one or two new
school buildings? Can Belding af-
ford TO destroy the efficiency of its
educational reputation by forcing its
children to attend school in the two
dilapidated rotten buildings now in
use in the End and 3rd wards just
because they still have four walls and
roof? Can Belding afford to take
a chance on the health of the next
generation of citizens by using build
ings that are rich breeding places
for consumption, bad eyes, diseased
throats and kindred ailments? Some
of these self inflicted guardians Of
the school finances never had any
children, others children have passed
through and yet it is hard for me
to understand how any real man can
put the dollar sign before humanity.
IL they want garage for their auto
mobile or a barn for their blooded
hogs or cattle no expense is spared
clear down to the last detail, but ask
them to vote for decent surroundings
for the little children of Belding and
Immediately they wear the dollar
sign for eyeglasses. Is not this lit
orally so? Look around you and see
the monuments built cheaply to meet
immediate needs, already fairly fall
ing down on our childrens heads, no
not monuments but plague to haunt
us for our "deep and dying" interest
in our school system. And for all
the thousands of dollars spent we
have just one school building which
is a c,-adif ht1t oplv cva half Ioxg