Gunnison news-champion., 1920-04-30
TIE HIGH SCHOOL KoND
PROPOSITION. EVERYBODY
PROFITS, NOBODY Is HURT
By j s Eens

favor the proposition will probably be
j respOnsible.
!. II every taxpayer can be put in
20 possession OF all the facts, there
vii DC but few votes against IL Mr..
Ia1payer, read or read again shai
/ President Qulgley had TO say in lzs;
,. GreE.s papers, and Wit rEs High
school Committee had 70 say IN the
p-psEs The prec siilS week Iea-oL-
ally, / believe | have never noticed
any community project-Liberty Loan
Dnge, the proposed installation of
sewers, or any other public movement,
20 adequately and fairly discussed as
this High School Bond question was
discussed in these articles
' II every taxpayer, knowing all the
facts, wlll vote without prejudice his
own honest sentiments, the vote viii
hardly fail TO be unanimous. OF
course, every voter OF public spirit
will be influenced by the public good
IN his voting: and this il a question
Of public good. Yet il happens that
this question Of the highest public in
tercst Is also a question Of genuine
private interest 20 every taxpayer.
/ For the small increase Of IS cents i
thousand on his taxes will undoubted-
operation in the training of his own
or neighbors child on and in the in
tluenoe on neighborhood life is beyond
computation. Ignorance costs more
than education.
,. Let every taxpayer make this,
for moment, a private matter. and
see how Il looks. II in private cap
acIty a. rancher or business man, you
had to deal with . similar PROPOSE
0 lion-a proposition involving, II il be
possible. equally high and sacred in
terests, urged on you by the same
Tremendous imperativeness, and put
within your power by the same abun-
dant resources, what would you do -?
You would not hesitate moment
You would move to the task with the
settled conviction and earnestness
which ranchcr cuts field of hay,
or that man exhibits in securing
himself an Indispensable house. Yet
no one OF Us is the citizen he ought
to be until he is ready 10 attend to
affairs of community interest with the
same care and spirit that he devoted
TO private matters. II you believe
this is good thing, put yourself
about to see il triumph.
3. ! do not see what is to be said
against the proposition. The three
main points, namely. the absolute
need OF the building, the tremendous
urgency for il, and the overwhelming
ability of this rich county to provide
il, seem to be generally granted.
About the location whether in con-
junction with the Normal or apart,
there was formerly room for an
honest difference of opinion. But
that day has passed The site has
been decided and eXcavated to the
satisfaction, | believe. of every one
who understands the contribution
which the Normal makes to the edu-
, cation of High School pupils. At any
/, rate, il is too late to interpose objec-
tons to that feature of the matter.
and it will pay none of US to sulk
about details. In America, the
minority must yield to the majority,
and the minority does it best when il
year shall bring reduction in the
cost of building, it will also bring a
reduction in the cost of food-stuffs
and clothing. But we can't eat now
or wear clothes now, if the food and
the clothes have no more substance
than the hopeful promise Of another
year. Gunnison needs High School
building NOW. II needs the building
| like hungry man needs food, like
q naked man needs clothes. II is
really singular circumstance that a
great rich county like Gunnison, with
q valuation of over sixteen million
dollars has no High School building.
does it generously.
| The plea to defer may be made, for
it can always be made in such mat
ters. But it can never be made with
less force than in this case. The i'm
mediate urgency for this building is
| tremendous. The County High School
occupies a state building. II it were
4 excluded, the embarrassment would be
extreme in every way. Perhaps no
other building could be secured with
out great loss of time to the students
next year. Yet if another building
could be secured, the cost and disad-
vantage would make the move an ex-
|travagent blunder. On the other
hand, suppose the state continues its
present arrangement-the embarras-
ment is scarcely less. The facilities
are not adequate. The High Scohol
Is pretty much in the position of those
who crowd in upon a home which is
not adequate for the proper inmates.
4 Will another year or two more years
bring a reduction in the cost of build
ing? Nobody can promise that with
authority. But if that reduction
should seem certain, it is really ir-
relevant to the question. If next
Let US promptly make good our lack.
Gunnison County is going to do it
know how the county responds when
. big unselfish proposition is put up
to it. / saw the county come thru
again and again, when the War Drives
were on US. I saw Crested Butte vie
with Gunnison for the honor of ag-
igregate subscription and Gunnison
city was by. no means limping along
on one cylinder. saw Somerset,
Pitkin, Ohio City. lola and every
other town in the county cover them
/ x..or.a not hohind 0h;< E.ool. L. IL.