Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-07-07
ADMIT
NEED'OF MORE
HOUSING ROOM
Arguments Present.. at Hear.
ing and Inspections Con-
vince Board.
OTHER QUESTIONS RISE

OIHER W ES SIIONS RISE
The necessity Of addit-ona hous-
ing facilities for school children in
Indianapolis was admitted freely as
the close OF a hearing last night
before the State Board of Tax Com
missioners on the remonstrance of
ten members of the Taxpayers
League Of Indiana against the pro-
posed issue Of $S47COO bonds to
carry out the erection of four new
buildings.
Facts submitted at the hearing by
the board of school commissioners showed
the absolute need of the new structures,
and while a decision was withheld pend
ing a further hearing next Tuesday aft
ernoon, it was apparent that the argu-
ments presented, together with a per-
sonal inspection Of the Luildings in
question, had made a favorable impress
sion upon the tax board.
OTHER QUESTIONS
THAT STAND OUT.
Questions aside from the apparently
q
solutely necessary to continued educa-
tional progress in indianapolis, which
steed out in the hearing are these:
Are the finances of the school city
of indianapolis being extrayagantly
expendedi
Are the Snider & ROtz and Snider
contracts advisable and based on
sound business principles?
Does the school city of Indianapo-
lis get full value for the money it
spends on new buildings?
WILL OPEN BIDS
AND DEFER ACTION.
Bids for the bonds on which approval
is being held up have been advertised for
. o'clock this afternoon. Officials of the
school board said last night after the
hearing that the bids will be opened, but
no action can be taken regarding their
acceptance pending a decision Of the State
board Of tax commissioners. In the mean
time any bidder has a right to withdraw
his bid
Immediately after the hearing opened
Frederick E. Matson, attorney for the
board Of school commissioners arose and
made the proposal that if the tax board
would approve the bond issue at once the
school board would agree TO submit all
bids for the construction Of the four build
ings to the State board Of accents and the
State board Of tax commissioners and
would reject the bids unless they met
with the approval of the two State boards.
THE opposition has failed to introduce
any evidence as to the lack of necessity
of erecting these four buildings" Mr..
Matson said. II believe the tax board
feels that the buildings should be built.
However, If the board has any reluctance
2 hA ha
money will not be wisely expended, we
will agree that when bids are received
they Will be submitted to this board and
the State board of accounts and the con-
tracts will not be awarded without tho
approval of your boards"
REJECT OFFER TO
PASS ON CONTRACTS.
The offer was rejected on the grounds
that while it was fair in every way, the
tax board had no desire to arrogate 20
itself the functions of the school board.
William Hough, member OF the tax boatd,
also said that this would not meet the
question of excessive costs of the buildt
ings, as the taxpayers would be required
to pay interest on the entire bond issue
of SS4T 600.
Frederick A. Sims, one of the attorneys
for the remonstrants, and formerly q
member of the tax board then stated that
the remOnstrants were not trying to deny
that there is an urgent need for more
school buildings in Indianapolis, but said
that the remonstrance is based on two
contentious, first that buildings are cost
ing more than they should, second that IL
the school board follows out it's present
policy of building expensive buildings at
high costs it Will exhaust its resources in
the near future and will not be able to
take care of unhoused school children.
The very essence of the question is, how
much money is the city to have to take
care Of its children Mr.. Sine said The
real duty of the school board is to afford
education to the school children and NOT
to build palatial buildings The resources
are going at a rate that is startling ana
a deficit is in sight"
sNIDER CONTRACTS
UP FOR DISCUSSION.
Before the hearing was FIVE minutes
old the Snider & Rotz and Snider con-
tracts, both of which have been declared
illegal by the State board of accounts
and L, S. Lesh, attorney general of In
diana. came in for discussion and were
referred to many times during the eve
ming. 1t was very evident that members
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