Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1921-04-07
COUNCIL HAS
LIVE SESSION
PETITION TO FILL PLOT ON
BRIDGE STREET is
GRANTED

A warm discussion arising over the
proposed improvements to the play
ground at the Franklin school proyid-
ed the highlights for a rather stormy
three hour session of the city council
last Tuesday evening. The playground
mater brought up arguments involv-
ing the respective positions of the
board of education and the council on
Bill No. 147 S. of the Wisconsin legis-
lature giving the board power to fix
the school budget.
Present Petition
A petition signed by 1105 citizens
was presented to the council asking
that body to take action to change the
present conditions that obtain at the
school. After the reading of the petit
ton Ed Biwer spoke for a few mo-
ments on behalf of the signers. He
called attention to the fact that for
nine years the playground has been
dumping place for all kinds of rubbish
and is at present full of unsightly
holes and covered with tin cans, glass
and other dangerous junk Bridge
street in front Of the school, is not
| paved is at most times muddy
street. and as it must be crossed by
the children to reach the playground,
| their clothes suffer accordingly.
The apparent sentiment of the coun-
Gil and of the audience, was that the
matter should have prompt attention.
motion was made to suspend the
rules and take immediate action but
before the question was put, de-
bate started. Alderman Zielsdorf
asked whether the city or the board of
education had just jurisdiction over
the piece OF property in question, and
stated that in his opinion this was a
matter in which the board should as
sumo responsibility, but as the matter
was serious, the council should act.
Accused Of Laxity
Alderman BorowitZ accused the
board Of education and more particu-
larly the superintendent, of laxity in
this and similar matters and thus
started the discussion which swung
around to the educational bill separat-
ing the board from the council in the
matter of fixing the school budget.
After considerable debate, Alderman
Gearhart obtained the floor and
brought the talk back to the Franklin
school matter
Supt S. b. Tobey explained that he
had approached the mayor and the
street commissioner in the matter of
using the street sweepings TO fill the
ground, and that little had been ac-
Complished as yet. He said that the
condition of the lot had been long rea-
LIKED by the board. and it had been
brought to the attention of each sue
ceeding mayor and street commission
en- and each had been asked for as
sistance. He proposed now to ask
the street commissioner to haul the
street sweepings t. the place till it is
lilled up, and also, on the Bridge street
matter, that the street be closed to
traffic in front of the school. Upon
Eeing asked whether this should be
during school hours only. he said this
would be well if ii could be so ar
ranged. but that this was doubtful
Some discussion ensued as to the
cost of the Improvement but no definite |
statement was made. b. &. GOwen. |
city engineer stated that about 10000 |
cubic yards Of material would be ne
cessary to fill the place an even level. |
/, did not appear to be clear to what |
extent the filling was to be carried out, |
but certainly not to the eXent thus |
menSOed which $ OF at all necessary. |
\ mo ion instructtng the board of pub |
lie works to have he ground filled as |
soon as possible. was finally carriey |
by unanimous vote
Interruptions
During the discussion that Interrupt |
ted the Franklin school question, Supt |
'obey was asked ii the action of the |
council al any time on any appropri- |
ations for school purposes was harm |
IN varying amounts fourteen times,
ng the school situation through cut |
ding appropriations. Whereupon Mr.. |
Tobey read a list of the appropriations |
asked for aud received by the board |
during the past sixteen years. In tina,
lime the board had had the budget cut |
and in his opinion the lack of funds |
and consequent necessity for econo- |
MIXING, was doing very considerable |
harm He said thai the board is los
ing fifty seven teachers this year due |
to the fact that other cities could pay |
more. The cost and difficulty of |
hreaking-in such n large number of !
teachers almost every year was work !
ing hardship ON the schools. The |
board should be able 10 pay large |
enough salaries TO get competent
teachers. was his statement
\ petition was presented To the
council by the women of the city, ask
ing for n strict enforcement of all or
dinances that will make the city clean
and safe for the girls and young wo-
men. The petition was signed by $50
women, no mems names appearing.
/ Mrs G. G. Kruger addressed the
4 meeting, explaining the origin of the
petition and stating that 1t has the
earnest support OF all the womeu's or
\ ganizatious III the city the Ladies' Lit
erary society, the Aid societies of all
the churches, the Business Women's
club and the parent-Teaeher associa-
ton.
The petition asked particularly for
the appointment of two pOlicewomen
to assist the regular police force
Miss Alma Blandin, OF the local Y. W.
G, A.. explained the work of the TRAY
elers' Aid and offered the full re-
sources of the Y. W. c. A. to assist
the policewomen should they be APP