Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-11
SCHOOLS TO BE
BUILT BY LEVY
OF DIRECT TAX
Commissioners Indicate Plan
to Meet Demand for
Buildings.
HIT CONTRACT LEGAL

HIT CONTRACT LEGAL
That the majority members Of the
board of school commissioners intend to
60 ahead with the building program for
new school buildings, regardless of the
limit of bonded indebtedness, was indi-
Gated at the regular meeting Of the
board last night by Bert s. Gadd, chair
man Of the committee on buildings and
grounds.
1--WE are going to go ahead until We
are stopped by legal procedure, MI
Gadd said to a committee Of citizens
from the vicinity Of Park avenue and
Seventeenth street that presented a Pc
tition with 800 signatures asking Tor
new building at School No. p. Before
the eEd Of July I intend to recommend
that an architect be selected for this
building. the expenses Of building the
school to be taken care Of by direct tax
alton"
This will mean that instead Of building
by the usual plan Of paying for con-
structfon out Of the school building BOND
fund. the amount will be included In the
budget of administrative expenses Tor
next wear and will be raised by taxation.
If this plan is carried out 1t viii neces-
state an increase Of school taxation
TEN MINUTES
OF EXCITEMENT.
Paul r Jordan. manufacturer
agent. was the cause Of ten minutes o.
excitement, during which Julia Belle
TutewiIer, president Of the board re-
peatedIy attempted to stop him from
speaking. and Clarence E. Crippin and
Mr.. Gadd insisted that the regular or
der of business be taken up. How
ever. he was not headed on until AFTER
he had made the statement that Jesse
Fschbach. chief examiner Of the state
board of accounts had said regarding a
statement supposed TO have been made
BY Mr.. Crippin to Ralph W. Douglas
business director, to the effect that Esch-
bach had told Mr.. Crippin that L. a
Snider was the best fitted man Tor the
position Of building advisor Of the board,
EIt's a damn lie and there is not word
Of truth in it."
Mr. Jordan attempted to question Mr..
Grimm as to his conversation with Mr..
Eschbach, but Mr.. Crippin insisted that
he was under no obligations to answer
any Of Jordan's questions about the mat
ter. although he was perfectly willing to
tell the conversation to any one VINO had
I right to know about 1t.
The matter Of the selection Of L. A.
Snider as building advisor OF the board
and of the firm of Snider & Rotz, OF
which he is a member, as engineers for
the board. has been a subject OF con-
troversy for several months, the State
board OF accounts insisting that Mr.. Sni-
der has no right TO act in the double
capacity.
HIT CONTRACT
HELD LEGAL.
The special committee appointed to in
made hy George C. Hit, formerly bust
ness director, and the school board OF
woodruff Place, whereby the children Of
that corporation are given schooling in
indianapolis public schools at an annual
loss to the city of about $4,000, reported
that Lars Whitcomb, specially employed
for the purpose, had given an opinion
holding the contract legal The opinion.
Il was said, is substantially the same as
was given by Albert Baker, formerly at
EOrney for the board, and which was the
eause Of Mr. Bakers resignation after
being connected with school affairs for
more than twenty-five years. At the time
Mr.. Baker gave his opinion Mr.. Crippin
sailed upon him and told him that
majority of the board were not in har>
mony with him on this point. and i'm
mediately afterward Mr.. Baker handed
In his resignation.
Charles L Barry was quick to take
the matter up and pointed out in force
SI language the fact that the opinion
Of Mr.. Whitcomb had upheld Mr.. Baker
In every particular and said that in his
opinion the board owed its former at
torney an apology.
WOODRUFF PLACE
REQUESTED To PAY.
With the opinion the committee, which
was composed Of Mr.. Crippin, Mr.. Gadd
and W. D. Alison, presented q report
recommending that next year Woodruff
Place children be admitted 10 the schools
OF Indianapolis only upon payment OF
the regular transfer fees charged other
outsiders, and also criticising Mr.. Hit
for entering into the contract. The rec
ommendation was approved with one dis
senting vote, that OF Mr.. Barry, who OBJ
5ected to criticism Of Mr.. Hit in view
Of the legal opinions submitted by Mr..
Baker and Mr.. Whitcomb.
A plea that fire prevention methods
would be impressed upon school chill
dren was made by T. c. Jordan, who
was accompanied by Jacob c. Hilkene,
city director Of IRE prevention, and
Capt william Curran Of the Salvage
Corps Superintendent E. Z. Graf was
directed to take steps to see that the
matter is graphically placed before the
school children.
Mrs. Elizabeth Walcott appeared be-
fore the board and requested that the
ten commandments be displayed on a
chart in every schoolroom. That mat
ter was referred to the committee on
instruction.
As a result OF frequent robberies Of
branch libraries the board will request
the police department to have patrolmen
give special attention to buildings OF
this character. Charles E. Rush re-
ported that within the past two weeks
three branch libraries have been entered.
SALARY FUND
To BE BORROWED.
On recommendation Of Ralph W
Douglass, building director. a resolution
was adopted under suspension Of the
rules, authorizing the borrowing of $780,
900 from the school building bond fund
for the payment OF teachers salaries
The board already has borrowed 81, $780,
600 in this way, 100000 Of which is
now due. This amount will be reduced
$4,000, although it was explained that
this reduction is largely a paper" re-
duction.
The Brlghtwood Civic Association.
which has met for a number Of years in
branch library, has outgrown its quar-
tiers and was given permission to hold
its meetings in school No. 81.
Bills for legal services totaling $3.50
were reported by Mr.. Douglas. OF this