The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-03-16
SCHOOL AFFAIRS
DISCUSSED AT
c. OF c. DINNER
Business Men Consider Condition
of School Houses and Plans
for Improving Them

AS noted briefly in Tuesdays Eve
ming Telegram, the luncheon of the
Chamber of Commerce on that day
was devoted almost exclusively to a
discussion OF school affairs in Polk
county but more particularly Lake.
! land. The gathering was notable be
cause Of the presence OF i dnlega tion
of women, every member Of the Polk
county delegation in the state legisla.
/ ture, members of the county and the
/ local school boards and the school
superintendent of county and city.
The ladies attending were DR.. Sarah
T.. Wheeler, Mrs. G.. f.. Todd, Mrs.
John +. Wilson and Mrs Frank Crum.
Presiding at the meeting was T.. ".
Good, chairman Of the membership
council of the Chamber Of Commerce.
Prior to the taking up Of the main
business Of the hour, Chairman G. f.
Todd of the special committee ap.
pointed at the last luncheon to act
,or the Chamber of Commerce in the
acquisition by purchase of a property
offered at exceptionally favorable
terms and well located, reported the
purchase of the Miss Leila Galloway
property on South MlSSaihlScttS ave.
nue. iuSi nOrth OF the Auditorium for
$1,000. tAS including both the lot and
an eight"uom house. lie stated that
~ was E.e ultimate purpose If the
t'hamb6r Of CONNER. to make this
permanent Chamber OF Commerce
headquarters with provision for a
tourist club headquarters. the Amer
lean Legion and any other public or
semi-public organization in which, the
entire community is interested. The
committee was discharged after a
cordial vote of thanks.
President c. O. Pinch of the Cham
her OF Commerce opened the discus
sion Of school matters by stating that
the object sought by getting so many
prominent residents of the county and
city together wac to receive sugges.
tionS as to what ought to be done in
the present emergency and he called
on Or. j. f. Wilson, chairman of the
Lakeland special district board to
make statement. DR.. Wilson, in de
scribing the condition of the buildings
in use in Lakeland, said they were i'm
properly heated, inadequately lighted
and in almost every other respect a
detriment to the health and progress
OF the pupils The local board was
without plan or figures but he felt
sure it would he necessary to practic
ally tear down the Lake Wire school
and entirely remodel the Lake Nor
ton building. lie added that the pro
vision for the colored children OF
Lakeland was unspeakably bad. II
would be impossible to get any action
before another school year begins be
cause it would not be advisable to
spend small amount of money for
temporary improvements and then be
compelled to throw this away little
later when adequate buildings would
be erected. Giving the capacity of the
present buildings he said there were
more than two thousand white chill.
dren in attendance with accommoda-
tons for only twelve hundred; $50
Colored children with accommoda.
lions for $50 The present legal bond
limit for the Lakeland district was
placed at between 100000 and ST. 900.
G.. r. Todd, member of the local
board, expressed the opinion that in
ten years the population of Lakeland
would be doubled so that in making
provision for better schools IL would
be well to build. not for today but for
tomorrow. He is a firm believer in
ward schools with a central high
school. lie thought the colored
schools ought also to get due consid.
Grafton in any new building program.
MIR. Todd threw a shock into his audi
ence when he told them the Lake
Wire school is a veritable fire trap
and should be closed forthwith by the
state fire commissioner. lie pictured
what would happen should a fire get
a good start in such a poorly CON
structed building. crowded with chill,
dren.
On invitation to say something OH
the situation Principal G.. NJ. Jones
of the Lakeland schools mentioned
that he had already gone into details
before the Womans Club ON tho
school question but he thought j;
might tend to make fathers and moth
ers do some thinking and stir them
10 action to know that there are Il
schools on half time and that most Of
the teachers have from 40 to so in
their classes. number so large that
effective work cannot be done nor
discipline enforced. Unless something
could be done soon he feared that
-1NhSioAo NOuiu Dc uTOppeu IrOm the
accredited list of high schools and
lose the high standing now enjoyed
Chairman G. B. Murrell of the conn
ty board reviewed the situation. ex
pressing the opinion that 1t would not
be necessary TO bond for more, than
$l25,OO or $l50.000 in order to Sc
cure suitable buildings. On behalf of
the county board he was glad to state
that the board is In favor of doing
for Lakeland whatever Lakeland
wants and he suggested that il was
up to the Lakeland district board to
secure plans and specifications for
what they believe to be requisite.
County Superintendent c. S. Parker
gave the interesting Information that
there are fifty.fve sub-school dis.
tricts in. Polk county and that peti.
tions are already in for at least one
more. He explained the procedure
to be followed in putting a bond issue
before the people and suggested that
there would be no difficulty on the
part of the Lakeland trustees in Sc.
curing plans from architects for suit
Ill