The labor world., 1922-07-01
THE SCHOOL BONDS.

THE SCHOOL BONDS.
The Board of Education expects to
ask the people to vote bond issue of
$50O,00O at the annual school election
to be held Saturday, July Is. The
money to be received from the sale
of that amount of bonds will be used
to acquire land for school purposes in
the various sections Of the city.
A 1o-year school building program
has been planned, following a survey
made by experts This included thor
ough study of the city and the schools,
the growth of the past, the present
trend of growth, an analysis of the
school population compared with that
Of 10 and 20 years ago, all of which
give an index for the future.
There has been no former planning
with regards to the location Of school
buildings. They usually have been
built to satisfy the immediate require
ments Of a community. As a result in
many instances school buildings are
too close together. Some are over.
crowded and others fail to supply TO-
days needs, whereas ten years ago
they were thought to be ample for
many years to come.
The city of Chicago is today pur.
chasing sites for schools and other
public buildings, spending millions of
dollars therefor, which they "gave
away for a song" many years ago. 1t
would have been good business for
Chicago to have retained such proper.
ty. It is good business for the Duluth
Board of Education to acquire sites
now for the schools of the future. Real
estate will never be cheaper than it
is today. Any property now acquired
by the board will increase in value
with the community growth.
A site upon which a school building
of today or the future is to be erected
should be large enough for recreation
grounds. A whole city block is little
enough for such purpose. A high school
building should have ground space
covering several city blocks. Outdoor
physical training is as important to
the development of boy or girl as is
the training within, Mental and ply
sical development are inseparable. The
Board Of Education is wise when it
plans for such advantages in connec-
tion with our schools.
If the board should wait to acquire
sites for buildings in a growing COM
munity until it is ready to build the
probability is that it will be neces.
sary to not only purchase favorably
situated land, but there may be sew
eral buildings thereon for which it
would be forced to pay a great deal
more money than could be realized
from their sale, considering the fact
that they would have to be removed.
The difference, Of course, would be a
dead loss. On top Of this there would
also be an increased land value.
The wise and economical thing to
do would be to acquire school sites
now for future needs. That was the
first thing Bishop McNicholas did
when he came to Duluth. He had in
mind the future growth of his church
and its various institutions. He pur.
chased sites upon which no structures
will be built for many years, but he
has the land, and he has saved money
for his people by purchasing it early
before social growth enhances it.
value.
The public school officials have MOI
the money, or the authority to issue
bonds without sanction Of tho people
to acquire school sites. They now seel
that authority and we can not TOT
strongly urge upon our friends an
readers the Importance Of supporting
the proposed bond issue. We can no
afford to scrimp on our schools. The,
are the most important Of our free in
stitutions. We want our children I,
have the best that the public purs'
can afford. -
A vote for tho bond issue is there
fore vote to keep our school system