The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-04-10
Must Provide More
 School Facilities

(Continued from Page One.)
 mean a night session from six to ten thirty for regular High school stu dents. I know of no city in the Uni ted States where the conditions are so bad that this is necessity. It looks as though in Bridgeport, 1t might be the lesser of two evils, but with what reaction from parents, you The Board of Education has no in terest in the Star Shirt factory as such. It simply wants to solve Its problem which, by reason of the fact that our department has been lit sra1ly starved for new acom modat1on since before the war, makes the prob lem at this time intensely acute. More than $22O,00O of the bond issue au- thorized in 1917 for schools has never been received by this department. We do not know to what it was diverted We do know we did not get 1t. The Star Shirt factory is the only ade- quate available building that we know of today and we are urging rei1e1 solely because of this fact. The last Legislature passed an act authof1z1ne the issue of bonds to the amount of S2,700,0O0 for schools in Bridgeport under the restriction that we must not exceed in such issue the debt linn it. This is our first request against this issue and is made after studying the interests of the S1tua ton Tor more than a year.
 Any piece of property Is worth what 1t will bring in the open market. We ask only the right to acquire this property and made our statement be- ore your Board that it would be pur- chased at as low a figure as possible. The real fact is that by the purchase of this property we can house l,40u High school students for one-th1rd o1 the overhead expense necessary for a new building to do the same work. This is in line with the campaign for economy that the present administra- ion r01 n
 The purchase of this property in our judgment can never represent a loss to the city. It not only meets our immediate need and as such is serve the future needs of the city in one form or another as a school. Our city needs a much greater industrial school development than we have new East Side High School is built, we can abandon this building for High School work, we shall do it and shall develop the industrial end so badly needed in an industrial city. It is entirely possible that, if we do not need it for High School students, that the State Trade School can be moved into it where there is ample power in the boilers and electrical engines for power-driven machinery. This will save the city S1S,O00 rental. In addition, it would save the rental of tho administrative offices which now totals $4,4OO year and would permit the return to the city treasury of the proceeds from the sale of the High street stockroom building and grounds which we would abandon.
 Our board is not opposed to an East Side High School. We would welcome an opportunity to proceed at once to acquire a site of sufficient size that we might duplicate on 1t in proper setting the present Bridgeport High School. We believe that ample grounds should be provid- ed and we will proceed at once to acquire the grounds whenever your board sees fit to open the way. Our survey which resulted in the request to the Legislature for a bond issue of $2,700,00O for a building program showed that we were not unaware of the need for @ High School in East Bridgeport. It was definitely includ- ed as a part of that building pro- gram. This East Side High School in no way, however. solves the present emergency. So far as our knowledge of this matter 6 ,es, we have but two chotces-those listed above. if relief Is not given in this way. Further de- lay on the part of the Board of Alder men will greatly complicate the situation and we are hoping that the members will see the necessity for imm ediate action.
 ALFCED c. TONES,
 Chairman.