Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-05-23
WHITE SCHOOL
MAY BE GIVEN
TO NEGRO RACE
Shifting Population Prompts
Suggestion to Transfer
Pupils.
NEW BUILDING READY

Pupils Of public school No. 4, Black
ford and West Michigan streets, proba-
bly, will be transferred In a body to the
new building at No. 5, California and
West Washington streets, and No. 4
converted into a negro school as the re-
suit of suggestions made by e. y. Graf,
superintendent Of schools. at a special
meeting Of the board today.
The change should be made, Mr.. Graf
said, because of the fact that the white
population in the neighborhood of No.
4 is decreasing rapidly and the negro
population increasing at corresponding
rate.
II the change is made as suggested, 1t
will be the first time pupils have been
moved in body from one school to an
other. Changes Of this character have
been made in the past, but they always
have been made by moving a class or
two at time.
The ne wbuildfng at No. 5 is now
ready for occupancy, and IL Mr.. CRAFTS
plan Is adopted by the board 1t will be-
come effective In September.
CONTRACT GHOST
WON'T STAY PUT.
"A at almost every board meeting for
the last year, the ghost Of the old con-
tracts between the board and L. A
Snider, former building advisor Of the
board, and the firm of Snider & Rotz,
engineers, stalks through the proceed
ings for half hour or so, and today 1t
made its regular appearance once more.
This time it arrived through the me-
dunn OF letter from Albert A. Baker,
attorney from the board. Mr.. Baker
gave 1t as his opinion that the courts
viii hold the board liable for all that has
dnna Nv Cyji 4, pnfr Nv runv n
designing and supervision In pursuance
of the contract of August, 1921.
This contract provided for the tempo
rary employment of Snider & Rotz after
they had resigned as engineers and can
ccled their old contracts.
Determination OF the validity of those
older contracts is now pending in the
State courts.
Mr.. Baker apparently does not regard
highly the opinion of the State board of
accounts that the board cannot legally
employ engineers, but should have Its
supervisory work done by Its own super
intendent OF buildings and grounds, for
speaking OF this he says
DOESN'T THINK
RULING WELL-FoCNDED.
The claim that the statutory defni-
ton fthe duties of the superintendent
Of buildings and grounds with respect to
engineering work withdraws from your
board the power to employ engineers TO
supervise the erection OF work they have
designed Is not, | think. sufficiently we'll
grounded to warrant the board at this
time In acting on the correctness Of that
position.
III | were n member Of the board,
and il | thought tn condition of friction
existing between the board and Snider
& Rotz interferes with the boards work
and the performance OF Its public duties
l would vote to terminate all relations
with that firm and leave to the courts
the decision what damages, II any. are
eollect.ble from the board for so DOING
The old coalyard of the board. with a
frontage of los feet on Ray street and IS
feet on wilkins street, has been ap-
praised at Sl1,o53 46 by James E. Berry
and Frank T. Brown, appraisers, accord
Ing to a report submitted to the board.
Bids were ordered advertised for June
10, and the viii be opened Mt the board
meeting June 20.