Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-01-04
UNION SERVICES
CANNOT Be HELD
IN SCHOOL HOUSE
School Board Says 1t Has
No Authority to
Grant Use
lu0IIIno[TADDCn[nCMT
WOU[DSET APRECEDENT
Rotary Club Votes to
Urge Board to Recon-
slider Action

According to a letter which has
been mailed to the committee of min
listers having charge of arrangements
for the union evangelical campaign
to be started here Friday evening the
school board withholds permission to
use the Mellon School auditorium, the
only place large enough to accom-
modate the expected csowds. The
letter was distinct surprise to the
committee of arrangements, as they
had seen all of the members of the
board, and only one demurred, but
said that he would offer no opposi-
tion.
1t is admitted by the committee that
a very fine point is involved
of setting a precedent fol-. uses of the
school building for religious purposes,
it being pointed out that if the bars
are thrown down the work of the
schools would be seriously interferred
with.
On the other hand the committee
takes the stand that this is a union
lof all of the protestant churches,
that it represents the sentiment and
wishes of all of the tax payers, own
ers of the school, and that it could
not be considered a precedent as to
denominational meetings, which are
taboo under resolution on the min
utes of the board, and which were
cited to the committee in the follow
ing letter from Superintendent Price,
directed to the committee:
"In regard to your petition for the
use of the Putnam High School Audi
torium for religious services, the
board of Public Instruction cannot
see it's way clear to grant same with
out being inconsistent in such action
and without transgressing the prin-
ciple on which this government is
founded, viz: that the church and
state should be separate entities. 1t
has also been advised'b counsel that
it has no legal right to use school
buildings for religious purposes.
The board finds on looking over its
records that it has already refused
permission to st. Joseph's convent to
hold its graduating exercises in that
building and has refused the Baptist
church permission to hold Sunday
school there. Furthermore the board
has already spread on its records a
resolution forbidding the holding of
denominational exercises of any kind
in the auditorium. The board has
had to forbid the use of school houses
for various religious exercises by
Mormons and others.
"In view of these facts the board
unanimously feels that it would not
be serving the whole electorate fair
ly to grant your request while ap-
proving the proposed meetings to a
man."
Rotary Favors Use of Building.
At last nights Rotary dinner at
the Putnam County Country Club the
matter of use of the school building
for the evangelical campaign was
brought up by request of the commit
tee. Several members said they be-
lieved the separation of church and
state should be carried out in every
way and that the school boards ac-
ton should be upheld. But very
large majority took the opposite view
agreeing that this does not involve a
union of church of church and state,
but is merely the question of housing
gathering of a very large number
of the representative citizens of the
community for the purpose Of worship
and the spreading and increasing of
religious fervor and sentiment in this
community. The question of govern
ment does not enter, and the school
is not a part of the state executive
Continued on page 81