The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-04-30
FAIL TO AGREE
ON SCHOOL SITE
Attempt to Discuss Mutual
Problems Ends With
out Result.
TO GO AHEAD ANYHOW
Vocational Board and School
Board Refuse to Hitch" On
School Site Problem.



With the belief that mutual prob
lens and difficulties which effect both
the vocational school board and the
board Of education could be solved by
joint meeting of the two bodies, the
latter body on Tuesday evening in
vited the members of the vocational
board, together with the city council
and the city. planning commission to
meet with the board and discuss these
problems with view toward their
equitable solution.
On Tuesday evening the various or
ganizations met and after two hours
Of discussion neither the problems or
the difficulties reached a point where
they were in general agreement, nor
did there appear any action which
might be considered to lead to SEN
sible solution Of these affairs, The
meeting ended in failure. Through
out the two hours of discussion there
prevailed tense atmosphere of veil
ed antagonism between the two boards
and the failure of the meeting to re-
suit in anything worth while was at
tributed to that feeling No one was
ready to admit that there was any
controversy between the two boards
over any particular problem but there
seemed to be hesitancy to discuss
mutual projects in such way that
the casual observer could find it hard
to construe therefrom prevalent
spirit of cooperation.
The principal object Of disagree
ment seemed to be the site of the
future vocational school building and
the site for Al heating plant for the
new hirb school building. Early in
the meeting the school board present
ed it's conteLtions which showed that
immediate action in the construction
Of a heating plant was necessary. This
point was conceded by all. The fact
was brought out that the vocational
school board, for financial reasons,
found it impossible to begin work on
new building for from three to five
years. In the end President Lewis
Powell declared that the school board
would instruct its architect to begin
work on this heating plant at once,
regardless of the action of the voca-
tional school But in spite of this
agreement the matter continued to
creep into the discussion during the
evening, until w. H. Afford, president
Of the city council, arose to ask
whether the meeting had not resolved
itself into discussion Of differences
within the board.
81 am impressed with the fact as l
listen to all this discussion" declar- 9
ed Mr.. Afford, "that there seems to
be no disposition to work together
but that there is rather a disposition
to find out reasons why you can't
work together / haven't time to take
part in any discussion of narrowS
personal, or selfish motives"
Takes School Board To Task.
President Afford declared that he
couldn't understand why the city
council had been invited to attend the
meeting since it appeared to him that
"you have called all these people to-
gether and impressed them with the
fact that they haven't anything to say
about the matter"
Members of the school board were
quick to answer the president Of the
council with protestations. 1t was
pointed out that the school board had
been hesitating to continue its con-
temptation Of future expansion pro-
grams because of ignorance of the
plans of the vocational school board.
President Powell declared that the
board was willing to cooperate with
the vocational committee, and the re-
port of the school boards committee
expressed the belief that this CO.
operation should be that Of "inde-
pendent units that retain the possi-
bility of separate existence should the
cooperation prove unsuccessful" and
also expressing the willingness to
cooperate with the vocational board
in determining what is best for the
city when the time comes that it is
possible for them to build-meanwhile
retaining the possibility Of future ex-
pansion FOR ourselves, should this be
found necessary"
Vocational Board Is Silent.
President Lynn Hannahs, Of the
vocational board, refused to take part
in the discussion, however, when ask
ed for an expression Of his opinion,
and IL was plain that nothing could
be accomplished at that meeting.
A suggestion earlier in the evening
from George Cook, who recommended
that tho entire matter be referred to
the members of the Citizens Survey
committee for deliberation and report
failed to receive a considerable
amount Of support from other mem-
hers Of the school board Mr.. Ccok
presented to the conference q resums
Of all action that had been taken by
all boards in the city which led up to
the present situation.
With the situation dea0locked in
this way, and with no apparent will
:-~raso ~ eonnrouise from either