New Britain herald., 1928-11-22
Vote After Lengthy De bate Is l6 to 1l-Mayor Paonessa Expected to Veto Project.

By q vote of l6 to II, the common council last night approved the plan advanced by the school committee for an addition to the Senior High school. and registered its approval of bond issue of $540.O00 to carry through the program.
 An important development in conjunction with the vote is the fact that the opponents of the plan appeared to have a sufficient num- Der of votes to block erection ol the building, provided the mayor exercises his veto right as he is ex- pected to do. Two-thirds of the com mon council membership being re- Quired to pass 8 resolution over his veto. 1t will be necessary for the proponents to secure at least two more votes to win.
 Judd Makes $s4O,0O0 Motion
 The motion to adopt the school boards recommendation and that of the board of finance and taxation was made by Alderman William H. Judd. An attempt was made by Councilman Samuel Sablotsky to have the proposition tabled for a months study. but this failed of passage. the voting lines established on this proposal being near those maintained when the vote came on the bond issue.
 Mayor Paonessa opened . long drawn out discussion of the school proposition by giving assurance that he, in common with all other citi- zens. was interested in education. He ventured an opinion that all members of the council were fa- miliar with the agitation for an ad- dition to the Senior High school. and attributed this condition to the publicity given to 1t by the school committee.
 Finance Board Not Unanimous
 Recalling the action of the board of finance and taxation in giving it's approval to the scheme. the mayor said that the vote was not unSni- nous. but that six of the IF mem- pers of the board had registered their approval. In addition to this fact. the mayor pointed out. George F. Spear. who made the motion to issue the bonds. made 1t plain that he was merely putting it up to the common council to take the action hn1 A hA ~Af N accept his boards recommendation on taxes last spring. Another mem- Der, three hours before the finance board meeting. had decided to vote against the bond Issue, but when the board convened took the opposite stand. These facts the mayor point ed out. he said. for the purpose of showing that the school addition plan is not as generally supported and approved as some persons might believe.
 Cites Survey Report
 The mayor then told of his con- mittee on school survey. whose re- port was placed in his hands yester- day. He cited the paragraphs in which the claim was advanced that there is plenty of room for senior high school needs for some time to some. The men who made the study and survey are gentlemen of experience whose findings warrant close study. the mayor argued. and passing his suggestion on this argu- ment. he proposed that no action be taken until one month is given over to study of the report.
 Mayor Paonessa assured the coun- cil that the question of finances was not paramount at this time, but that 1t is a question of whether the new building Is or is not an actual need. Elimination of portable schools and provision of adequate elementary education facilities was in his ex- pressed opinion, more important and he urged that the council first look to the solving of this problem. The fact that the city debt is now $6,- T02.7S1, was pointed to as a reason for slow and deliberate action.
 b3ftlett ASoIuSt Dcl2$
 Councilman Donald l.. Bartlett fa- vored issuing bonds and erecting the building. expressing fear that fur ther delay will be injurious to the cause of education and to the chill dren who will expect accommodation ip February. next June and one year from February when junior high school graduate classes and turn the graduates to the Senior high school for higher education.
 Because the school committee has made no recommendation as to ele- mentary schools, MT. Bartlett was content to regard that problem aS being of leseer importance, and he presented the argument that the common council therefore has but one question before 1t for action. this being the question of whether CT not bonds shall issue for an ad- dition.
 King Speaks for Addition
 President F. F. King of the school committee was given the privilege of the floor at the suggestion of AL derman Judd. Mir. King was con- tent to rest the school committees case on the data compiled several months ago and made public at that time. He read this statement to the common council. giving the council information on the growth of the school and of the school population. Er~>~. C.,,,>l Y>...