The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-01-23
POOR HOUSING
ADMITTED BY
SCHOOL BOARD
Agree With Engineers Thzt
'DepIorabIe Condition
Must Be Corrected.
BOND ISSUE SUGGESTED
Taxpayers Association Gets
Blame for Influencing
State Board.

Agreement with the report Of a
special committee Of the Indianapo-
lis Engineering Society, calling st
tention to the deplorable school
building situation, was expressed to-
day by school board members.
The engineers criticised the large
number of portable buildings in use
and declared the State health board
has failed to enforce d law to COM
pei construction of enough per-
manent buildings to care for all
school children.
THE report calls attention to
facts which the school board has
known and has tried to get before
the public for some time" President
Theodore F. Vonnegut said.
BlameS Tax Group
1--WE appreciate the great public
service the society is doing in call.
ing attention to conditions. Each
community has seen its own needs,
but did not see that the same con-
ditions prevail over the entire city,
and wondered why the board could
not do anything.
Housing conditions of the In
dianapolis schools are disgrace to
the city, but that doesn't seem to
worry Harry Miesse and his Indiana
Taxpayers Association.
The engineering society report at
tributed the 'dep!orable conditions"
to control over the school budget
by the Indiana Taxpayers League,
exercised by means of its influence
with the State tax board"
The report recommends an annual
levy of 13 cents on each 500 for
five years for new buildings to re-
place portables and keep up with
annual growth In school population,
and another or 10 cents to replace
buildings thirty to sixty years old.
Bond Issue Suggested
Commissioner Charles w. Kern
suggested that $590,0O0 bond issue,
together with a 14-cent levy for
buildings for the next ten years,
would enable the city to catch up
with its building requirements If
there be no great increase in school
population.
THE housing situation developed
a number of years ago." he said,
when previous boards failed to levy
enough for new buildings. 1t is not
fair to try to levy enough in one
or two years now to catch up.
Efforts of the board in the last
few years to speed up the building
program has been handicapped by
levies being slashed by the tax
board.
eve desire to relieve the situa-
ton as soon as possible. We have
several classes in churches, many
halliday classes for the lower
grades, several thousand children In
portables, and many classes in
rooms never intended for class
rooms, most Of which are deficient
in light and ventilation"
Brown Answers Charge
That the city should go ahead
with its building program through
tax levies rather than through con-
tinued bond issues was suggested by
Fred Kepner, new board member.
Bond issues are all right for the
bankers, but they are hard on the
taxpayers, who must pay almost as
much interest as principal" Kepner
said.
1.-THE State tax board has not de-
MED single Indianapolis school
bond issue since the building short
age developed" declared Chairman
John j. Brown.
1--WE have on several occasions
stipulated that we would not ap-
prove bond issues unless the
amounts were reduced, because we
found the programs were extrava-
CANT, but we have not denied the
issues.
about four years ago we refused
to approve a $1,6000O0 issue on the
ground, suggesting that it would be
favored if the amount were cut to
$1,200,000. 1t was not sent back
to us.
Charges that the Indiana Tax
payers League unduly influences the
board are erroneous. We accept
any suggestions of the league with
pleasure, but we arrive at our de-
cision only after both sides present
their cases.