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Show .FAVORS TWELfTH WARD SITE Editor Tribune I have been much Impressed Im-pressed by tho painstaking care shown by tho board of education In coming to a decision In the selection of the site for the new high school, and the selling or tho school bonds to provide money thereror Whilo it Is true that a groat acal of time" has elapsed since the bonds were voted and still no decision has been reached, nevertheless their seeming long delay has almost certainly given tho city at least three appreciable benefits or savings. First the prices asked for sites have been reduced by competition. Second The bonds will surely bring a better price with the Improving money market as fall and winter approach. Third Cost of building material that Is now shading downward. But with all this care and an evident desire on the part of the board to give the city the best for lis school bond money. I cannot but feel that thev have had little or no support from the business busi-ness people of the city. They arc thus left almost entirely "at sea" as to the real desire of tho business community and heavy taxpayers. However, one thing appears to bo certain, and that is lJ,nt-ut! notion of the board favoring the Twelfth ward silo and thereby also utilizing the large pleco of ground already al-ready owned by the board, has met the approval of business men generally, because be-cause none of them have shown a desire de-sire to oppose tho carrying out of the plan of acquiring sufficient additional property there for tho buildings and campus on two of-the three streets surrounding the silo now. and later when required, or found desirable, acquire tho remainder of the two-thirds of the wholn block, And that is certainly a correct view to take of the matter, for prices of such residential property as go to make up the site will show very little increase, If any, during the next live or ten years. Their selection therefore Is doubtless a wlso one. and it Is my impression, from a careful study of the matter, that no other sites offered possess sufficient merit, all things considered, as would give the board sufficient grounds for rescinding re-scinding their action; and personally I doslro to commend this action and their good judgment In selecting a site so adaptable to present and future needs. Two-thirds of the building, under this plan ,can be erected now (without harm to lis beauty) and later, perhaps in ten years, and after a third high school shall be erected on the southeast bench, the remaining third could be erected on the southern portion of the tract. The site lying high and sightly as It docs, and where It will serve at least eleven blocks to the north, nine or ten blocks to the cast, and at least ten blocks to the south. Is certainly Ideal and while there can bo no question as to Its superior location and general adaptability, adapta-bility, the cost for this near-ln central slto is only slightly more. Of course it would be more than suburban or country coun-try property. The high school on this site would eventually be one of our "show" public buildings, with Its threo Grecian porticoes porti-coes looking to the north, cast and south, and Its acres of green lawns and parade grounds and near-ln location would do much to bring many tine people to ro- sido here, from this and surrounding slates, who would easily sec the tine structure when visiting our city, no mat-tor mat-tor how short their stay. The Ninth South and Thirteenth East site will also be desirable In ahout seven years for a third high school, but at the present time It would be as extreme as is tho present old high school location for accommodating accommodat-ing the main body of high school pupils. Hut why not purchaso that slto also? The price Is very reasonable, and could be used with profit as a city park until the time, arrives when it will bo required re-quired for suld third high school. And this Is not an extravagant statement either, for Ih.ls Is Mayor Sneer's statement state-ment with regard to his beloved city of Denver, for which he has given tho best that is In him freely for several years past. "Denver now has Iwenty-nlno parks, covering 1100 acres, valued, without with-out the improvements, at $3,305,000," "Tho majority of the parks have playgrounds play-grounds for the children, and you will not find therein the caution to 'Keep off the grass.' and Denver has shown the greatest Incrense in population of any city In the -JOO.OOO class In the union." The qlvic pride 1 have in my makeup make-up makes me desire to see this city's high schools like Denver's, so commodious, com-modious, handsome and sightly located that they will in fact bo accorded a pla'ce among our "show" public: buildings. Denver's Den-ver's third high school, erected last year. Is situated only about four blocks from the city hall on a high plcco of ground that can be seen from all parts of tho business center, and I doubt not that If a personal canvass among the business busi-ness mon of the city wns made, not one In twenty would say other than, locate the new high school on the Twelfth ward slto and none of the bankers would oppose It. If so large a sum is to be spent on the building, surely the slto should be well chosen, and wo should be willing to pay a little more for It than for one that would cheapen tha building build-ing as soon as erected. FREEMAN M ORN INGST A It. |