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Show IN SUPPORT OF Jfif. BOARD Editor Tribune: Under the cant Ion, "They Can't Bo Trusted." The Salt Luke Tribune of January Jan-uary IT prints an editorial . attacking the itegrity of the board of education, and arguing against I he Issue of bonds proposed pro-posed for the purpose of creeling a new high school. As an alumnus of Hie high school I ask leave to answer through your columns. Tho points supported in the editorial in question are these: First, the board of education is dishonest because the custodian, custo-dian, George IW. Bviriivell. hns been declared de-clared Innocent or the charges: brought against him; tho members of the bo.ird having fallcfi to continue tho Investigation Investiga-tion of these charges for fear of Involving Involv-ing themselves In "graft and unlawful practices." Second, since the board of education lackw Integrity. no money should bo place1 in its "hands with which to.oreet a. new high school until dls-elosnro dls-elosnro of plans for location and erection erec-tion la made. Third, the board intends to use the schools: as an "electioneering machine in campaigning for this bond Issue"; Is-sue"; and this would be a degradation of the schools, and unjust and unwarranted unwar-ranted use of the pupils. Fourth, luo beard has sufficient money in its ordinary ordi-nary resources to erect a. new high school without calling upon the people for a special spe-cial Issue of bonds The fallacy In the first point is not far to seek. Mr. Brldwe, or any man is entitled r ;i presumption of Innocence till proved guilty, ir. nfter making a reasonable rea-sonable investigation the board ot education educa-tion concluded that the charges against the custodian rested upon a foundation too slight to justify his discharge, there remained but. one fair course of action, which course the board took. It gave Mr. -Brldwell a Scotch verdict of "not proven" and accepted his resignation. Such an Implication of guilt should satisfy sat-isfy the most mistrustful. Furthermore, it is fair to say that the present board of education will compare favorably with the other municipal bodies. Indeed, It will be denied by few that this Is one nf the best boards the. city has e-er had. And for The Tribune to intimate that the members of the hoard stopped the Brldwell investigation for fear of involving involv-ing themselves in "graft and unlawful practices." or for The Tribune to draw the Inference that, becauso of I lie petty Irregularities of a. custodian, the "Integrity" "In-tegrity" and "good faith" of such men as Sam f Park. O W. Moyle. I,edvard Bailey. Mathonlhah Thomas and others arc "at stake," Is to convict Hint paper of a poor attempt at humor. Finally, even If. as The Tribune asserts, the present board of education were dishonest, with whom but the people would the blame He? If we who have elected this board were assured of its unfaithfulness, as n whole, or in part, the sane course io lako would be not to spite the face of the city by refusing to erect a much-needed high school, but. ut the election next December, to chunge the personnel of the board before opportunity for misuse of funds occurred- As to Hi" second point that no money should bo placed In the humid of the board until disclosure of plans for location loca-tion and erection Is made. If, as The Tribune maintains, the members of tho present hoard were lacking In Integrity, they would give evidence thereof by taking tak-ing tlw course nd vised by thai paper. To announce. In advance of Its purchase the site selected for a new building would be to cause an Iminedlulo increase in the price of Lhe land chosen; and such aiinouneeniout on the part of the board might therefore well he censured. If on the other hand. The Tribune wrong, and the members of the. board oro honest hon-est men. then they would at least be guilty of a breach of business Judgment In taking tho action the omission of which calls down the wrath of the morning morn-ing paper. And in fact, did the board of education, desire to defeat Its own pur pose of erecting a new high school, one means of so doing would bo that proposed by The Tribune. It is plain that if announcement were to be made at. the present or the location decided upon for the proposed school, many of the people residing in sections of the city other than tho one chosen would refuse re-fuse to vote for the bonds. And now. in the third place, this editorial edi-torial asserts that the. schools are to be used as an "electioneering machine" and the pupils to be thereby degraded, it will probably be admitted that if a bond election Is to take nlace the people must be mado aware of the fact that it is necessary. No more normal, nor more truthful means of acquainting the voters with the need of a new high school exists ex-ists than that of asking the boys and girls who now need and tho children of the grades who will soon need the school to tell their parents of that necessity. It Is not only not degrading for a child to slate at home that there Is need of a new high school, but such an act Is also the child's right, and duty; and it sorves tho further civic purpose of acquainting ac-quainting him with the means adopted for municipal Improvement. If the board of education and the teachers of the city iTcognl7.e the need of a new high school there can be no valid objection to their telling the individuals who aro to use such a school of that need. The members mem-bers of tho board will, in no personal way. profit from the bond issue. Nor Is the sine of tho compensation for which they serve the public likely to convict Ihcm of cupidity. Admittedly the new high school will benefit but one clasti directly, the pupils. If this be liuo, then by all means the pupils are the very ones who should ask for the bond Issue. Is-sue. And finally. The Tribune asserts that the school system has sufficient funds In Its ordinary resources to erect a nw high school. Such a statement Is wholly fallacious. Wo pay those who mold the character of our youth fat- less than those who build tho structures In which this education is carried on, Tho income of the schools of Salt Iake, as of most, cities. In view of the essential civic importance im-portance of the educational svstem, Ik penurious. From 1U infancy the high school hns been buffeted from alley to by-way until It occupies at last th- cast-off cast-off and condemned buildings of the old university. The studonts are housed In n building too crowded for efficient work, and which, far from being modern, Is not even safe. Cursory Inspection of the high school and Us equipment will bo convincing of the fact that the school system Is not opulent. To be more specific, spe-cific, the. total receipts of the schools from all sources was, for the school venr Il0'5-o7, S.lll.ino.GSJ; for the school vcar 1P07-0S, Sfi.1ft.rin0 11; for the school venr lfHS-nn. $00r.. 170.27 The balance .Tunc 7,0, 1P07 was ?2l,nn.1.:i; June I00S, f(l -IS 1.71: June SO, fi0!t, ?173,.'W7.0I. It is plain from these figures that the ordinary ordi-nary resources of the schools are bv no nieaiiK sufficient for an outlay of $700,000 for high school building purposes. The future of this community rests with tho school children of loday. Greater Great-er civic honesty, progress and a inoro humane government will come only through tho proper moral and culturnl education of Hie children: the bitter factional fac-tional division from which this community commu-nity suffers will bo ended only through the most excellent education obtainable rent jl ting In great broad-mindedness, charity and public spirit, and such education edu-cation depends Intimately upon the heartv moral and financial support of the school system by the people. Most Important of all things to this city urn Itn schools, and the most Important thing to the schools at present Is thp erection of a new high school. It is regrettable that Tho Trillium is using Its powers to hinder, rather than to promote, n movement move-ment of such obvious Importance to the city. It Is greatly to be hoped, that, through Ia oun souse or fairness. The Trlbun will recognize the error of Its altitude and that It 'will reverse Mo policy taken and give its best efforts from now on toward furthering lhe cause of the new high school. HAROLD M. STEPHENS. High School Alumnus. Salt Lake City, January 22. |
