Olympia's High School Bond Fight, Priced at 25 Cents

The voters should not misconstrue the motives of the school board in calling the bond election. The suggestion made by an obscure weekly newspaper of this city that there may be an “architect contractor back of” the proposition is an insult to those who favor the proposition and who urged the directors to call the election. The ipse dixit of a few taxpayers who have no children to go to school, that a school building is not needed, is not proof that there are school buildings enough. The proposition that our school system will be made more efficient and productive of better results by the erection of a high school building this summer has not been controverted. To expend a few thousand dollars in fitting up the old shell now on the Central school block would be money wasted. Nor does it require argument to show that to fit up a few rooms in the garret of the Washington building is not a satisfactory arrangement. The Tribune believes in the progress of the city; it believes that the best way to promote this progress is by keeping our school facilities abreast of the times and whenever the present quarters become cramped, to provide additional quarters. The increase in taxation occasioned by voting the bonds will be small. The district will have to pay only the annual interest until the bonds mature. This on $40,000 at 6 per cent will be $2,400. By calling in $15,000 of outstanding warrants there will be an annual saving in interest of $600, leaving $1,800 in interest to be paid each year. The valuation of the district is about $7,000,000. Thus the taxes of a man whose property is valued at $7,000 would be increased by these bonds about 25 cents. For this he would have a high school to which he could point with pride and the capital city would have a school system in the advance of any city in the state.