Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1866-04-19
Charles City, Iowa, April 10, 1866.
st. Charles School Board.

st. Charles Township, that at the annu-
al District Meeting, in March last, the
people unanimously voted five mill
tax upon the taxable property of the
whole township for School House pur-
poses.
We have Just learned that at the
meeting of the new School Board, on
Monday of this week, said Board pass
ed Resolution to levy three mill
tax upon sub-districts No. ! and 4, on
the ground that said sub-districts had
raised money for School house pur-
poses in such sub-districts before the
District Township system went into
effect. They also voted that all ofthe
other sub-districts, except number 3,
pay a five mill tax, and that number 3
(villagc) pay an eight mill tax. The
Resolution was offered by L. w.
Humphrey and seconded by John Fer
guson, directors Of the sub-districts
with the three mill tax--and was vo-
ted upon by ayes and noes, as follows;
Ages, Ar. w. Humphrey, of No. l.
John Ferguson, OF No. 4.
Orrin Albee, of No. 5.
A. L. Prichard, of No. 8.
Noes, &C. A. Slocum, of No. 2.
j. w. Smith, of No. 3.
Total, 6 votes not reprepresented,
No. 6, J. c. Hill, Director and No. I,
Mr.. Burnham, Director.
Why was such discrimination made
in regard to the tax upon the several
sub-districts The people voted five
mill tax, and the School Law, in Sec
ton so, provides that the Board ''shall
apportion any tax voted by the Dis
trict Township Meeting for schoolhouse
fund, among the several sub-districts,
in such manner as justice and equity
may require" Have the Board done
this? We understand that no one has
ever Investigated the subject, SO as to
determine what is "just and equitable"
and consequently the Board hare mol
apportioned the tax according to Gus
tice and equity have not levied the
proper amount for five mill tax and
have they not thereby performed an
illegal dcts
Now, how much of said tax is ille-
gal? or is it all thereby rendered ille-
gal? And if all is Illegal who are to
snfTer thereby? Shall. or can, the
unanimous vote of the people for
uniform FIVE mill tax he thus defied
and rendered of no effect by such an
illegal act of a majority of the men,
beers present, but not majority of the
whole Board? The people of the
township are deeply interested in this
subject and will not delay ventilating
it thoroughly.
We learn that it was urged upon the
Board to investigate the subject first,
and then apportion the tax according
to that kind of Justice and equity"
which the law contemplates. The
mover Of the resolution refused to do
SO, but proposed to investigate before
levying another tax, saying that the
present action was "only to break the
cc"-as is supposed for future similar
Justice and equity"
AS an instance of the Justice and
equity Of the four members who vo-
ted for the resolution, it was well
known and admitted that sub-district
number l formerly comprised a por-
ton of the present sub-district number
Z, and was taxed equally under the
former law with what now constitutes
number 1, but while the present num-
Der is taxed only three mills, that
portion of it now in number I is taxed
five mills. Reference to the records
shows that the amount actually paid
into the district township by sub-dis-
trict number was less than $40, and
we understand the same was paid
back for an extra amount of school.
Again, Sub-district No 3 (village)
built its own house under the old law !;
still occupies that house has been
taxed equally with all other Sub-dis-
tricts for the seven different school
houses erected under the District Town.
ship system, and yet the Board have
voted that No. 3 shall pay an eight-miA
tar according to the guessing, dsin-
terested, or some other kind Of "jus-
tice and equity of the four members
who voted "aye."
1t is not SO surprising that directors
should vote to exempt themselves and
their sub-districts from tax, as it is
that other directors should aid them in
such scheme, without any evidence
Of the "jostice and equity" of the
act. If the present action Of the
Board was "but to break the ice"
what are we to expect when they
reach an open sca2
Mr.. John Brown, who runs the free
ferry over the river in this village, il