Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1881-01-14

IDAHo CITY, Jan II, 1881.

IL reply 70 my letter Of the 81st ulti-
mo asks achy Boise and Owyhee conn
ties are exempted from the general
school law Of Idaho Territory in the
matter Of The apportionment Of school
moneys.
Al the time that the present school
law was passed mining matters were
IN very critical condition, and be-
cause Of it the whole Territory was
in imminent peril Of entirely collaps-
ing, and Of being swallowed up By the
surrounding states and territories.
The farming communities, no longer
assured market. for the produce Of
their farms, and being harassed BY In
dams, focked into the towns for pro-
lection, and to secure for their chill
dren at least few months schooling.
Boise and Owyhee were then the
prominent mining counties, and Idaho
and Silver cities their principal towns.
Both towns we're well known through
out the Territory to hare the best
schools IN the Territory. and the1trus
tees we're men who were united iii
aim to keep their schools ID the van
|of the educational march. It is no
secret that other towns, with perhaps
as many scholars as bad these two,
were not alive to their educational IN
terests Is we're Idaho and Silver cit
les. For this state Of things the
blame must rest on the towns not as
interested as they should have been.
We friends of the schools particu-
larry mentioned saw to it that if they
had to educate fifty per cent. Of the
scholars Of the county, then some spe
cial Legislation was needed in their
favor, and acting on this they secured
for their schools the passage of the
present special law
As to the point of fairness Nei-
Their "Pro Bono Publico7 nor / am to
blame for the present general law
which makes such a.cendition arise.
AS long as q school law exists giving
the heads of four families the right to
demand Of the School Superintendent
the organization Of a new school dis
trict for the special benefit Of, as far
as the law is concerned, four scholars
only, 50 long will the unfortunatec con
EDITION arise that must make the ap-
lportionment "unfair" to somebody al
to some districts.
The Common School Law in its
Forlginal intent and purpose, was not
instituted to make a multiplicity OF
schools with their necessary imper-
fections, such as cheap teachers, short
terms, &C., but to gire the best possible
education to the greatest number Of schol-
ars. That this original intent has
been deviated from "a Teacher" and
"Pro Bono Publico' we'll know, anC
we also know we'll that the deviation
in favor of great number of small
districts, has worked almost irrepara-
BILE injury to those scholars who have
already passed the limits of the age
allowed by the general school law.
In fact, glance at the Government
Reports on Education show, with
abundance of proof, that.this devia-
ton is now widely and generally re-
pented of, and the Legislatures Of the
respective States and Territories are
repeating their school laws and are
centering their energies ON township
schools, the basis of which is that OF
fifty households. While this would
be very extreme law for sach a
sparsely populated Territory as Ida
no. it is~ery questionable whether a
happy medium would not be arrived
l. Al r.. 4