Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-08-11
School Tax.

A distinguished En- !Iish statesman
has declared that with knowledge
and vir ue IN tie people, it matters
not who may rule over them. Daniel
Webster once affirmed that he feared
more from the lnattention and indif-
ference of the people topublic affairs,
than fiom any other cause. We
may have good rulers, chosen bv
the few who are intelligent and
virtuous, but wise officers may be de.
teatei in their plans by the voice OF
those who did not help appoin',
when measures mus, he settled by the
ballot. To the point: Our School
Directors, who represent the intelli.
GENT and v.rtuous of our comm unity,
are taking the sand that it is high
time that ,.e make beginning, at
least, to Improve our school system,
ami that ii We wo,ld have no bad
cit.Z.ns, that we must tolerate no
ignorant citizens, and that education
is the correlative of freedom; I'D short,
they have deemed it wise TO ask for
special tax for educa;ional pur.
poses Money is needed to institute
u graded system and keep up a nine
or ten mon.hi' school during the
year. Ii the work is begun, when
We become State we can u ilize the
enlarged school fund to better al.
vantage. We need one high School
Department. where pupils may have
the facilities for acquiring a
thorough English education, inclnd. !.
ing higher arithmetic and algebra;
Several Intermediate and Primary
Departments should be provided for.
That some plan, by which we can
lengthen our school year, and keep
| our children from the COMMUNICATING
influences of the street, is one of the
necessities of our community, none
will deny. As matter of economy
to the patrons, how much easier to
pay slight additional tax and have
the benefit of nine or ten months
| school, than to sustain public
school for few months and pay tut
ton the remainder of the year? To
bring this TO the lowest point in
which in can be considered, what can
be more important to the property
owners in this town than having an
improvement in our school system?
This movement should receive the
hear.iest sympathy of every citizen,
and in school matters our local laws
recognize women as citizens. Let
me entreat the mothers to deposit
their ballots in the interests of the
children, by voting fer the special
tax. 1t is incumbent upon US to
secure to every child the blessing of
a good education, which is bound
to protect him in the enjoyment of
every rational right at home or
abroad. The interests of the rising
generation should be to us a perpet-
ual inspiration and an incentive to
be faithful to every trust imposed
upon us. The Trustees ask for the
small sum of three thousand dollars
to tit up rooms so as to allow for a
subdivision of the grades, and to
hire teachers for nine or ten months
service. This will secure more per-
manency and more thorough work.
Vancouver is raising $4,000, Sc.
attle $4,000, Walla Walll a large
amount, and other places all over
the Territory are increasing their
school fund, and Olympia having
been in times past foremost in ednce7I
tional matters cannot now afford 70
! show lack of interest, and suffer the
opprobrium of refusing to raise the
paltry sum of three thousand dollars
for school purposes.
P. c. HALE.
The above was written before see-
ing the article published last week
by Hon. D. r. Blgelow, who certain
ly cannot be accused of indifference,
or inactivity in educational interests;
but we cannot agree with him in
thinking it advisable to wait before
We endeavor to improve our system.
1t may be many years before we be-
come State. We agree with him
about the importance Of health
full and beautiful surroundings, but
very few of the best scho OILS in the
country stand in ten.acre lots. Let
us make q move now in the right
direction hoping for the good time
coming when We shall have means
to enlarge our borders.