Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-06-06
Common Schools.

Mr.. Editor As a fundamental principle the
parents are responsible for the education Of their
children, yet Ia civilized countries 1t is found
convenient to pay the state portion OF our prop
erty as tax and put the education OF the children
almost entirely in the care of the state There is
q form OF voluntary action left to the commune
ties called school districts, and this apparent in
dependence Is valued so highly that many dis
tricts pay twice as much as they would II they
should adopt the town system. The parents
have allowed the state to compel them to hire
licensed teacher who Is to board at one place. and
the register must be correctly kept by both clerk
and teacher or they have no legal claim to wages,
taxes or public money, and the law directs In va
rious other ways but there is one blessed privi-
lege left, that Is, right to hold school meeting
and elect most OF the voters In the average dis
trict TO an unremunerative office. ln the dis
trlcts the poor back district often pays the high
est taxes, and In every way finds great burdens
In educating the children, and IL for extra terms
or opportunities they send the children to the
village or adjoining Districts extra tuition is paid.
In nearly all towns there are inhabitants and real
estate owners that pay no taxes for school,
therefore taxes are unequal. In one town there
has been three sections, embracing nearly twenty
families where no school have been held for the
past ten years and no school taxes paid. Another
district with eight families has so much unta xed
land In 1t that from thirty TO fifty per cent dis
trict school tax is raised every year. while other
districts raise only from fifteen to twenty five
per cent. To help this district an untaxed COM
were Joined TO 1t as taxpayers, but the territory
Is not at all adapted TO be easily convened and
accommodated at one school-house. | spoke Of
united lands such as were set aside by the orig
inal proprietors for the support OF the gospel,
the first settled minister, the college and the
grammar school. This provision was beautiful
In theory, but In practice the lands set apart
were considered worthless or the poorest In town.
Some were high mountain lands and some low
swamp lands; the result has proved that the
lands make some OF the best farms, but they are
free from taxes. The town system OF schools
would cause the necessary expense OF all the
schools to be assessed upon all the taxable prop
erty. No taxpayers would escape paying taxes for
schools, and II the children from the back dis
tricts wished To attend extra terms In the village
they would be free 10 do 80 with no extra charge
The same committee would hire all the teachers
and place them in the schools and have the gem
eral oversight Of all the details that tend to Ike
good schools. The town system Is likely to pro-
vide continuously better schools than the district
system. 1t Is good thing TO have the subject
agitated, rs many men are ignorant Of the fact
that there Is law providing for town system
and that for ten years Middletown aud Waitsfeld
have had schools under such management |
have not perhaps made II clear what hardship Is
brought upon districts where most OF the farms
are untaxed because made up OF public lands. In
such cases most OF the personal property Is also
thrown out account of debts, which leaves
only the buildings TO be taxed, making a very
small grand list and consequent very high taxes
think 1t would be just to tax such farms on
their increased value above the first valuation OF
the new wild land, but In practice q farm worth
VI 600 pays no taxes and Is subject 10 rent Of
from $40 to $50. 1t is favorable to the farmers,
but hard on the other tax payers who bear greater
burdens. z. II, j.