The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-10-09

or,f.,tiy administration OF Justice are posi-.
he only through the ennohling Influences
81 tho school. No fair reason can be given
why the one should bc supported by equal
taxation. and not the other
The third paint made by the superintcnd.
ent il that "the common schools are aided
hy state taxation la nearly all the states 81
tie American Union" Hon. n, II. II.
Dawson, United States commissioner ~
education in lsst.s IN quoted ~ saying
+" Both the elementary and the higher edu'
cation were provided for by many OF the
early colonies, especially by those Of New
England And from the time OF the hrst
land grant for common school purposes 10y
the congress 81 ilsa, state aid 10 education
has been M acknow lodged principle OF the
American people, even those OF the most con-
sentative indisidualism connecting IN some
measure the right and duty OF the state 20
educate" A table prepared by Mr.. Dawson,
giving the revenue per capita OF population
from state taxes devoted 90 the support OF
schools is appended 10 this quotation, by
this table IL appears that Maine raised ~ ~
per capita; New Hampshire, sa.1li khode
Island, 81 %; Connecticut s2lai New
York, SSql Virginia, s2lni Kentucky,
s95s' Texas, s3.4s. Ohio, s25a; Indiana,
a. ~, Colorado, she, California. slisa.
Last wear In New York, 81, i'Nilnto
was raised by state taxation for the
support OF The public schools, This was
more than one-fifth OF their entire eN.
pense Massachusetts has school thnd OF
s2,7U,725.32. From this every town whose
grand list does not exceed ona.hhli mllanh
dollars receives annually san0. Again,
the Massachusetts mortgage law, II ] un-
derstand A. by which the MORTGAGE pays
taxes where the land Is situated, must iend
10 adjust the burdens Of taxation YET
with all the state aid given TO the smaller
towns the Massachusetts board OF eduea-
l.. ~. Ia. latI IA \
the clear duty Of the commonwealth 10 faf'
nish greater peerniary aid TO the poor ccoun-
try towns In addition 10 the large
amount received by the small towns from
The state school fund, the Massachusetts
legislature last year granted s2IW more TO
provide superintendenis for them
The fourth point under this head is that
OF equal taxation, c0nstitutionally consih-
cred :" II our school system Is state sys'
tenn, IL education is for the public good, our
constitution, article q, demands equal TAX
alton" The superintendent makes TINS
interesting resume OF the statistics bearing
on this subject. " An examination OF the
statistics discloses the painful fact that
236j5 children in the state are attending
schools of only "A weeks in year; that
80, DAG children are attending schools OF ~
and 80 weeks; that, probably, 1900 or o,oo
more are In schools of 20 and q weeks
that the average rate OF district taxes ior
schools OF 20 or more weeks is 2S,9i that ~
is 80 per cent for schools OF q weeks ana
that one.quarter at least, ana proDapiy
| one.half, should be added TO this, TO sup
port schools in the smaller localities OF the
same length and character as the schools OF
| 30 weeks: that the average rate OF district
| taxes is 40 per cent in Essex county; ~ In
Bennington; 80 in Windham but IL is only
20 per cent in Chittenden, 275 in Addison,
| III in Franklin; that the average length
of schools in the state Is 27.2 weeks;
| that the average length in Essex county is
% weeks: in Bennington, 26.6; Windham,
900: but In Addison and Franklin 1t is %
weeks, and In Chittenden, 2s1 weeks; that
that the average length OF schools is the
greatest in Rutland county, it being 30.5
weeks, and the average rate per cent Is 2S.4,
but In schools OF 20 weeks 1t Is only BAD
per cent" Commenting on these figures, he
saws; "If this were mere temporary
condition resulting from temporary cause,
il would require very different remedies,
| or perbaps none at all; but on the contrary,
il Is the inevitable result OF false prin.
ciple OF taxation, long continued and
growing worse and worse year by year.
It's full time that the spirit OF the consti-
tuition should pervade and shape the entire
system, as Justice aud expediency clearly
dictate"
| Again. the superintendent discusses
"euual taxation in schools where legal
studies are taught" No one claims, he
saws. tina, it is the duty OF the state, under
the present statute, to provide schools Of
| the same grade and character in all the
towns. !" But it is most strenuously in
sisted that our practice and management
Of the schools. and taxation TO support
them. must barmonize with our theories Of
schools and taxation This undoubtedly
would reanire that the public schools, IL
,ohjcb are tauobt those studies required Jy
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