Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-10-10

of the school. No fair reason can be given
why the one shonld be supported - equal
taxation, and not the other "
The third point made ny the superintefi.
ent is that az the common schools are aided
by state taxation in nearly all the states of
the American Union" Hon. n. II. r.
Dawson, United States commissioner of
education in 1878, is quoted as 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 first
land grant Tor common school purposes by
the congress of 1875, state aid to education
has been an acknowledged principle of the
American people, even those Of the most con-
sentative individualism conceding in some
measure the right and duty of the state to
educate" A table prepared by Mr. Dawson,
giving the revenue per capita of population
from state taxes devoted to the support of
schools is appended to this quotation. By
this table it appears that Maine raised SO 81
per capita; New Hampshire, S903; Rhode
Island, 1928; Connecticut, 50 10; New
$685. Texas, S3.47 Ohio, $3.50; Indiana,
S4.40 Colorado, SLIP; California. S1139.
Last year in New York, S3,469199.95
was raised by state taxation for the
support of the public schools. This was
more than one-fifth of their entire eX-
pense. Massachusetts has a school fund of
$500, 1852. From this every town whose
grand list does not exceed one-half million
dollars receives annually $500. "Agaip,
the Massachusetts mortgage law il | I'M
derstand it, by which the mortgage pays
taxes where the land is situated must tend
to adjust the burdens of taxation" Yet
with all the state aid given to the smaller
towns, the Massachusetts board of educa-
ton in their report in 1888 said that it is
the clear duty of the commonwealth to fur
nish greater peruniary aid to the poor coun-
try towns" In addition to the large
amount received by the small towns from
the state school fund, the Massachusetts
legislature last year granted 80, 100 more to
provide superintendent for them.
The fourth point under this head is that
of equal taxation, constitutionally consid-
cred. " If our school system is a state sys-
TEN, If education is for the public good our
constitution, article 9, demands equal tax
alton" The superintendent makes this
interesting resume of the statistics bearing
on this subject: " An examination of the
statistics discloses the painful fact that
1850 children in the state are attending
schools of only "A weeks in year; that
36,246 children are attending schools of 80
and 80 weeks; that probably, 5000 or 5000
more are in schools of 26 and % weeks;
that the average rate of district taxes for
schools of 30 or more weeks is 2S.9; that it
is 80 per cent for schools of "A weeks, and
that one-quarter at least, and probably
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 10 per cent in Essex county; IL in
Bennington; 80 in Windham; but it is only
20 per cent in Chittenden, 27.5 In Addison,
27.7 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,
26.9: but in Addison and Franklin it Is %
weeks, and in Chittenden, 2S.1 weeks that
that the average length of schools is the
greatest in Rutland county, it being 800
weeks, and the average rate per cent is % 1,
but in schools of 30 weeks it is only 245
per cent" Commenting on these figures, he
says: " III this We're mere temporary
condition resulting from a temporary cause
it would require very different remedies,
or perhaps none at all; but, on the contrary,
| it is the inevitable result of a false prin
| ciple of taxation, long continued, and
| growing worse and worse year by year.
| 1t is full time that the spirit of the consti-
tuition should pervade and shape the entire
system, as justice and expediency clearly
| dictate"
Again, the superintendent discusses
"equal taxation in schools where legal
studies are taught" No one claims, he
says, that 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 harmonic with our theories of
schools and taxation. This undoubtedly
would require that the public schools. in
Which are taught those studies required bv
ld,o to be taught, shall be substantially of
the same character and usefulness. The
wealthy towns can. and should, provide
schools where the higher branches may
be taught, and boys and girls fitted for col
lege.'
The next topic discussed is Chow the
fund should be divided if a state tax is i'm
posed" On this the superintendent says;
1t should be divided among the towns on
the same principle as the public money is
among the districts in the several towns
namely, a certain amount among the towns
equally and the rest on the school popula.
ton. 1t is divided in New York in this
way. A tax on the grand list of the state
divided per capita, is not a sufficient relief. ~
Tables, carefully prepared by Mr. f. A
Fernald, recently principal of the Water.
bury graded schools, are submitted in sup
port of this statement. In concluding the
discussion of the needs of the small schools
the superintendent says: "If it is thought
that the superintendent has devoted too large
space to the small schools, his excuse is
that he believes the only obstacle to the
complete success of the new school law is
this inequality of taxation, and, with that
rectitied. we should have as good a system
of public schools as there is in America"
The second general subject to which at
tention is called is that of The "town sys
tenn" The superintendent saws: " The
TtdSOHS uTBtu dDONt lOT d Sldlt LAX 10 equal
iZe taxation among the towns have equa
force in favor of the town system for tn,
purpose of equalizing taxes among the dis
tricts. 1t is difficult to see how one reason
can be given for the support of highways
bridges and the poor, by tax on all tn,
property of the town, that is not of equa
force in favor OF supporting the schools il
the same way. The superintendent is awar,
that there has existed in the state stronl
prejudice against the town system, but be
lieves that it is much less at this time; hut
at all events, he is firmly persuaded thai
the school question can never be perma
nently settled until the burdens of taxation
are adjusted as they ought to be.
Section Dds, presented by the learned
commissioners to the legislature, required
the towns to raise a tax of eighteen per cen
of the grand list of the town. This section
would have been very much better if il haG
passed as originally drawn. 1t would have