The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-04-28


school administration that were utterly
at war with the letter and spirit of all
law, and humanity as well. Not all the
districts have been thus culpable, but
enough on the strength of the abuses
practlsed, if for no other reason, for the
utter extinction of the system. The in
creasing developments of the frauds per-
petrated by districts and the spirit some
OF these petty municipalities are exhib-
lting in setting up their affairs will seal
their fate, if there could otherwise be
any doubt as to the finality of the law
enacted at the last session of the legisla-
ture."
The communication referred to is too
long to quote in full, but we give
couple of extracts. The correspondent,
in reply to the recent pronouncement of
the House Committee, and published in
the State papers, says: The question,
what should be done with this Tpublic
money distributed in March, 1881, and
any money remaining in the treasury of
the district after their strictly pecuniary
district affairs have been settled, is quite
another thing. l have invariably ad-
vised school officials who have consulted
me on the subject that the only absolute
ly safe course, as we'll as a Just and euui-
table one, was to hold the money until
the proper tribunal should determine the
question, or, in default of that, to await
the action of the legislature at its next
session. am surprised that so impor-
tant point should have been overlooked
by the lawmakers, and moro surprised
that the committee on education, who
father the school laws, should not have
impaired to the house such information
as would lead to legislation on that point.
They knew, or should have known, if
they were fit men to be entrusted with
the educational legislation of the State,
that the manner in which school matters
were and had for years been conducted,
must invariably result in leaving large
amount of money distributed among the
district treasures in the State, when
ever the old system should suddenly end
They should have known that a great
many districts prior to the enactment of
the school law of 1888, Act No. o, had
supported their schools entirely, or in
great part, on the public money. l use
that term here in its broadest sense, in
tending to include all school funds ex-
cept those raised by district taxation,
and that, even in spite of Section 237 of
that act, many districts had continued
the practice, ignoring both the letter and
spirit OF the law, running their schools
on the public money. The
practice was to vote such tax as was
required by law to entitle the district to
its full share of the public funds and
then vote not to assess and collect the
same; or If, perchance, it was assessed,
the collector received instructions to
defer the collection, and in some ir-
stances the entire tax has been abated
With such corrupt and dishonest
practice in vogue, how could it be other
wise than that many districts should,
when the end came without sufficient
warning for full preparation, find them
selyes with a troublesome surplus de-
handing disposition? And from such a
8 etioa, is. ii not perfectly natural that
districts should have reached and an
tlcipated the very conclusions recently
by the committee on educa-
ton, that they may by vote dispose of
the same as they see fit?'' 1t was ex-
actly in line with such logic that one
district in the central part of the State
attempted to dispose of the surplus by
voting q compensation to such persons as
had been district officers during the past
six years. Such forethought certainly
deserved reward but the district still
finds itself confronted by condition, as
the compensation, thus voted and paid,
failed to exhaust the surplus, leaving its
asst state no better than its first except
In degree. The district treasurer who
called on the selectmen of Charlotte for
his districts share of the public money,
saying they were going to use it to buy
cigars with" etc., was also in line, as
were also those districts reported to have
voted to expend the surplus in picnics
and excursions during the coming sum-
mer. According to the unanimous opin-
on of the committee on education, such
disposition of the surplus is not only
proper but perfectly legal. Is it just and
equitable as well? And whence that
lnanimity? Not very long ago one of that
same committee, acting as chairman at a
meeting of the school directors of GER
-aiA county, combated with all the force
If his logic the specious arguments of
egal gentleman present as director from
4 town wherein is situated an insane
asylum, who claimed that the surplus
absolutely to the districts, re-
yardless of whence it came-Whether
rom the ordinary public money, rent of |
schools lands, interest on the United !
States deposit, income from the Hunting |
,on fund, the five per cent State school
AZ, district taxation or any other |
source and were at liberty to do as they |
saw fit with It, this member meanwhile |
that these funds were raised |
Tor exclusively school purposes and |
,ould not justly or legally be put to
)ther uses. He seems to have had new
light shed upon him.
To me it seems very unfortunate that
This committee should have felt itself of |
such Importance as to deem it necessary
10 come together to interpret the school |
avs They are intelligent men and pos
sibly have in mind what they thought |
The school laws were to be, but they are
40 better qualified than other equally in
men to say what the laws ac-
tually are. The laws were not enacted
Is prepared by the committee. As a
matter of fact, most of these school laws
came from the committee to the house
On the last afternoon OF the session, Or
lered printed, were distributed very
ate that afternoon, considered and cut
M in committee of the whole, l believe
ate in the evening, and some time dur
ing the small hours of the last night,
after much wrangling and contention,
emerged from the din and chaos attend
ant on such deliberative (P) occasions,
laws, recognizable perh APPS
by their very intimate friends but by no
one else. / submit whether under such
that committee is any
better able to interpret and explain their
than other thinking men.
yUaffors ot, vvonta tha oovarnmaut to