The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-01
SCHOOL ELECTION TODAY
Two Trustees to Be Selected and a
Special Tax to Be
Decided.
Thirty-F Five Thousand Dollars E,e-
qufred to Maintain the
Schools
ohiesS 1t 10 Voted Thoy WIN Close Till
January-Some of the Candi-
dates Mentioned.

The school election which takcs n,oc.
to-day promises to be very liyelv one mn.
80 much in regard to the mon who will be
chosen to fill the two vacancies but on tho
question of the special tax. The tsrms of
two trustees expire-Dr. G. Is. Miller and
q. u. Greenfield. The ttustees have naked
the people to vote special tax OF $35, 600 to
maintain the schools. As was shown in a
Table printed few davs ago where in 1888
the daily average attendance at the schools
was 6oS. and the apportionment $685. 4s5. tho
daily average attendance this year is l,417.
or more than double, tho apportion mont
Will only be $4,000. Ono of two things
under the circumstances, must be done
close the schools till Jan. l, 1894, or vote
the 1000 asked for. With this sum the
trustees say they can put the district on a
good financial basis, and overcome the de-
hciencies of past years. An advocate OF the
TAX and prominent citizen, talking of il
yesterday, eaid:
Much has been said about the need of a
good pay roll in order to give growth and
prosperity to Helena. good nav roll
means employment to our people, comfort
able and happy homes for the laborers and
their families. and prosperity for our mer-
cnants. and yet there are number of our
people Whe seem to be in favor Of voting
uown the proposed school tax, thus closing
the doors of our public schools and throw
ing ouS OF employment between forty and
nifty teachers and ianitors, and taking
thousands OF dollars out of circulation,
nearly every dollar of which is spent in the
stores and boarding houses in Helena.
NO greater calamity could happen to our
people than 20 have the schools closed for
nearly half OF the school year. The present
corps OF teachers would be compelled to
seek employment elsewhere. The board of
trustees would find it imp ossible in the
middle OF the year to secure competent
teachers, and as result the schools would
be practically worthless for the remainder
OF the year. Again. many OF the teachers
nave friends and relatives. who are depend
port. 10 throw them out Of employment
would entail upon them a heavy burden. il
indeed 1t did not cause serious distress.
he hard times of the past three years
nave made the expenses of our city heavy
burden upon the taxpayers. but to econo-
mizs by shutting our school houses in the
race OF our children, by throwing half a
hundred people out Of employment by
withdrawing forty or fifty thousand dol
lars from local circulation and inviting the
country. is as unwise as it is unpatriotio
and hurtful to the best interests Of the peo-
pie and city. l cannot believe but that the
friends of Helena will by their votes order
the schools to continue. and economics in
other departments where such disastrous
consequences would not necessarily follow"
For trustees a number of names have
been suggested. among them G. X. Wells,
Moses Norris Cornelius Hedges, W. Il.
Cullen. H. c. Smith. W. B. Raleigh. II. T.
Hamilton. John Potter, George Booker,
and the present inoumbenta. MIR. Wells
positively declined last night to allow his
name to be used. and the following from
Mr. Moses Morris shows that he Is not a
candidate:
To The Independent:
My name having been mentioned asa
candidate for school trustee and ballots
distributed bearing my name / wish to an
nounce positively that l am not a candi-
date for said Office, and request my friends
not to vote for me. as / can under no oir-
cumstances serve. MosEs NORRIS
From the list given above there should be
no difficulty in selecting two men fitted for
the office. The polls will be open at two p.
m. at the central school building and re-
main open until six y. IN.