The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-01
H SPECIAL TAX.
Joseph Horsky Relieves In Shortening the
school Year.

Joseph Horsky Relieves In Shortening tho
School Year. II
To The independent;
The school board has recently made q
demand for a special tax of $35, 600, or
about two mills on the assessed valuation
of the district, for school purposes this
year. ! would certainly favor IL il the ne
cessity existed BY reason Of fair and com
pstent management. but i'm compelled to
oppose the tax when l know the deAcisncy
has been accustomed by m~iamanaQemunt,
and with no immediate prospect of an i'm
provement In school affairs. No matter
how much money IL provided. IL will 90 tho
usual way II those who have been manipu-
latinG this fund are to remain in power.
The only remedy that I can see for this
reckleasness Is: First. to refuse to vote the
money. which will only benefit a few per-
sons at the expense of the entire community,
and be OF uncertain advantage to the
schools. and second. to elect for trustees
only Taxpayers who have good, hard bust
meas sense, and will use it for tho public
good.
New men should bo selected, and no one
who is a professional educator, or has rela-
tives employed by the district. should serve
upon the board. Unless great care Ia exer-
cised, the selection OF trustees will be made
IN the interest OF those who manipulate the
schools and school fund, and not in the
1uteEeHt or the hCnOOl ulAtrlct.
1t will be far better to close tho schools a
month or two earlier in the spring and open
them later in the fall this year, then get Il
new start, without a deficiency, and with a
board that can eatimate what the running
expenses Of the district will be. and when
the money ia furnished them will carry the
schools through the year with it.
Few OF the present board are blameless
for the shortage, n next year will see an
other demand for n special tax il this one
is allowed. Every sucb tax means az addi-
tional mortgage plastered upon all the
property in the district to meet not the &C.
tual wants of the school. but the inoom-
petent or dishonest conduct of those in
charge, and will be continued Just as long
as the money is voted every time they ask
FOR IL. If ! remember correctly n special
tax on one mill (about $19,O OO) was voted
last year, md of the total county tax COL
looted in district No. l (Helena). nine
Beventeenths Of the whole was for school
purposes. l believe the schools can be con-
Quoted as we'll. and "a satisfactorily on rs
per cent OF the money now used. AS am
confident that 90 per cent. or moro. Is
%squandered and believe the trustees, who
are the cause of it, should be held person.
ally responsible for all unauthorized ex-
penditutes. many Of which will be found
allowed by them. Will some one familiar
with the inside workings Of our school
board explain some of their transactions?
The time has certainly arrived when a
determined effort should be made to rid
our city, school and county governments of
schemers. speculators and manipulators. 1t
Is useless to attempt to hide the fact that
our public affairs are in n bad shape. and
this is fully understood abroad as we'll as
at home; a continuation Of it will depopu-
late tho CITY and prevent Improvements as
we'll as investments. Careful business
management of all these matters will in q
short time restore confidence and aid in
hrJnOJnn tn Tu a rrturu nf thu vor1uDAr;k- vrn
have heretofore enjoyed.
A comparison OF the average daily cost of
education, in some of the states. for each
pupil, taken from the reports for 1891, may
be interesting,
would like some one to furnish a good
reason, if one exists, why Ii should be- SO
much more expensive in Montana than
elsewhere.