The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-14
A NEW SCHOOL LAW.
Questions to Be Discussed at
Tri-City Conference.
HOW TO REDUCE THE INTEREST.
School Director Spencer Tells What
VIII Be Proposed-Smaiier Cities
to Be Included.

The conference to which the Seattle board of
education has invited the boards OF Tacoma and
spokane and which is to be held at Tacoma next
thursday will consider some proposed amend
nenss TO the present school law. A bill drafted
oy ID. A. Spencer, OF the Seattle board, will be
submitted and its chief provisions were thus
Outlined by that gentleman to a PosTINTELLI-
GENcER reporter:
At present there IS no legal method by which
money can be obtained for cur, nj expenses in
advance OF the collection of taxes at less than 10
per cent interest Al present when school war
rants are presented TO the county treasurer aud
not paid for want OF funds that officer certlfies
10 that Iact by stamping the warrant and re-
turning 1t TO the owner. Il then bears 10 per
cent. interest till paid This custom conpels
the school district 20 pay 10 per cent on school
funds. though q leading banker told me that ii
schooi warrants were properly funded they could
9e solo for par. bearing but per cent. interest.
propose to add clause to section ID OF the law
providing that whenever the treasurer shall
nave declined 70 pay warrants for want OF funds
70 an amount exceeding go he shall certify the
iAcl 10 the board OF education with an estimate
OF the time when there will be funds liz his
possession as treasurer 20 redeem SAID warrants
ana the board of education may cause
warrant, TO be entitled funding warrant, 10
to issued for the sum total of the warrants pre-
sen'ed and unpaid, this warrant TO be Issued TO
tCn ior the time estimated by the treasurer and
TO be sold by the treasurer at not less than par
value for the best terms obtainab.e and At Il rate
OF interest not TO exceed per cent per annun;
the funds obtained by the sale OF said warrants
10 be deposited To the credit OF tie school dis
tTict The provision OF chief importance here is
taAt whereby the funding warrant shall run for
u certain time. leading obstacle TO the
ready sale OF warrants is that there y no time
hxed Tor their payment An per cent. fund
Ing warrant ought now to sell FOR above par and
ms proposed change in the law would Ihus save
seattle at least per cent. per annum on much
OF It's debt, which, with the premium, would be
very considerable economy.
lhe question OF the proper sum to be raised
oS annual taxation for school sites and build
ingE Will also be discussed, and the Seattle
board has very conservative opinions Oh that
subject. AS ii Is proposed to extend the law to
cities OF 300 Inhabitants graded tax upon the
assessed valuation OF the cities is the most
likely 70 be opted, in place of the $4,000
year perm tied under the present law One pro-
posai Is &c place the limit at $70,G00; another,
when seems preferable, provides that not
expended for these purposes without popular
vote. This would allow an annual expenditure
In seattle OF $4,000 on the present assessed val
uatioa OF $780, 800 and the amount would in
crease as the city grows in wealth and popula-
ton.
There will be two proposals as to what cities
have suggested that the line be drawn at those
OF 5000 population, but proposal will be SUBJ
mitted TO include cities OF the third class.
some of the county superintendent propose
that the school tax shall he uniformly levied
upon nj OF the property of the county and
DIVIDED pro rata among all the districts. The
shall be levied on cities OF the first class and
ID at such cities shall not receive any portion of
the county school fund. As the proposed change
would work hardship upon the cities ana tend
ootn 10 increase the cost of the city schools aud
em5arrass their administration it will no doubt
be unanimously opposed by the boards OF all
the Cities. II would require Seattle to pay GER
tain portion OF the county expenses, since four
teen-iifteenths OF the taxes OF the county are
paid here. though Seattle has about ak -seycnths
OF the population OF the county. The proposed
change would also vest the school ley.es both
Tor the city and county in the hands of the
county commissioners. instead of having the
former III the hands OF city school boards, as
under the existing law.
some changes are proposed regarding the
examination and qualification OF teachers for
the city schools, ana some slight changes IN the
law in relation TO election of members OF the
board of education.
I hese seem TO be the principal questions
which the members OF the Seattle board OF edtI-
cation are ready to propose at the coming con-
ference. but it is quite probable that the Ia
coma and Spokane boards will have other Ques-
tons which will seem OF importance. The Sc
attic board OF education Is composed OF CON
servatlve men VINO have the interests of the
schools at heart and whatever measures they
agree 20 will doubtless receive proper attention
from the King county delegation at Olympia.