The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-03-28

THE GIST OF THE MATTER.


Country papers which take the
ground that the people of Salt Lake
entertain the notion that they are be-
ing "held up and robbed, by the
counties which draw more from the
territorial school fund than they put
in by way of taxes. are laboring under
a misrepresentation. They must not
take for public sentiment the vagarles
and exaggerations of any newspaper
theorist. The Salt Lake public have
too much common sense to endorse
such farfetched and erroneous express
sions as have stirred up the folks in
the distant parts of the territory.
For the purposes of general educa-
ton the entire territory is organized
under uniform system. The district
schools are all connected under that
system as parts of one whole. The
territorial school taxes are collected
from all parts of the territory and
placed in the treasury, in the same
way that the general territorial tax is.
1t is disbursed according to the school
population. The question as to which
part of the territory contributes the
greatest or the least portion of this
general school tax does not enter into
the matter at all. The district which
contains the greatest school popula-
ton is entitled to the largest amount
of the general school tax, irrespective
of what it might have contributed to
that fund by taxation.
1t is folly, therefore, to intimate
that Salt Lake City has been rob
bed" or ''defrauded," or imposed up
on in any way by county or a dis
trict which has drawn from the treas
ury, funds partly paid by Salt. Lake
people. The law was designed to pro-
mote free education. It was intended
to do just exactly what some folks
have foolishly and inconsistently c3n,-
planned of.
AS man who has much property
must pay more taxes than a poor man
and yet can claim no more protection
under the law, SO must rich city con
tribute more than poor district to the
public treasury. A wealthy man with
no children to send to school, must
pay his school tax, which will be used
to educate another mans children
who, perhaps. pays little or NOTHING
by way of taxation for that purpose
Is that unjust? Not if the theory OF
free schools" is correct. And it is IN.
der that theory that the school taxes
are assessed and collected. On the
same principle a poor district that has
many children will draw more from
the school fund than will rich dis.
trict with but few children of schoo
age
All this must be conceded, and there.
fore the expressions which have ex.
cited some of our country contempt.
raries are both silly and wrong. an6
they naturally resent the imputation.
that have been made. But we wish
them to understand that Salt Lake
city is not represented in those foolish
remarks; the people here know better
and feel better.
However, the grievance which called
forth those extreme expressions has :
foundation in fact. 1t cannot be fairk
denied that during the late Legislative
session, a marked disposition was mani
fest to hinder or prevent the appropria
ton of money from the public funds
if it was to be expended in Salt Lake
city. That mistaken and sectional feel
ing was exhibited by some member.
from the country districts, notably tn,
Republicans. They seemed to be fire.
with jealousy of this city and exhibited
a niggardly and factious spirit when
ever expenditures to be made her,
were in question.
What then was more natural thai
the retort that Salt Lake city con
tributed large sums to the school func
which were drawn out by the countr,
! districts, and that therefore their repre-
sentatives had no occasion to resent tn,
expanding of public money for publ,
purposes in this city? That is the roo
of the entire matter. This city con