White Oaks eagle. (White Oaks, N.M.) 189?-190?, 1895-10-17
"OUR SCHOOL LAWS.n

1Ho hlDuquciquo DcWOCfutt AZ Soh-
menting on an editorial which appeared
in the EAGLE a short time ago, under
tho above head, Gays that there was,
after the enactment Of 1891, no further
necessity for the provision in former
law requiring school teachers to be able
to read and write, because the 1891 law
provided for the appointment OF exam
iners of applicants Cor teachers csrtif- |
Gates by the district judges.
True, the law of 1891 made the pro-
vision alluded to, but this was only
modification OF the old law, which re-
quired the school district board to con
duct the examinations. The old law
made it misdemeauor to pay any pub
lie money to teacher who did not hold
certificate of qualification from the
examining board. The law of 1891
omits this wise provision and. in fact,
while an examination hs prerequisite
creation of tho board OF examiners, no
express requirement appears, and il a
teacher without certificate should per- |
form services as such there can be no
doubt Of his power to enforce payment
eof his claims for the same. So that, in
stead of affording relief from the ne,
ceseity, il any ever existed, for the law,
of 1889 requiring teachers to know how
to read and write. the statute OF 1891
opened the door to an ignoramus to ac.
quire public school money without an
examination as to his qualifications to
teach.
Now, the EAGLE has not contended
that there was no necessity for legal
enactment guarding the public schools
against incapable "keepers" OF educa
tional institutions, nor that the repeal
OF the act OF 1889 was not proper. But
it published the facts, to show what n
state of things existed here and how
crude appear to be the opinions OF New
Mexico's representatives as to the sub.
ject of education.
But the Democrat, rs to another
branch of the EAGLES criticisms on the
law Of 1891, says:
The writer also objects to the section in the
came law which provides that oply such cattle
shall be taxed under the special district levy as
''graze wholly within the limts of said dis
trict..' The owners of range stock taxed
under the general territorial levy which is annu
ally fixed by the territoriol auditor, but are ex
!, empt from district leviss for the reason that
their property shifts in such q way that tho
question of determining in which district tit
, property belongs would be practically impossi
bio and if attempted would lead to endless con
fusion and litigation"
This is the first intimation from The
author of that statute, which has come
to our knowledge, that it was the dslib
crate intention to deprive the schools o.
the benefits of taxes derived from thu
entire taxable property of the distric
and cast the whole burden OF maintain
ing these schools upon only portion o.
the property holders. And that, too, OF
. such flimsy pretext as the one giver
: by the Democrat. IL there was an,
reason IN such an excuse for relieving
L live stock from district taxation, tn,
same would apply with equal force t.
counties and even to the territory, aBt
by the same course OF reasoning thi
species Of property would be relieved
: from taxation altogether. Let us b,
i honest with ourselves and frank will
the people Of New Mexico and scknowl
edge that the owners Of live stock
pulled the wool over our eyes and ma
4 aipulSted that school law in their owl
interest, to the dctriment OF our school,
= and to the disgrace OF our territory
:, Instead OF trying to defend an indefens
;. ible act, let all who really desire TO SO
New Mexico progress along the lines o
fair and wholesome legislation, go +
), work to reform what is vicious, relegat
the selfish tricksters to tho rear and TIM
- obliterate the shameful past.