Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-09-26
TIE SCHOOL QUESTION.
souTH COTTONWOOD,
September IS, 1895.

September IS, 1895.
TO the Editor:
Amer carefully reading and con-
,iderlpg your last reply aud consult
inc various sources Of Information on
the suti,ct under discussion, | deem II
necessary TO again ask for space III
your paper, that may place myself
and the position maintain sqnafeIy
before the public.
From tue fret, and stIll, there IL but
ono question to be settled, though
,h,ouy n iusdvettencs or may be De
f.rtiv. conn jsition there have cftl 10
n,,nof dif,efeucse. II IL true various
o.sstlons arise from the mAin question:
mi c.u We succeed In settling the
main one. that will settle all Tue
n,Ino, i.sues 30 far A. the discussion "
concerned, Let us discard, ier Wv
nressnt. nil questions except that o. 'he
county school fond. -. nv.
Perhap, the beet way 10 make my,
,slf understood will be 10 enuihoIam ~
Ina tax,s levied and ny whAl Au'hor
itv. then. ss said before, c0nnno my
self 10 the one Issue. a.. ..s.,,,on
As I understand We pfopV,i..'o"
there IL q levy Of two mills on az -
able pfopstty In the Territory, WIFI 1i'
lew isfor current expenses OF .he ..
,l,a,v f5tntsl and IL made W Tue LIS
islatufe. there IL a levy OF tDIse I1ll,,
ronaitioned AZ above, tor n blsis sonoe'
fund. which, together with suoh osssi
mean. a, tho Legislature may ptoNIuel
mali h, di.trlbutsd among me sovoi',
.chool aistrlcts according 10 the snnooI
nonulatIon residing thefein'" hsiss
rom thls there IL levy OF intso hnll',
mad. nv the county court iot outten.
aa,,,,tv .xpenses. There u alsV hisuc
nv Inc county couIt = levy OF TWO
MIN. Tor a county school iunu, 70 %
si,ia,d IN the county precisely ~ the
stats iund, Besides all this thefe u
yssted IN boards Of education hna
boards Of school trustees certain olhef
nover. Of levyipg = special school AS.
Nav ~. whole question lies In the
i.yviny' collecting and appoflioning OF
the county school funu, lnH
cruz OF the whole conuosoiy,
The NEWS admits that ci'lss OF 'ns
frat and second class "Afe teIho'es
wholly from county oontfol OF iespn
sibillty In school matters sa'ns
this 10 be true, the county court ooulu
under the constitution stu levy AJAX
on city a. well ~ county property io'
current couaty expepseti oul 'hey can
not levy.on city property ior county
school ~ nd ,or 1.-THE court should more
would DO nj once raised me cry OF
double taxaiionn which would very
soon DO declared unconstitutional
10 Salt Lake county alone this
means n diminution OF $4,000 "a year
in her sonooi fund. OIher COUNTIES
may or may not be no seriously AZ
f,ci,d: but when We consider that
touf.fitths OF ths taxable property VI
Salt Lshc county 10 within the limits
OF Salt Lake CITY, ~ 10 n serious pFopo-
sltIon 10 the people Of the county. IL
4. not only n serious blow 10 the schools
Of Salt Lake county but 10 an entering
wedge which means destruction 10 the
whole free school system.
Que may SAY why npprehend such
disHstei1 The greatest evils often
come from ANAL Beginnings. But
Salt Lake CITY or any other nfst OF
second class city In only . school dis.
trict which cannot DO divided. Now,
N Salt Lake City has the right TO spply
aud DO taxed separately why cannot
Any other school district enjoy the
same privilege? II such q method be
carried into effect II simply means .
return 10 practically tho old tuition
sys,sm, with the exception Of the
territorial superintendent, which does
not contribute one half OF the school
fund. 10 this be allowed, W Wealthy school
districts will soon bear such force
upon county selsotmeD, that they viii
ieluse 10 levy = county school tar. IL
10 plain that where any school dlslric,
oJntfIbutes more 10 the school fund
than 10 rocsives--under prospective
oonditions-those districts will much
prefer to exercise the special school tax
privilege anu thereby keep their funds
within their own limit.
OF tho consequences that may Ao'
orus from this error graphic pictures
may DO drawn, but this 10 unnecessary.
~ cold conditions furnish n more cou-
vincing argument. The TACT IL that
the very foundation and framework OF
our tree school system IL In danger.
and 10 all who love education, prog
Tess and n prosperous stale, We would
call for an unbiased investigation eft
the lurking danger throttle US and
place US where We must holplssaly
watch the orumbling OF our mos
magnificent Institution - cur ite'
school system.