Arizona silver belt., 1895-02-16
TuE NORMAL SCHOOL.
what It ha, Cost Tax.Paycrs- What Is Now
 fsked.

2Dd, advocating retrenchment in Ter ritorial expenditures, appears te have had a similar effect on the Tempe News as red rag has upon a bull, It has made him both furious and reck- less, and he indulges in innuendo and ',nsesnly language, for want of argu- ment to make reply. However, there is this difference between the bull and the Tempe News tyro: The bull when aroused becomes really dangerous, while the News scribe only makes him. self ridiculous,
 The BELrs information in regard to tho appropriation to be asked for the Normal School came from reliable source at Phoenix, and in view Of for mer appropriations for that institution we deemed the proposed expenditure extrsvagsnt and unwarranted.
 From the report of Governor Hughes, for 1894, we lesTn that the rlsns and specifications for the Normal School, as accepted, provide for "a three story fire proof structure, the first story to be built of brownstone and the second and third stories of pressed brick. P'ss eStir1ated cost of the building is S46, 800, This large amount for the building alone, not including furniture and school apparatus, which, to cor respond with the style of the building would raise the total cost to more than $50, coo This does not include the original appropriation of s5,OOO for a building, and cost of maintenance since 1885, which would swell the total to almost if not quite SleO, 900.
 The law creating the Normal School does not contemplate any such extrava- gant outlay for building and for the support of the school Five thousand dollars is the sum named in the law for the erection of a Normal School building, and S3, 500 was then consid- cred ample for running the institution two years. Now S46, 800 is wanted for the building, and the annual cost of maintenance had run up to S6,477.l2 in 1892, as shown by the biennial re- port of tue secretary of the Normal School.
 A perusal of the report shows that the finds were distributed with most liberal hand, and the teachers were paid S2OO, Sl25 and SlOO per month respectively for principal and two as sistahts, Two thousand dollars Q year for the principal and S2, 25O for two assistant teachers is certainly exorbi- tant pay for the work performed, and Governor Murphy was of this opinion, us in his report for the year 1891 he says "As twenty days comprise a school month, believe that Sl0 per day is excessive compensation for the principal, and thst Sl25 per month for the principal and SSO per month for the assistant there was then but one Is sufficient for the labor performed
 PlJperEy owners, while they realize that taxes are high, seldom stop to con- sider for what purposes they are im- posed and what benefit they are deriv- ing from the levy.
 The Normal School vas established by the Thirteenth Legislature in 1885, and the law amended snd re enacted in 1887. The sum of S5, 900 was first ap. propriated for the erection of a build ing, and s3,5OO for the support of the Institution for 1885 and 1886. In 1887 there wasleyisa for tlge maintenance of the Normal School tax of two and one-half cents on each one hundred dollars of the assessed value of all real snd personal property in the Territory, to be levied annually until the Terri tory becomes State. In addition to this the Seventeenth Legislature enact ed that levy of two-hfths of mill on each one dollar of assessed value of all property should be made annually for the years 1893 snd 1894. So it will be seen that during the past two years the annual levy for the Normal School was six and one-half cents upon each sl0O valuation, amounting last year in 6ila county to S575. S5.
 The News alleges that only S13, 900 was realized from the last levy for 1893 and 1894, but if the entire tax was col leoted and paid into the Normal School fund it should amount to S22, ,2I9. 36. Allowing that ten per cent. of the tax is delinquent still the levy should have yielded s20, 600, Now the legislature is asked (by Mr. Wildmnn's bill, copy of which we have reoeiyedD to authorize a further levy for the years 1895 and 1896, of three-ffths of mill on the dollar, or cents upon the enc hun dred dollar assessed yaluatioa, which upon total property valuation for the Territory of BPS, 900, 900 would amonnt to S33, 500 for the two years, which would be in addition to the regular levy of two and one-half,conts amount ing to S14,o00 for the same period. Gila county would then be called upon % pay (based on last years valuation