The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-25
AN OPEN LETTER
From Superintendent Hall on the
Merits of the School Bills.


Merits of the School Bills.
Probably the most important question
to be dealt with by the present legisla-
ture is the school question. 1t devolves
upon the members 20 establish free
schools in the state of Utah in a man
ner Just alike to all classes and sec
tons. There are two bills before the leg
islature, one introduced by Senator Al
lison of Weber, the other by Represen-
tative Stevens of Weber. The Allison bill
is strongly. favored by the Salt Lake
board of education, and is said to favor
cities at THE expense of the country dis
tricts.
The following open letter from Super
iHtendent Hall of Weber county, should
receive careful attention. 1t is from am
educator of long experience and known
ability who has devoted much study to
the important question. The Herald in
vites other correspondence on this sub
OGDEN. Feb. "A, 1896.
To the Honorable Members of the Legis-
lature:
The school bills introduced in the
legislature are certain to arouse con-
siderable controversy.
found in article X, section of the consti-
tuition which reads: In cities of the
first and second-class, the public school
system shall be maintained and con-
lIO4ltQ ny lilG DOdIu VI SuuCdIlOn OIL SUCH
cities, separate and apart from the coun-
ties in which said cities are located
The question hinges on the meaning of
the word maintained" as used above.
Boards of education in said cities
naturally interpret this term in their own
favor, and they argue that it gives them
the right to all of the county school tax
which arises from the school levy on city
property, and that the county schools are
entitled only to that portion of the school
tax arising from the levy on county prop
erty.
Senate BILL No. 4S by Mr.. Allison seeks
to carry out this idea by legislative en-
actment (see section 143 of said bilD and
it even goes so far as to strike out sec
ton 81 of the present school law which
gives county courts the authority to levy
a county school tax.
On the other hand, county superinten-
dent and trustees contend that said sec
ton is for the purpose of perpetuaing
the existing condition of affairs under the
present school law by which cities of the
first and second class are now maintain
ed separate and apart from their respec-
tive counties. The word maintained
therefore refers to the application of
funds, and not to their creation.
That the legislature is the only body
that has the power to provide school
funds, and arrange for their distribution
is evident from the following passages
Article \, section L THE Legislature
shall provide for the establishment and
maintenance Of a uniform system of
public schools, etc.
Sec: 1.-The common school shall be
The latter part of section mentions
the state. school fund" and says. the
interest of which only, together with
such other means as the legislature may
provide, shall be distributed among the
several school districts according to the
school population residing therein
Provision for q county school tax
would certainly come under, such other
means as the legislature may provide, -
and of course it would be distributed as
above indicated.
The trustees and teachers of Weber
county ask the legislature to provide a
county school tax. They favor also, SO
far as they are informed regarding its
provisions, the enactment into law of
house bill No. 103 introduced by Mr..
Stevens.
If no county school tax is provided, or
if maintained" is construed as first men
toned above, it will be impossible that
the common school shall be free in
several of the smaller districts of Weber
county, even for the two terms required
by law. Respectfully.
MOSIAH HALL,
County Sllnerintendent Weber Co