The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-09

be glad TO wait on you, or give you any de-
sired information.
as 10 the cost of this high school work.
Since then i visited "A township high school
in an adjoining township. 1 asked the high
school teacher what the attendance would
average. She said not over sixteen the last
bimonIhly examination, and part OF these
were eight-year pupils. That cost the town.
ship little over SIS per scholar for the
term Of six months Kind of expensive. Mr..
Thornton. is IL not? L would like 10 know
how much tax the average citizen who lives
in an incorporated town or city pays for
the maintenance OF the schools in n rural
school tax He does not pay any unless he
has property in the township outside OF the
corporate limits. This section takes all au-
thority away from the trustee as TO the
course of study and does not say how much
high school work they viii put in nor how
little. The high schools OF this county all
have TWO years of high-school work. This
bill gives the state board the authority TO
put in one. two, three four years work:
the higher the work the higher grade OF
teachers. hence higher priced teachers and
more tax. This bin takes all the authority
away from trustees as TO these high schools,
as to course of study and vests IL in the
board. All that the trustees can do II TO
submit TO the behest of the board III this bill
becomes law and tax the people 10 pay the
cost. When this is done. do not blame the
trustees for high township tax, but put IL
where it belongs-on the Legislature.
MIR. Thornton said something about
building a high school building for but little
more than IL would cost TO build an ordi-
nary district house. as trustees could repair
some old schoolhouse at small cost. His
idea of asking hign-school pupils TO attend
school i'm some old house that had been re-
paired. badly located and inaccessible shows
how much he knows about the matter. We
country folks may have hayseed In our
hair when we come TO your city. nut We can
give you pointers on a country high school
building.
Mr.. Thornton says If I did not read the
bill 1 wilfully classifying. or I'm other
words, lying. This latter quotation i take
IL for granted. refers TO the latter part OF
the section where IL says that two or more
toWs,nishlps etc, Can ouiio nig IN, sGhSoi
lieve il is claimed TO have originated at the
| State High School teachers meeting) evil
IDENTIFY became frightened at the sweeping
demands of the first part OF this section,
where IL says the trustee shall build. and
concluded that they had better modify IL
| little. so they put I'm a saving clause for
| the time being. The school officers that live
| in Incorporated towns and cities would
| identity protest IL trustees out of town were
| To try 10 run their schools and they would
| be right. The rural trustees think they
know something of the wants and needs OF
| their townships AS TO two or more town.
| ships or towns building such houses jointly,
| IL is rarely practicable. III IL were done IL
would have 10 be at the side OF each OF the
! the two other sides OF each township? The
! pupils located farthest from such building
| would be left out yet would have TO help
| pay for something that they get no benefit
/ from.
one OF my high-school buildings cost
| eo,VtO. exclusive OF the LTOuudcs Out buiiu-
1 ngs. well. etc. while new district school
house that 1 built last summer cost little
| over 81 90. These things cOsg money. and
when the Legislature passes such laws and
| the people want these fine things. what can
| the trustees do III this educational bill
| passes I'm its present shape. especially Sec
| ton l. IL will add 10000 or more taxes at
/ least and then il Senator Duncan's trustee
| bill passes (Senate bill No. lfs). that will
| cost from S25 600 TO $50 600 for the ninety-two
| counties including stationery. rent, prose-
| cutiOn of trustees, etc. And then. there Is
! the present publication law. this bill does
not repeal IL. and there are the county COM
! missioners who are already an auditing
/ committee TO audit trustees reports. they
will not give up their jobs. Nobody knows
better than the trustees that the township
1 taxes are high, but when the Legislature
/ passes these laws and adds penalty OF
| $50 To $500 tine and Imprisonment, as did the
| Roots bill that was killed on Thursday In
| the House. does any sane man suppose We
| are going TO sit supinely still and lay our
! selves liable TO such penalty as thatg I do
| not see why the Legislature classes trustees
] as dishonest because one OF the number
goes wrong here and there. perhaps some
| member of the Legislature may so wrong
before he returns home.
G. w. L0oNEY, JR..
Rushyille. Ind. Feb. .. Trustee.