The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-03-12
HOUSE BILL 900
MEANS LESS TAXES AND A saw
ING TO EVERY SCHOOL DIS
TRICT IN SHIAWASSEE
COUNTY.

To THE PEOPLE OF SHIAwAssEE Co.:
House bill 900, drafted by the writer
and introduced and heartily supported
by Hon. f. M. Shepard, of this county,
in brief provides for visitation of schools
only upon the written request of the
director, and also providing that the
compensation for the Commissioner OF
Schools shall be fixed by the board of
supervisors. This is the measure strip
ped of all formalties and it is intended
and expected that the expense as now
incurred by the duties of the office and
the burden upon the taxpayers will be
reduced from one-half to one-third.
THE SCHOOLS AND THE SCHOOL TAX.
The school tax is one of the heaviest
items of taxation and the Office of Com
missioner incurs tax of something
over $40. 90 FOB EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT
IN THE COUNTY, and at the same time
the cities of Owosso, Corunna and Ban-
croft pay their proportion of this tax
levy and the Commissioner has nothing
whatever to do with those schools. In
other words, tie enactment Of House BW
900 acOUH sdpe tie tO,onS d600e noted ser
eral hundred dollars IN taEeS Ro1r paid for
an oBicial acho uader no possible circum
stances can benefit the schools ADORE
named.
THE COUNTRY SCHOOLS
each year are diminishing in point of
attendance. and their decline is a ques-
ton that is engaging the serious atten-
ton of educators, and whatever may be
claimed for the office, it cannot be gain
said that it has been powerless to pre-
vent this condition. 1t is also true that
the educational system in this state was
not built up by the office, for whatever
there may be of power in our schools
was built up prior to the enactment of
the law some ten years ago. So on top
of a diminishing attendance of our
rural schools there is built up an eX-
pensive office of superintendence, and
with the decade the Office has been in
existence costing the county perhaps
$40, 1000, there has grown up county
debt of about $40, 900 OR ABOUT 30 CENTS
PER CAPITA With the increase of debt
and taxes there has come a decreased
ability to pay taxes and this Office being
the last in point of creation is in the
/ final analysis the one for whose support
in thiS county tie food and rdtment as
denied the family an order TINT the cBice
may erist and be supported.
THE HISTORY OF THE OFFICE IN THIS
COUNTY.
The ircumbents have entered upon
! the work with zeal ana continued it in
disappointment. The writer credits
himself with personal knowledge of two
years work. Passing over one year
the next incumbent practically wore
himself out in the rounds of visitation
and faithful labor and resigned to ac-
cept position where rational superin-
tendence was possible. The succeeding
! Commissioner travelled the same roads
and as arduously labored for the com
mon good but resigned to enter field
where the circuit of superintendent
was less in area and the possibilities for
results more sure. The present incum-
bent and candidate for reelection, has
zealously undertaken the duties of the
Office and as to his courtesy and qualili-
cation / desire to testify, and at the
same time ask him to join in n protest
against the continuance of an office as
now existing which entails taxation and
debt upon the people of the county
And the continuation thereof is in face
of diminishing district school attend
ance and power, diminishing ability OF
people to support, and the history ot
the Office in this county is one of disap
pointments in point of realization, and
the absudity is apparent when it i:
noted that the Commissioner has pre-
sumable to superintend ten times n,
many teachers in the course of a yeal
as does the superintendent of the Owos
so schools and then these spread on
over 500 times as much territory. In
other words, if the Commissioner O
schools can do effective work under
those conditions there is no reason why
one superintendent of city schools might
not rule over ali the schools along the
line of the d., G. H. u NJ. Ry. for ex
ample
There are a number of things in thi.
world more to be desired than money
and among those things is to live among
a happy and prosperous people who are