Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-02-10

imposed--tax af,oi all kinds for the SUP
oort Of common schools-in order to
Give their ohildren the benefit OF two
terms Of school 90 the Law rtquirsp,
debt 10 lclvaled to llqulIRte
which the citizens OF the said uis,ric.s
have to 20 down deep into their own
pockets to supply the deficiency. This
is proportionately double taxation OF
such citizsns for the support Of com.
mon schools, and being unequal taxa.
tlon, Is unconstitutional and unjust.
The Slate should therefore reiunu the
several amounts thus pniu.
1t may be argued that each child
in the State Of school age receives
uer capita OF the school funds, or that
the small districts receive all they pay
on that account, ard even more. All
hitting this; yet while that may mp
pear true, 1t does not leseen the uehCi.
ency nor the obligation which the
Constitution imposes In relation to tue
common school. La these cases tue
common school iulfiB the fundamental
law applicable only TO the high tcIUO..
Of first and sec0nd-clasj cities.
Nor will general Increase oil taxa.
ton to that end cure the comulaint,jUr
the disparity woul1 DO then as great
The large, rich school districts are at
present able TO meet uemanus, but the
smaller ones should have Immediate,
constitutional relief.
MY position on this question Ia that
the state. having obligated Itself to
make "the common school iTee," can
only cancel that obligation by the
creation in fact, OF rse common
schools In every school distrlc! Of this
State.
That the payers Of the State anu
county school taxes loae their identical
amounts, these placed in common
treasury for the iurtherauCe Of COm.
mon Objtcl-irst, the Tree common
school; 30 that where n school district
Ia rich 1t ehall not aggrandizl Itself
and give TO its children ar education
surprising that Of the lO0reBI hamlet
w person in the State who has pail
or has ha1 remitted equal tax on eHCh
dollar OF real anu personal property
possessed as the parent or cltizeu Uf the
rich gohOyl district.
1t seems that the uniilca,iOn OF the
Inhabitants OF the State or nation ~
now seldom, II ever, taken into cOn-
alteration by the Legislative solons
Pardon this digTession.
The common schools OF first and
second class cities, according 10 my
judgment. should also be euppgTte.
rom the common school luLd aud not
as now, run separate ond apart irJm
The Law governing such ecAO)is in
other localities.
Methinks | hear the remark, I'VE
should then lose our caste-Jur great
ness" WHAT constitutes the greaI.
al
river or the mighty ocean? It's lrlbu.
taries. Just 60 with citits OF the fret
and second class.
A moments serious reflection, un.
prejudiced, should convince any rea.
sUnable being OF lie truth.
Why, then, ehould not they assist IN
making tue common school through.
ouI the 5 ate successful ana ftee by
cheerlully eXtenuIns their AID to school
districts which la the agErtgate CUu-
tribute 30 much 10 their greatness?
AS humble supplants tDis expires.
sion 10, however, not given, but rather
10 induce IN every kind way the cIti-
zen OF This State ns whole to iuliill in
common with Others their cOuslilu-
tOnsl contract.
1t 10 trusted that the present Legis-
lalute will give the mater complained
OF in this commu uication their unGI-
vlded atledti
Another w0ru-Thete should be "a
change IN the law regarding the lime
OF trustees OF school districts making
| annual reports to the citlzens--sucu
meetings are but iarcichl. For H.
stance: 1t is election day. About 3
p. M, In tue presence OF three or four
voters, the trustees declare their IN eet.
ing open ~ hear taeir report. Per-
haps voter comes in who can stay no
longer than to cast his vote. . course
the poll is not closed ut that time and
his vote is polled. Meeting proceeds,
and again, for the same cause, It 10
interrupted, Finally the business is
unavoidably rushed through. This
should be corrected by legislation.
JOSEPH ORION.