Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-01-15


cral. They realize that capital AND
Labor must cooperate in the develop
mcnt "f our latent resources. But
they object, rs true Americans ought
to amy system, whether of money ol
taxation, which gives all the fruit tt
capital and leaves labor empty handed
FAIR and just laws never repealed honest
investment, hut if they did, it wcr,
better, infinitely better, that tn,
population of this State remain Il hal
/ million fret, sclf-governing, self
respecting Americans forever, than t.
bring five million immigrants among
Us only to place them under perpetual
bondage to foreign money loancrs BY
yielding concession which would drain
the State of its natural wealth to swell
the Golfers OF the excessively rich, and
condemn the wealth producers to Il
HE of penury and want.
earnestly recommend that thc pol
icy of our revenue laws be changed to
correspond to the Ines laid down bv
those old and most successfully man
aged States, Pennsylvania, New York
and New Jersey. 1t is possible that
the immediate enactment of laws nee
sssary to carry this policy into effect
may be barred by Article VII. of the
State Constitution. If so, an amend
ment would remove the obstacle.
Such a reform need not be DELAYED
longer than two years, if an amend
mcnt is submitted by the present ses-
sion of the Legislature.
TO large extent, the great proper
ties of the State escape just taxation,
while the poor owner is taxed to the
limit of endurance. This should cease
Every family should be able to live in
free home, exempt from taxation to
4 stipulated amount, and free from
fear of foreclosure and sale for debt.
When once this has been arrived at, the
cause of human liberty will have taken
n distinct and positive forward step.
Whenever our people have been sufii-
cicntly educated by hardship and pri-
vation to be ready for Il really radical
measure OF reform, they will by consti-
iutlonal amendment take that first
and most indispensable step which
shall finally secure to all men a natur-
nj and God-given right to sufficient
portion of the carth's surface for self
support. When this first and funda-
mental right of man has been secured,
he will be free, and he never will be
free until this has been gained.
Whether men are vet ready for free
dom do not know.
PUBLIC EDUCATION.
Our State Constitution provides as
follows:
" 1t is-the paramount duty OF the State
to make ample provision for the educa-
tion of all children residing within its
borders, without distinction or preference
on account of race, color, caste or sex
The Legislature shall provide for gen
eral and uniform system of public
schools"
From this it is evident that State
tax for the support of schools for the
benefit of all children in the State
alike becomes II necessity. The provis-
ion is mandatory upon the Legislature.
Unless State tax is levied, how can
there he a general and uniform system
of public schools -? Two years ago, the
Legislature, by an amendment to the
laws, known at the time as The Bare
foot Schoolboy Law" established
system of taxation for the equal bene-
fit of all her children. BY means of
this, taxes not to exceed four mills on
the dollar are levied as other State
taxes are levied, and collected as other
State taxes are collected, sufficient to
produce sum equal to $6 annually
for each child of school age. This is
simply State tax for the support of
schools. The larger cities and wealth.
ier communities have opposed the law
and it is said will make efforts to re-
peal it. 1t is claimed that not enough
is raised by the law to support the
schools, and doubtless, this is true.
But the law does not prevent counties
or school districts from raising more.
As at first introduced, the bill provided
for the raising by taxation of Il sum
equal to ten dollars for each child of
school age, and if taxes were all col
lected this would afford sufficient
sum for the support of common
schools. If, III addition to this, State
taxes were levied as i'll Pennsylvania,
our schools might be entirely sup
ported by taxation of property which
now largely escapes. Complaint has
been made that in some of the coun-
ties certain small districts are I'M
fairly treated. An amendment to the
law providing for special apportion-
ment by the County Superintendent
of each county would very likely rem
edy this defect.
STATE BOARD OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
In pursuance of an intention to abOl
ish certain boards of control and in
this way to unity and systemize the
work of our higher institutions of
learning, it has been proposed that
the State University, the Agricultural
College and the three normal schools
be placed under the control of one
Central Board instead of II separate
board for each institution. The Sec
retary of the State Board OF Educa-
ton might serve as a member of this
board and perform the duties of travel
ing auditor, keeping the central board
fully informed regarding the condition
and standing of each institution. 1t
is believed that an arrangement OF this
kind might be made which would save
money to the State and secure greater
efficiency. The incoming State SUI
perintendent of Instruction has taken
some steps toward formulating plan
of action in this line, to whom further
enquiry may be directed.
FREE TEXTBOOKS.
As matter of principle the State
should furnish to each scholar i'll the
common schools textbooks rs freely
as it now provides school houses and
school furniture. At present the
State has II contract with n private
corporation, which has secured the
privilege of furnishing school books at
high cost to the people OF the State
BY a clause in the contract 1t Is pro-