The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1897-02-19
TO ENLARGE SCHOOL FUND.

nectlcuJ Is not SO blue as 1t is painted.
TO ENLARGE SCHOOL FUND.
Superintendent stryker Would Recover
Money That Has Been Given Away
State Superintendent Stryker pro-
poses to enlarge the school fund by in
Vestigsting some Of the causes which he
claims in years past have been respon-
sible for a loss Of several million dol
lars to the state permanent school fund.
He also proposes with the aid of the at
tOrney general to bring suits to recover
parts of the school fund which have
been given away in violation of section
3 of article vi. of the constitution. In
speaking of the matter he said;
"That section of the constitution has
been violated repeatedly and millions
Of dollars that belong to the permanent
school fund have been lost. 1t matters
not whether the legislature has done it
with soma show of reason and with
good intentions, as when they told the
city of Lawrence itneed not pay 100000
it had borrowed from this fund because
Of certain other things the city of Law
renee had done, or whether it was done
with no show of reason and with other
good intentions, as when the 100000
acres of land mentioned was taken
from this fund and given to four rail-
road companies in the city of Topeka.
"The primary purpose for which those
companies were organized was to get
possession of that land and mortgage
everything in sight along their lines,
aud incidentally to build a road if it
could not be avoided. Two facts con-
front anyone who investigates this
matter, and no amount of explanation
can hide them.
"First-A large amount of land and
money once the property of the perma-
nent school fund has been by the legis-
lature and in many other ways taken
from it.
"Second-The constitution plainly
says that this fund shall not be dimin-
ished.
"Under that constitutional provision
I consider it my duty to leave no stone
unturned to right those wrongs upon
this fund. It is not a question of the
wOrthiness Of the beneficiary who has
wroDgfully been given what belongs to
the most sacred fund ever entrusted tC
a people, but question of justice. In
due time and in a legal manner these
things will be investigated.
aOf about 100000 of this fund as
now carried on the books of the treas
urer, the interest upon near, if moi
quite 81 100000, is in arrears. Much OIL
this, neither interest nor principal, will
ever be paid. Just how much, no ont
seems able to determine. The law pro
vides that the school fund commission
ers shall invest this money, and tina
the treasurer shall be custodian. ST.
far as I am able to learn no effort ha
| ever been made to enforce payment OF
any of this defaulting interest or prin
cipal, in many instances long past due
| Thousands Of acres Of land from whicI
a revenue should be derived, are lille
gally held by those occupying it, be
cause no penalty for failure to enforce
the law has been imposed upon thos
, whose duty it is to attend to the sale 0
{ this land. l have prepared a bill Pre-
vidiDg for the sale of this land, and ais
for the leasing of unoCcupied schoC
, land, which will, I think, correct thes
evils and not only bring thousands @
dollars into the school fund, but vii
, compel many who have been unjustl
3 escaping local taxation to bear thei
share of that burden. The bill ha
been introduced in both houses.
3 THE heaviest part of the burden i
a recovering what has been Illegal
r voted away aud is in default, will ia
3 upon the attorney general, but he
equal to the emergency and will do hi
full duty in the matter"
q Against whom suits will be brougL
has not been fully determined, but ev
g dence is being accumulated upon whic
! to establish the proceedings.