The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-03
EDUCATING THE YOUNG.
Abundant Provision Made by the
General and State Governments
TO Train Intelligent Citizens.

The general government and the state
government have c0-operatsd 10 provide
a splendid patrimony for the public schools
OF the state. The general government
granted for their maintenance sections 10
and Sc OF every township OF government
land within the state, and has more re-
Gently made a further grant OF 5 per cent.
OF the proceeds from the sales Of public
lands in the state. The proceeds OF these
grants are made a permanent investment,
the income Of which is devoted TO school
purposes and IS transferred to the current
school funds. The state, in addition 10
this, levies a special school tax to add TO
the district taxes. This tax is now so ar
ranged that the thickly populated dis
tricts assist the sparsely settled districts,
and thus the children OF almost the whole
state have almost equal advantages and
facilities for acquiring education.
The permanent school fund for the year
ending October 81 last amounted TO STA
g-ToT Of which amount s5s oeT.sf was de
rived from the sale and condemnation OF
school lands, and g $50 Al from per cent.
of the sales Of government lands, the re-
nlainder being the balance from the pre-
vious year. OF this sum 500 s6i.Ts was in
vested in state warrants. The total re-
ceipts OF the current school fund from all
sources was ss3o, 7ol-35. practically all OF
which was apportioned among the counties
on the basis OF Average school attendance
and number of teachers.
The transition from the old 10 the new
revenue system made IL difficult TO give
a comparative statement OF public school
affairs that would be lucid and therefore
only the figures for the biennial period
closing June 30 last are given. Previously
the largest part OF the school money in this
state was raised by county AMI school
district taxes. but in 1895 the legislature
changed TO the system of furnishing the
large part by state taxation. Therefore
only half OF the returns for the past tive
years are OF operations under the old law,
and the other half under the new. Not
only has the new revenue system wrought
a change in the source whence the money
Il derived, but IL has also changed the
time at which the taxes fall due and
changed from an annual TO a semi-annual
payment OF taxes. These facts render un-
reliable very many comparisons that could
otherwise be made.
In the figures that are given here OF the
finances, there must be taken into consid-
Grafton with them the tact that but little
$50 $500 OF the tax levied by the state in
1895 for the support OF the schools Is in
Guided. The first half of the tax was not
due TIL May 81. and only such amounts
as were paid to the county treasurers some
time before they were due found their way
10 the stare treasury In time for the regu-
lar quarterly apportionment Of moneys on
hand on the first day OF April. The next
quarterly apportionment could not be e-
gal.y made til after the first day of July,
and thus could not be included In this re-
port, which reaches only 10 the last day OF
June. Since the first of April 1886. AS 9S
have been apportioned 10 the counties.
nearly all Of this being from the first half
of the taxes and none of II appearing in
State Superintendent Beams report This
amount entirely extinguishes the appar-
ent Increase in the floating Indebtedness
and makes the exhibit show a decrease OF
So 90 with the last half of the taxes I'M
touched.
The general statistics OF school popula-
ton enrolment and average daily attend
ance At the public schools OF the counties
during the past year Is shown by the an
nual report OF Superintendent Bean. of
public instruction. TO be as follows:
The school