Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1898-10-22
than last yea.
COUNTY TAX LEVY.

TAXES HlgH or low IL IS the TAX levy
that finally determines that The
county levy is the same as last year
Knowing that taxes will be practical
J, ly as high as last year the same issue
of The Independent tries to put the
blame upon the Wa-Keeney school
district and the Wa-Keeney tow nship
| board which is the only township
/ board of the county not controlled by
Populists. That paper of October
asks i is readers to vote against this
board and charges it with trying to
| increase taxes for partisan purposes.
| September Is, that paper says, ''if
| your taxes are not perceptibly lighter
this year than last you can rest as
Sured that it is on account of your
school, township or city levy" That
Eff is significant admission that
low valuations makes high levies nee
essary. If taxes are any lower this
year It is because people are receiving
less in public benefits or services.
People can not eat their cake and
keep it too. Those who trip the light
fantastic must remunerate the must
clan.
TOWNSHIP LEVIES.
The township tax levies average a
| little lower than last year while the
state levy is almost twice as high as
before. being four and one-tenth mills
in '9S to two and one-half in '97. This
can not be charged to Wa-Keeney dis
trict, city or township.
SCHOOL DISTRICT TAXES
This Populist scheme of low assess
ments has reduced the valuations of
some of our outside and weakest school
districts almost one-half. This means
that such districts must reduce teach
ers' wages or the length of school term
or else increase the levy. All this
has been done in some districts. Last
year seven districts levied tax of 20
mills which is all the law allows.
None of these districts are on the
railroad. This year seventeen dis
tricts voted 20 mills and only two of
them are benefited by railroad tax.
Last year the average district levy
was ii mills. This year it is over II,
an increase of more than 3 mills.
TEACHERS WAGES.
For several years teachers wages
have been falling in Trego county.
Last year the average wages Of ALL in
GLIDING the principal of WaKeeney
school, was $50 per month and several
of our oldest and best teachers have
quit the profession, leaving the work
in the hands of inexperienced,
''cheap" teachers. This year the aver
age wages as reported by district
clerks will be $50. While wages have
been falling, the length of the school
term has been increasing, up to this
year. Last year the average term
was 137 days. This year it will be 127
days. This is loss of two weeks
school to the children of each district
and an average loss of at least, $40 to
each teacher in the county. This is
their part of the price of economy
This is not because people are unwill-
ing to educate their children and pay
their teachers but it is the result of
low valuations, made low for political
effect as shown by the above quota
tions foom the official county paper.
RAILROAD SCHOOL TAX.
The only plausible reason offered
for such low assessments is that it
forces the railroad to pay larger pro-
portion of tax. That is true but it is
neither honesty nor good policy.
There are seven townships in the
county but Riverside, Wilcox and
Franklin get no tax from the railroad.
There are 45 districts in Trego but
only IA, less than one-third, of them
get any tax from the railroad. The
children of the other 33 districts are
deprived of school and their teachers
are underpaid in order to make the
railroad pay larger share of tax in
the lucky II. Last year the average
levy in the IA railroad districts was
less than s mills, the average school
term was 145 days and the average
wages paid was 1890 per month. Civ
nearly half of their school tax from
the railroad by low valuations is un-
fair and unjust to the children and
teachers of all other districts and yet
a low valuation was agreed upon in
order to make political capital for the
party in power. At the same time
the county levy is as high as before
and effects the weak districts just the
same as the strong ones. The county
levy might have been lower: The for
mer board of county commissioners