Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1898-09-30
Report of Grand Jury.

The grand jury fer The September
term of the district court was dis
charged at their own request last
Saturday. The following report was
SUI mitted:
sheriff. Objective find the ia,l
utterly inadequate and insufficient for
the needs Of The county. We unani-
mously recommend the erection of a
new jail building of modern construc-
| ton and conveniences and of sufficient
capacity to meet the growing demands
of the county"
Probate and Public Schools-"W
find that the manner of keeping the
public records as to reatuess and sys-
tematIc arrangement is highly COM
mendable for the officer in charge. In
regard to the condition of the public
schools of the county OUTSIDE of the
Independent district Of Lewiston, and
ESPECIALLY Of the new districts formed
rom the reservation, we fad them
below the standard at which high
minded and patriotic citizens of the
county desire 50 have them main
tanned. This slate of affairs your com
mittee finds is not due TO the lack of
eiliciency of any school officer, bat is
due to the want of sufficient funds for
their proper support, and that such
scarcity of funds is due to the small AS
sessed valuation of the assessable prop
erty of the several districts. We tind
that in mary districts the total amount
OF available money Per district is less
than 500 per year for all school pur-
poses. Hence We find our better
teachers rs rule going to other
counties and states where greater re-
luuneration for their services NAV be
had. such are the conditions of our
district schools in our own county,
and it is manifest that something must
be done. 1t was suggested 10y the
county superintendent that if we had
dog TAX set aside for school funds we
might easily double our present school
fund. Your committee remembering
that the last legislature passed IA
which was vetoed by the governor on
the technical ground of not having
been drafted in accordance with the
state constitution, we believe that such
law should not be repealed but should
be amended so that the money raised
by such law would be appropriated to
the school funds. We believe that
there would be little or no objection
raised to such law, and If such law
were enacted every poll tax would be
collected because every man would be
Interested in seeing that his neighbor
paid poll tax, whereas under the exist
ing law not more than one-half of the
poll tax is now collected. Referring to
the schools Of the state in general we
point with pride to the state institu-
4 TONS of learning, namely: The Lewis
ton and Albion state normal schools
and the University of Idaho, though
the district schools of the state ATE far
nom being IN perfect condition or
even equal to those Of some of our sis
ter states. Now if the poll tax would
be set aside as a school fund it would
affect all parts Of the state alike, there
by promoting the welfare Of all our
schools Wy, Lr;,, : /, hptAPG
The public for general agitation, hoping
That it will grow in favor aud finally
te enacted into statute law.
"In conclusion, we have collected
some interesting statistics in regard t
the growth Of the schools Of the
county. In July, 1895, there were
i9D pupils of school age; on January
iS9S, there were $500. We give these
statistics to the pIblc to show n
rapid development of the whole
county.n
County Treasurer-"We find TIN
O)h0ed Indebtedness of the county t,
$50 GOO; Indebtedness for warrants
outstanding, 500, 1856 50; levy for thu
present year, S500 600 for warrants; il
%fest for the same tor the present year
Nooo; bonds for the same. $3.50. Ant
"at the amount of cash on hand nov
:" Tue county treasury is sTU9b.9 y"
a''er a careful investigation we fins
"ia' The books of the county treasure
Ie Kept in good shape aud the affair
:, Tue Office On the whole are conduct
" III business-hke manner. In eN
smiling the books of the count,
eessurer, we find he is required t
e"e bond Of $50, 900 for the faithful
peiofmance of his duty. This hon'
'e'hink sufficient for all practice
PURPOSES. 1t was brought to our at
""uon that the bond of the assesso