The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-24
TO KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN
Certificate Of indebtedness Plan
Being Discussed.
DEER LODGE SOLUTION
School Trustees OF That Town Person
ally Guarantee the Payment Of
Salaries - A Member of Local
Board Discusses Situation.

Missoula isn't the only town in the
state that has evolved plan for keep
ing public schools open. although its
special tax has faded into thin air be-
cause of the supreme court decision de-
claring such special tax levies illegal.
News comes from Deer Lodge that the
school trustees of that place have de-
cided to keep schools open the full year.
Deer Lodge, like Anaconda, Missoula
and other places. finds its proportion
of the county school funds inadequate
to meet the demands of the schools, and
every year makes a special levy to make
up the deficiency. Since the supreme
court decision was announced the prob
lem arose how to keep schools open the
full year. The school trustees have dis
,cussed the matter Informally and have
come to the conclusion that they will
keep schools open anyhow the full year,
and personally will guarantee the pay
ment of salaries and other expenses.
That is the general understanding in
the town.
The Anaconda trustees have come to
no conclusion in the matter of the
course to be pursued here. They are
securing legal advice and examining
into the question thoroughly. 1t would
be impracticable for the school trustees
to guarantee the amount needed to run
the schools for the full year, for that
sum is about $40. 900. and there is good
big chance that the trustees would have
to pay it if they made any such guar
antee. In Deer Lodge the amount to be
guaranteed is only $4,000 or $1,000 The
chance of having to dig UP $4,000 is too
long a one for any five unpaid school
trustees to accept.
The Missoula plan is to issue certifi-
Gates of indebtedness, which certificates
the Missoula banks will cash and hold
until the school board is able to re-
deem them with warrants In discuss
ing the question yesterday, member
of the Anaconda board said:
There is much merit in the Missoula
plan, but before we decide to adopt it
we want to be sure it is absolutely le-
gal The Anaconda bank has been very
good to us. 1t tells us it will cash the
certificates of indebtedness at par If
they are legal. That is what we are
looking up.
No matter what plan is adopted it
must be understood that the people,
sooner or later will have to pay. If
certificates of Indebtedness are issued,
we can use next years regular levy to
take them up. but that will leave us
nothing on which to run the schools
the following year. Then, when the
legislature meets and gives us author
ity to levy special tax, we can make
the levy large enough to take up all
the certificates 1t will be quite bur-
den. however, coming that way all to-
gether. 10 .r..t
Speaking for myself alone, it seems
to me these certificates of Indebtedness
will have to bear interest. Why? Be-
cause legally interest can be collected
on them. Surprising you have one of
those certificates and they are called In.
You present ii and demand the face
value with interest The interest Is
refused. You sue the board, get iudg-
ment and the Judgment, as legally judg-
ments all do, gives you interest on the
certificate.
st has been suggested by some that
the property owners come in and pay
the special tax anyway. That would
be the best plan of all and would be the
proper and patriotic thing to do, but
there is this about it: All the property
owners will not pay: some will stand
on their legal rights and refuse to give
up. Suppose half paid and half did not.
The result would be we would have to
issue certificates of indebtedness to
make up the balance. Then, when 1t
came to taking up these certificates,
the men who had voluntarily paid the
illegal special levy would have to pay
their proportion of the deficit equally
with the man who had refused to pay
the special levy. A man having made
a donation to the school district is not
excused from paying legal taxation
q You must not understand I am OPP
posed to the certificate of indebtedness
plan I simply want to point out the
situation. looking at it from all sides.
The certificate plan. if lawyers will as
sure us it is legal seems the most prac-
ticable way out of the difficulty. for
certainly no one wants the schools
| closed in January in the middle of the
| school year, as they will be If some such
| plan is not adopted F7 ''|
| A $40 suit of English or French dag
u he tailor