The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-02
Mr.. Carleton's Schemes to Keen
the Schools Open.
WOULDB0RROW THEFUNDS
One Way Is to Borrow the Money and
Another Is to Issue Certificates to
Teachers-People Would Up
hold the Trustees.
Special Dispatch to the Standard

| N~'ooi 'iiiceiS ana teachers OF Montana
lie does this prompted by what he
terms the crisis that has arisen in man,
or the schools OF the state, as A result
OF the decision Of the supreme court
declarlnglng imperative and void the
| law heretofore followed for raisins
money for the support of many Of the
schools. He desires to address the off.
: GERS ana teachers of the schools
| Vnrough the press, and proposes fol
| thelr consideration methods which he
| uesnis, II 1oiloWed, can tide over the
ditncuftles. He issues this address In
J view of the decision of the supreme
court on Monday that it could not grant
| a fehearing of the case that resulted in
the present unfortunate condition Of af.
1alrs. he recommends one Of two meth
ods' either to borrow the money or ia
| ISSUE certificates of Indebtedness He
says tnat at leas. 1,S0O children are af-
fected by the decision.
AFTER commenting upon the mis-
fortune that would be visited upon the
youths OF Montana in being deprived
OF tne DEMENT'S of every day of school
!ns 10 "hlch the constitution and sys-
tenn OF free schools entities them. he
maintains that the exigencies of the
case demand departure from the usu-
al methods of law. He urges the teach.
ers TO cooperate with the school Off
GERS IN Keeping the scools open and NOT
lnslstlng upon the enforcement of their
contracts with the respective districts
IN every particular. He expresses the
belief that many of the teachers will
accept the situation cheerfully and
make the concession asked. to the end
mat none of the pupils of the public
sehoots snall be deprived of the benefits
OF an education.
Two ways of keeping the schools
open are recommended" says the SUI
perlntendent, either Of which is nrnn
er. The first is for the district to bor-
row money necessary for the nlainten-
ance OF the schools for the usual time.
II IS believed that in this emergency the
law Justifies and authorizes this course,
1t IS true that there is no special pro-
VISION Of the law authorizing trustees
10 borrow money, neither is there any
provision of law authorizing trustees
10 adopt series of text books for the
common schools. But in the case OF
Campana against Calderhead. II Mont,
the court held that where the legis-
iature, whose duty it was to adopt n
series Of text books for the common
schools, had failed to perform this
duty, it was clearly the duty Of the
trustees to adopt them, although there
was no statute granting the power.
After quoting from that decision as
10 the duties and power of school
boards as to prescribing text books
ana otherWtse maintaining the schools
the address continues:
certainly text books are no more es-
sential for the general welfare Gr
the schools than the money sufficient
TO MAINTAIN them for a reasonable time.
without which. in a district having free
text BOOKS, not even the books could be
OBTAINED, but whether or not the board
has the legal right to borrow money
IN
questioned. since Judgment against
the district for the amount of the loan
can always be collected. A final judg.
ment against the district for money
loaned would legalize. for all prac-
tical purposes, the action of the board
action had been taken without war
rant or law. In case there was not
money available to pay the Judgment
the county commissioners cor be COM
peiled; under the authority 5e men,
erty Of to the 'exy district tax for prop
raising money to pay the same, 1t is
not believed that any objection will
be made by any one of the trustees
taking this course, and even though OBJ
lection were made so as to render this
plan ineffectual. the next legislature
"ouIa, unaoubtedly, pass a law vail
dating the action of the board of school
trustees, so that the debt thus incurred
would be paid
In those districts that cannot borrow
money at reasonable rates certificates
OF indebtedness can be issued monthly
to the teachers. Undoubtedly these GER
tificates could be disposed of at or near
their face value. OF course the teacher
VIII have to stand the discount, but
this VIII be but little. I think, however,
that 1t is but just that the trustees
should borrow money whenever it IS
possible and thus they would be en-
abled to pay their teachers their full
salary which they are entitled. under
their contracts, to receive The money
due on these certificates of Indebted
ness could be collected in the same
manner as the notes given by trustees.
AS has already been suggested, thew
could all be assigned to one party, who
could obtain Judgment against the dis
trlct and collect it as above described. |
IN some districts money enough may |
be realized from the levy for school |
purposes in 1900 to insure the usual |
amount of school and to pay off these
notes and certificates
Boards of school trustees should see
to it that the maximum levy of five
mills is made for next year, so that
there will be raised a sufficient amount
OF money to maintain the schools the
usual time. If five-milI levy is in
sufficient it will be necessary to adont
one OF the two plans herein suggested.
The state appropriation, which the law
provides shall be made annually. in |
FEBRUARY, will amount probably to 90
cents to each census child. II 1t will
assist the districts voting
special taxes, I think this appropria-
ton might be made now, and / am will
ing to take the responsibility of maxi
ng 1t as soon. as [ learn that these dis
tricts so desire. The state treasurer
has slgnifed his willingness to honor
cequisition for this purpose whenever
presented. The announcement of this
plan has awaited the decision of the
court on the motion for a rehearius OF
he case. This motion has been denied
and the governor does not see his wav
clear to call an extra session of the
legislature. Action must now be taken
oysthe trustees themselves; otherwise