Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-24
NO TAX FOR HIGH SCHOOLS
Supreme Court Holds Every District in
County Must Participate in Election
soATcH MAKES A CALL ON GOVERNOR
Invited, In Common with III Menu
bsrs Of Omaha Police Board, TO
Oner susgestions on suc-
cessOr to Wright.
Trom . star correrpondentl

(From a STAN Correspondent
LINCOLN, May 23.-(Special.)- - deci-
sion Of much Importance to Omaha and
other cities wherein high schools are 10.
Gated was handed down by the supreme
court last Wednesday in the case of the
State ex rel Davis against The County
Commissioner OF Cass County. Davis
brought suit TO compel the county commits
sioners TO levy 4 tax on the country dis
tricta with which to pay the tuition OF the
country boys who were attending the high
schools. The court held that an adjunct
school district had to be formed by the
concerted action Of all the school districts
in the county and the failure Of any one
district to vote on the question would In
validate the action of the others. II fur
Their held that there were no means
whereby the proposition could again be
submitted because the law provided that
moderators of districts should have power
to submit the question to electors only at
thu school election Immediately succeeding
the passage OF the law.
Since the law became operative, in 1901,
eight counties In the state have attempted
10 adopt it's provisions. According to adj
vices received by the state superintendent.
no one county has carried the proposition
with all districts participating in the vot-
ing. In Omaha about 100 students OF the
high school will be affected and about 500
in other parts of the state.
In discussing the decision Deputy Super
intendent McBren said: This law was
one OF the most important ever placed on
the statute books. 1t was second only to
the bill for the new normal school in the
western part of the state. 1t meant much
for the systematic and harmonious devel-
opment OF the educational institutions OF
the state. It was a great step IN advance
for the educational interests of the state
and was placed OF the statute books only
after a prolonged contest.
'T do not believe that the scheme would
ever be effective, however, under the pro-
visions of the old statute, IL the interpreta-
ton OF the supreme court, requiring that
the law be passed upon by all the dis
tricts In the county, is TO stand. 1t Is the
most dinicult matter imaginable to secure
Q concerted action on such a proposition at
one time when the youth has to apply to
the moderators Of from ninety to 100 dis
tricts to submit the question to the electors
In the school meetings. There always will
be one who will oppose the measure and
that will defeat the adoption Of the terms
of the bill by the entire county. The legis-
lature could not we'll change the law so
as to avoid this dificulty because the tax
for the payment of the tuition at the high
schools IL taken from all the districts re-
gardless of whether It has students at the
high school or not.
How He Would solve the Problem.
1T think that the problem Of giving q
high school education can only be solved
by a general state law levying a general
state tax Just as the university tax is
levied. The fund derived from this tax
would then be paid out to the high schools
in proportion to the number OF country
students educated at each. / think that
the plan would stand the test of the law,
because Il could be regarded as establish
ing a lower grade preparatory school for
the university. Such a law. / believe, can
be pushed through the legislature. mas
much as the country members who always
predominant will have their own interests
directly at stake. They vote money for the
university without a murmur and they
would probably be only too glad to give
their own children the advantage of q high
school education at the general expense"
BrOateh Calls ON Governor.
W.. J. Broatch was here this morning to
have his say in the matter of the appoint
ment of a successor of G. c. Wright. the
Omaha police commissioner, Mr.. Wright
handed his resignation to Governor Mickey
last night and It was accepted, to take eff
feet Monday.
Mr.. Broatch took considerable more time
4 Of the governor than IL generally given to
men asking favors, and from the fact that
at several stages of the game the voices OF
the two rose considerable higher than the
\ ordinary conversations tone, and were dis
tineuishable in the outer ONCE OF the gov
ernor, II was believed that Mr.. Broatch had
come to explain his actions In the late
municipal election in Omaha. TIL governor
said not. however. and 30 did Mr.. Broatch.
Governor Mickey said Broatch came down
at his request to discuss the matter.
Broatch said the same thing Governor
Mickey said: THE present members OF the
board will have to serve with the new
member and 1 thought 1t no more than
right that / should consult them In regard
10 the matter. For that reason i invited
every member OF the board to call and dis
cuss with me the appointment Of the fourth
man. This does not mean however con-
tinued the governor. that the present
members Of the board will name the man
They win have an opportunity to recon-
mend ana I will do my OWE naming"
pur,n9 the recent Omaha city election,
when Il was generally reported that
Rroatch was using the police force as his
private club and when II was also reported
that he was closing some saloons and leav-
ing others open on Sunday. Governor
Mickey was seriously considering a general
cleaning up OF the police board matter. All
he was waiting for was for some one to
file charges against Broatch. when the in
vestiRation would have proceeded. No one
filed the charges and nothing was done.
Railroad Valuations.
III. county clerk has received from the
state board . tabulated statement OF the
valuation put by the board on the rail-
road and telegraph properties In Lancaster
county for the current year. BY II the
valuations are shown as follows, the aggre'
gate being about $4,000 more than that OF
the preceding year;
Rock Island ....... S.. 5000 a16at0. %
Burlington .s.s....... G.A 1OSO Sl,0lO.O
NebTasEa Ry.,,"."- sS so lSSssS'S 9