The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-16
ONLY TWO SCHOOL
DISTRICTS NOW
County Commissioners Reduce
Number From Thirty six.
TO ENLARGE SCHOOL BOARDS
H. N. sTANDIsH FINALLY VOTES
IN FAVOR OF PLAN.

The county commissio.,~ yesterday
decided TO make two school districts
OUT OF the thirty-six in the county, out
slae the city limits The matter has
peeh urged for long time, but no
ueillilte actlon was taken until recent
~. Commissioner Standish stood orr
against the plan until YESTERDAY. when
ne voted for 1t upon persuasion of his
Two colleagues. The division line will
run iaterally across the county oivid-
ing IL IN the same manner as the Jor-
dan and Granite stakes of the Latter
DAY Saints church. The state legisla-
ture. at its coming session. will. be
asked to pass "a Law increasing the
number OF school trustees from tnree
10 fve in each district. thereby Great
ing a school board such as clues of
the second class have.
Commissioner Standisn's objection to
the scheme was that he feared the leg
lsiature, through some hitch. might not
pass the proposed law and thus leave
a large territory in the control of rec
trustees. who are elected at large and
would naturally be chosen from the
densely populated districts, leaving the
outlying sections with no representa-
ton With five trustees. one win be
CHOSEN from each representative dis
trict in each of the new school districts.
The plan was put before the commits
sioners by County Superintendent of
Schools Ashton. who believes that il
will greatly increase the efficiency of
the district schools as did the consoli-
datiOn of the school districts in Salt
Lake City some time ago.
Pending Since Spring.
Last spring the matter was brought
before the county commissioners, but
the idea was to reduce the number of
districts from thirty-six to eight. The
board at that time favored a reduction
In the number. out believed eight too
many and that two would be better.
The matter hung fire until a few days
ago when Superintendent Ashton, with
the aid of Commissioner Wilson, again
brought it before the board.
Before the resolution was passed
Commissioner Standish attempted to
substitute an amendment making the
number Of districts but one This, he
thought would equalize the taxation.
Chairman Anderson and Commissioner
Wilson voted the substitution down,
however
The taxes are about equalized by the
division line, which runs east and west
just south of Murray The northern
district. Granite, will have for revenue
the taxes paid by the American Rein
ing company and the Highland Boy,
Jordan, the southern district, will have
as it's heaviest taxpayers two ether
childless corporations, the smelter
companies at Bingham canyon and
Bingham Junction. Heretofore these
four concerns paid taxes that kept up
the schools of a small portion of the
county AS the corporations paid heavy
taxes and had no children 10 be edu-
Gated. the other children living in. the
region got a great deal more money
toward their education per capita than
those in the border districts.
Upon motion of Commissioner Wilson
the following trustees were appointed
for the new districts until otherwise
provided by the legislature; Granite
district-C. NJ. Scrensen. Sugar: a. S.
Gabbott. Farmers; J. e. Cahoon, Muir
ray Jordan district-Heber A. Smith.
Draper: f. A. Bateman, Bingham
Junction; ]. W. Grant. Bingham can
yon.