Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-11-01
VERMONT's PERMANENT SCHOOL
FUND.

bility Of n large permanent school fund
AS one means to this end is so patent
as TO require no argument. Neimonts
financial resources are somewhat limited
and when the project to establish such a
school fund was instituted the first pro-
blem to present itself was the discovery
of a way in which the necessary funds
rould be secured, without embarrassing
our State or heavily burdening our tax
payers.
The special commission, of which the
Hon. Joseph A. DeBoer OF Montpelier is
chairman, appointed for the purpose OF
recommending the means of providing a
permanent school fund, have reported. as
announced in these columns few days
since. and the report complete is now at
hand. 1t shows thorough investiga tion
for those who are acquainted with
the ability OF the active head Of the
commission the comprehensive character
md marked excellence of the report are
what would naturally be expected.
The keynote of the report is sounded at
the very outset of the report In the
statement that the act under which the
commission has nerforued tie vo,.l,
designed the creation of an endowment
TO support and maintain that college of
the people which Is known and has be-
come the soul OF elementary instruction
of our neonle .hs co,,ror or ,,,,,,io
,
" "a are e0ie'uS'o"S Vi
the commission the report says!
These rest upon the responsibilities of
the State TO protect its future by the edu-
cation Of is children and upon its moral
duty to give all its sons and daughters.
without distinction of birth or residence.
chance to advance their self wcll-bcing
."
or publio school nronositto,s co,si.t in
a definite and absolute recognition OF the
rlelts OF chlIafen' legal and moral, the
,a..,,,. 80 Ems VS. III us oioauest
existence born into family and local con-
dltonr AS the accident Of chance and
iac'hs me requirements ana competitors
n,,.a 49, o,.., -, ''l'u us
Independents and sovereir,, uovarnro,t 40
protect their rights. Foremost among
these rights of children is the voluntary
"''s'i N''''Vi III '''''' pe'"'ii OF AN oppoT-
c,tior urde,. cont,io,,, ,,,
which shall I've normal and rn,s,,,t
he on
,.,,,,...,,,s, 80 '' ,.."N 20 ms
zion or children is the FIRST our,- of tho
State next following the preservation of
NE liberty ana property ana this fact
,-s... '"e INJURY
ting extending and ,nainta,rfnr = nar-
ranent credit for the everlasting use Of
V"' common SCHOOLS
The commission conducted an extcn-
Eve correspondence for the purpose Of
sscertainin- definite knowledge Of the
common school endowment funds of
o,hcr states, and it viii readily appear
That this step resulted in placing in tho
nands Of the commission a LARGE amount
20 vi lil!'lc ana SelN!CcanlG lnfOrnl ton,
We quote here some OF the reports from
different States in order to show the ma
ture Of this work as well as TO afford
our readers some idea Of the measures
adopted by other States TO ensure n, on
dowment for purposes OF popular educa-
ton.
In Alabama the state constitution
provides for levy Of 20 cents nor
100 of real and personal propertv for
4chool purposes, called the sDeciaI state
tax for schools. To this Is added G rer
cent. interest on the sixteenth section
and other land funds. realizing vearlv
100000. The poll tax OF s1o5 ono n
1880, 900 also goes to the schoo, fund
The county. which is A unit or scboo,
supervision, NAV bv a three-fiftbs voto
levy one mill tax for schoo, nurnoses
20 be used in the county where lew
Us made
Arkansas has a permanent fpna o,
I1,1sO.Oo0. which must he Invested IN
the bonds OF the United Stotes or Ar
kansas the latter bearing per cent
California; state school fund ,,hior,
amounts to a little over "a o00 nm ord