The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-02-26


a has issued an open letter to all the schc
s officers of the state as well as to the ia
: payers in which he corrects prevailil
: misapprehension concerning the necessi
Y of making provision for the current e
d penses of the public schools for the ems
5 ing year. The people are misinformeC
he declares, as to the amount of none
] expected from the railroads and as to Il
amount of state school moneys positive
: available in the present school year. F
} urges boards of education and boards
: school estimate to make adequate pr
visions as soon as convenient.
The letter is In reply to numerous il
quiries received by Mr.. Baxter fro
teachers and school officers which, he say
would indicate that there is an idea abroa
that the state apportionment of schoc
moneys this year will be sufficient to wiz
out the district school tax or to provid
boards of education with an embarrassment
of schools funds. 'These are not simpl
harmless day Dreams" says Mr.. Baxter
''but obstructive and mischievous de
lusions," and adds that those who indulg
In them and give them currency are doin
much TO create an unfortunate publ
sentiment, to stimulate false hopes and t
embarrass those entrusted with the re
sponsibilities of school administration.
After showing the state apportionmen
of school moneys that are assured, tn
state superintendent goes on to say tina
the amount will not be sufficient to max
adequate provisions for the unusual outla,
that will be required for the school yea
of 1907-08.
"Our rapid growth and population. thu
general tendency toward higher educa
tional standards and the greater demand
for well equipped teachers, together will
the necessity of increasing their salaries
will make material and an inevitabl,
increase in current expenses" says Mr.
Baxter. Continuing, he says: ''There
fore, to provide against financial EN-
barrassment and possible detriment to oul
schools, it will be necessary for boards Of
education and boards of school estimate to
assign the items of this years budget q
larger total sum than was appropriated
one year ago."
Mr.. Baxter says that in addition to the
state appropriation, the availability OF
which is assured, the department will
shortly issue apportionment sheets which
will contain an item from railroad tax"
for each school district, representing its
share Of the increase Of tax upon first
class or main stem railroad property au-
thorized under the Perkins law enacted
last winter. Under a provision of this
law the state comptroller Is required to
apportion the railroad tax among the
twenty-one counties in accordance with
their respective ratables, and county su-
perintendents of schools to sub. apportion
it among the school districts of their re-
spective counties as provided for in the
general school law.
Though the amount due from this in
crease in railroad tax has been apportioned
among the several counties" says Mr..
Baxter, land, as provided by law, will be
sub apportioned among the school dis
stricts, it has not been collected. AS you
are undoubtedly aware, the. allied rail.
roads have paid the former tax of one-half
of one per cent. into the state treasury and
propose to contest, on the ground of un-
constitutionality, the payment of all d.
long this will take and the ultimate re-
suit are matters entirely problematical.
We believe, however, that because of the
said contest, the much needed fruition of
the acts of 1905 is almost certain to be de-
layed.
SAT no time in the past have you per
mitted any portion of the support of your
schools to be precarious," he continues,
and you are not justified in taking such
risk now. Therefore, in making provision
for the school year of 1907 08, boards of
education and boards of school estimate
should not take into account the amount
apportioned from railroad tax" Continu-
ng, the superintendent warns these bodies
hat an apportionment whose validity is
contingent upon the outcome of contest
N the courts is not an appropriation and
hat contracts for the ensuing year cannot
be made in anticipation of funds whose
availability is not assured.
1T is greatly to be regretted, says Su-
Baxter, that many who are
as good friends Of the schools,
either fail to appreciate the magnitude of
our school system or are sadly misin-
formed as to the amount expected from
The railroads"
1t is at this point that Mr.. Baxter re-
marks about the unfortunate sentiment
created that the state funds will wipe out
the district school tax.
Mr.. Baxter shows that the following
state appropriations are assured:
From the State school fund, ...... 100000 90
From the state treasury to pay
% per cent, of ~ min tax...... 1,079y519 AZ
......................... 2sl4,702 40
to Constitute reserve fund. ..... s2s,S55 SO
Total OFT 20
mount received from the same
sources for the current school
year................ ............... 3,s72,62s IA
solely due to the larger
amount of state ratables. ....... $l,l45,449 56
The following is concrete illustration
of the possibilities of the railroad tax
based upon reliable data and upon the
that, instead of being a pres
emit anticipation, the amount due from this
source had been available for school pur-
poses during the last year for which re-
port has been compiled:
SCHOOL YEAR OF 1905-1906.
Receipts.
State appropriations. ............. S3,l02.29S 81
tax (O.... ................ 2,530,867 IS
District tax that would have been
required If the railroad tax had
then been available. ............ 2.250,556 40
Total receipts required to defray
current expenses. ............... S7,sSs,7l5 Oe
Expenditures
Teachers salaries...... .......... $500 049 IA
All other items of current ex-
penses. ..................-.... Z,zSz.666 w
Total current expenses T,SSS,7l5 O6
In conclusion Superintendent Baxter
says:
During the same school year the sum