The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-02-15

absolutely necessary to provide these
children with all books, supplies and
apparatus free of cost to them, as
they are utterly unable for many
months after arriving in this country,
to make any outlay whatever except
for food and shelter. Many of these
families are brought over from
Europe by purses raised among their
American friends or relatives.
Thus IL is seen that the vast hordes
Of children will still remain to be
educated, at the same time that the
means for d, ing this is withdrawn or
taken from these communities. This
is the most appalling problem arising
from the proposed scheme of taxation.
| The taxes necessary to run the Ely
schools last year were about $4,000.
This amount no doubt will increase
each year. The increase each year in
the enrolment has been about IL per
cent, necessitating the same increase
in the teaching force and school room.
Ely built siXteen-roem high school
two years ago. At that time there
was a shortage of about six rooms.
The new building is now filled to its
capacity, some rooms having as many
as tifty-tiye and sixty.five pupils. No
grade room ought to handle over
thirty-five or forty for the best work
on the part of the student and teach
er. In September, there will no doubt
be shortage of two or three rooms,
thus necessiating the renting of store
rooms, until another building can be
erected.
| Now In order to raise this amount
for schools it will be necessary to in-
crease the school tax rate from 1888
mills to over 102 mills for school pur-
poses alone. Add to this the rate for
municipal funds and you have increas-
ed the rate for all other purposes than
schools from - mills to over 100 mills.
thus making total rate of over 200
mills, necessary to maintain the
schools and municipal government
with the amounts included for state
and county purposes
What will be the effect of the pro-
posed laws on our schools and public
improvements? The conclusion is ir-
resitable and the result inevitable:
we must rednce our expenses, and
abandon our public service. as carried
on by the school district and the
municipality. What sums of the
$40, 900 school tax can be given up?
Can we dispense with the ST., 900 paid
teachers, and the $4,000 paid janitors?
Can we abandon all repairs to our build
ings, and improvements to the grounds
and thus save $4,000 annually? Can
we refuse to pay the state loan, in an
nual amounts of 5000, as now charg-
ed against US by the state, in pay
ment of our debt of S35, 900 to the
state school fund? These items alone.
will necessitate school tax of over
$50, 900, aud a rate of over 100 mills,
if our mines can not be taxed as here
tOfore. Can we do without text
books. and let the Insurance lapse on
our buildings?
Never In the history Of northern
Minnesota has amore alarming and
! far-reaching question arisen. The
proposed law will devastate our min
ing towns of those who will not see
the education Of their children neg
lected. The measure will starve and
dwarf our schools and public service.
In case the measure becomes law, it
will uecessltate the closing of all
schools in range towns, within a year
in the quarters where public educat-
ion is most important: in the mining
regions where the foreign element
predominates, and where great masses
of foreign children are now finding
new homes and receiving the best
that America has 30 offer-free edu-
cation and training for full and COM
plete citizenship.
CD. NEwBERRY.