The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-05-29
WEDNESDAY, NAY %, 1907.
THE TAXPAYERS SIDE OF IT

THE TAXPAYERS SIDE OF IT.
The county high school proposition
can be discussed at this time exclu.
sively upon its merits-without REFER
ence to the location of the proposed
institution-for the reason that no To-
cality has made official application
for its site. Is there any necessity
for q county high school in Chouteau
county? Are the alleged benefits
worth what they will cost? Is it fair
to benefit the few at the expense of the
many, by compelling most OF the .citi.
zens of Chouteau county to pay a
larger amount of taxes to maintain an
institution from which, under existing
conditions, they willIderive no advant.
age whatever? These are some of the
features of the highlschool matter that
can be discussed fairly, and apart
from any others that may develop
hereafter.
Excellent reasons for the rejection
of the county highlschool proposition
are advanced by a correspondent who
makes the argumentlthat, il Chouteau
county taxpayersiare willing to con.
tribute increasedlannual dues for edu-
cational purposes, the money could be
better used to increaseIthe facilities
and efficiency of u common schools.
The suggestion will appeal to every
f%air.minded citizen. G The amount OF
money required to establish and main.
tain Q county high lschool would, il
applied to common school purposes,
provide improved. educational advant.
ages to everyI partj OF the county in
which the higher tax is paid. The
general community would receive di.
rect and available benefit from the in.
creased taxation.
The generalIschool levy in Chouteau
county in recent years has been two
mills, the funds thus provided being
MISUNDERSTANDING all the districts in
the county. Some OF the districts
make q special school levy Of Is high
rs five mills, to provide funds that
are used exclusively for the benefit Of
the district in which this special tax
is collected Gin such a district, the
annual tax for school purposes Is
seven mills, and II any additional
levy is made for a:county high school,
the taxes in that district for educa-
tional purposes may exceed the entire
levy made for maintaining our county
government. "A better understanding
OF this feature OF the proposition will
be had by giving the substance of that
portion of the new county high school
law which refers to the matter.
1t is provided that the trustees of a
new county high school shall, at their
first meeting, make an estimate of the
amount OF funds needed for building
purposes, for payment OF teachers
wages, and for payment Of contingent
expenses, and they shall present to the
board of county commissioners q GER
tilted estimate OF the rate of tax re-
Quired to raise the amount desired
for such purposes. 0The board OF
commissioners must then levy such
tax as other county taxes are levied.
The limitation OF the county high
school tax levy is prescribed in Sec.
ton 8 OF the new law, 70 this effect:
"But In no case shall the tax for
such purpose exceed in one year the
amount OF ten mills on the dollar on
the taxable property OF the county
and, when the tax is levied for the
payment OF teachers wages and for
contingent expenses only, 1t shall not
exceed three mills on the dollar
In Chouteau county last year, the
general tax levy-excluding that made
for school purposes-was nine mills,
The section Of the high school Law
above quoted permits a levy Of ten
mills to secure a high school building
and maintain the institution-a rate
higher than the entire county tax o.
last year.
A high school tax for running ex
penses only is authorized to the extern
of three mills. In Chouteau county
heretofore q tax levy of only two mill.
has been made for the support of tn,
entire public school system of tn,
county.
The new law also contemplates a,
issue Of bonds to the amount OF 800,
600, to secure funds with which I,
erect q county high school building
thus mourning q debt of that amount
the interest and principal to be pal,
by the Taxpayers. Under this pro
vision of the law, Missoula county
with an assessment slightly below tina
Of Choutesu county, proposes to cor
struct q $3.50 high school building
and the voters of that county vii
pass upon the proposition this week
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