Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-03-22
Plan to Contribute a Levy of
One Half Mill Stands Chance
to Pass
WORK TOWARDS CONSOLIDATION
Money Would Be Withheld From Very
Small Country Schools - Politician
Miller Admits Authorship Of Sen.
ate Primary MISUNDERSTANDING
News.
Special to Times Republican.

DeS MONIES, Marcn SL.-1ASiue lIoIil
its final work OF the session in report
ing on the revenues that the state will
live on for the next two years, the
ways and means committee of the
house has an important bill which 1t
will consider at its next meeting. The
bill provides for state levy OF one
half for the benefit of the public
schools of the state and was intro
duced by Miller. Of Bremen. 1t is in
line with the recommendations of State
Superintendent Riggs and while it will
add a half mill to the state taxes
and will raise about 100000 In revenue
for the benefit Of the public schools
there is strong chance that the bill
will be given a favorable vote.
II the bill passes 1t means that the
state is launched upon new era in
public matters. The bill means very
much more than there Is on the face
of 1T. 1t provides that The money
raised by the levy of a half mill shall
be apportioned to all the public schools
of the state according to the number
Of pupils but provides that unless q
school has at least six pupils and at
least eight months school it will get
none Of the fund. That means that
many small rural schools of the state
which have less than six pupils and
which consequently operate at great
expense In proportion to the number
of pupils will find it to their advan-
tage to consolidate with the neighbor-
ing schools, thus increasing the num-
Der Of pupils and increasing the amount
to be derived from the school fund.
It will thus work for greater economy
in rural school management. Further
more the bill by putting minimum
limit of eight months on the schools
that are to draw on the public fund
will insure that schools will be at least
that length and that the rural resi-
dents will have the benefit Of more
schooling.
Coupled with this bill for a half mill
levy there is the idea in the minds
of the friends Of the measure that
eventually when the special levies for
the benefit of the state educational in;
situations are no longer needed be-
cause Of the buildings all being erected
and equipped, these levies should be
continued and added to this half mill
levy, making total levy OF one mill
for the public schools and making
million and a quarter dollars annu-
ally in all. It is believed that this
would put the public schools of the
state on an equal with the schools
of any state in the Union and would
insure as good advantages for the
farm boy as for the city boy and would
go far toward solving many OF the
school problems Of the state.
G. w. Miller, chairman OF the demo-
cratic state central committee, has ad-
mitted to the authorship of the amend
ment to the primary election bill Of
fered in the senate by Gale Of Cerro
Gordo whereby the primary was to be
submitted to the people in 1910 and
again in 1912 on question of whether
or not it should he repealed. Inc
amendment was first given to Senator
Gillilland of Mills county, and he was
about to introduce it tho he was one OF
the parties to the compromise agree
ment 1t is said to his credit that When
his attention was called to the fact that
such an amendment would seem like
bad faith in view Of the compromise,
he dropped the amendment and refused
to have. anything to do with it.
\ NOW that Chairman Miller has adj
niitted ito the authorship II Of the
amendment It is Interesting to have it
on record to keep history straight that
practically all the propositions to
amend the bill came originally from
those who were opposed to the primary
principle entirely and the bill as IT
passed was the result of a compromises
between the friends of the measure
who wanted a straight plurality pri-
mary with no jokers in it and those
who were opposed to all primaries.