Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-03-04
PR|kARYSCHOOL FUND
Sources and General Features Ex-
planned by Miss Fern Riddle
OF TuscoIa Normal.

The several sources of the primary
interest fund have. at different times,
come into existence. 20 fully under
stand the conditions which resulted in
the establishment of the first fund of
this kind we must begin with the
time of the colonization OF this coun-
try.
Virginia's charter of 1909 gave her
grant of land extending from Cape
Fear four hundred miles north along
the Atlantic coast then to the Lake
of the Woods and westward the whole
breadth of the continent. This grant
was disregarded by England however.
when she gave Massachusetts and Con-
necticut sea to sea grants from land
already given to Virginia. This caused
much troubles between the colonies.
Virginia claimed the best right because
because in l77a George Rogers Clark. a
Virginian defeated the Indians and
English and drove them from this ter
ritory The states we're unwilling to
give up any of this land and not until
Maryland refused 10 sign the Articles
of Confederation until they did give II
up, would they agree TO do so.
This territory then belonged to the
United States and for the purpose of
covering it, congress drew up the OR
diDance of 1884,. The land was then
surveyed and the government agreed
that the money received from the sale
OF the sixteenth section OF township
should he used for educational purposes.
TIE conditions which gave rise to the
second source of the primary Interest
fund first existed about 1912. At this
time the United States government set
OF large tract of land in michigan
territory from which they promised to
give as a bounty, a piece of land to
each person who would take part In
the war with England This tract
was said to consist of worthless swamp
land however. and the soldiers refus-
ing to accept ii were given some farther
south
Later, however, this land was found
10 be of some value. and the govern
ment decided il should be sold and the
money received be used 10 further the
educational interests of the country,
I When Michigan was admitted into
1 the Onion it was with this understand
ing in regard TO the money 10 be used
/ for schools The state was very much
in debt, however, 50 il was decided
that the.s should borrow the money
/ received from the sale of these lands
and pay annually per cent interest on
/ the money received from the sale of the
swamp lands. and per cent on that
received from the sale of the other
lands thus forming perpetual school
+ interest fund.
rhe third source and tue one from
which the greatest amount Of money il
received Is the co poration tax. which
IS laid upon corporations such as the
railroads. telegraph and telephone com
( panies. by the state of Michigan.
When the corporation tax is collected
the state deducts from this amount
the interest on the primary school
funds and the interest on the univer-
sity and normal school funds The
amont then remaining is added TO the
interest on primary school fund and
this amount is divided hy the number
of children of school age in the state
according to the last census The dis
tricts then receive that amount which
is at the presen time about five dollars.
for each child of school age in the
district
This primary money can be used for
no other purpose than the payment of
the wages of legally qualified teachers
and only by districts in which at
least FIVE months of school were main
tanned during the year All districts
failing to maintain school for i've
months forfeit their proportion of the
income of the primary school fund a.
wei a. al AdAto Aoi AAt HNBlOit 81 AIt
schools.
The interest on the primary school
fund has rapidly Increased from few
cents to its present rate and it is not
probable that IL will ever be lower
than it now is. In spite OF these facts
some districts are paying salaries to
their teachers but little in ad ance of
tnat PAID when the primary interest re-
ceived nv the district was less than one
fifth of its present value. The extra
money is boarded and the children
sacrificed rather than have little less
in the treasury and good teacher.
The value of true teacher is rapid
ly being realized. however. and teach
ing is being raised in the minus of the
people 10 level with other professions
demanding equal rights and equal re
spect.