The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-03-04
MUCH OPPOSITION
TO SCHOOL LAWS
RURAL PATRONS 90 NOT WANT
CHANGES MADE.
NINETY PER CENT AGAINST
Protests Have Been Pouring into the
Legislature From ali Parts Of
the State Politics
in Plan.
(By Julian Richards. j


Des Moines, March S--1'ne opposi-
tion which is developing to the school
laws proposed by S. F. 50 and H. +.
So, or any material change in existing
school statutes, has found expression
In a large number OF letters written by
the patrons and those most closely
interested in the schools, These let-
tiers have come from all parts of the
state and many Of them have been
accompanied by petitions urging the
members of the Legislature not to sup.
port these bills. Very many argu-
ments are set forth why these bills
should not pass and these arguments
show that the people are thoroughly
Interested in the matter.
One OF the principal arguments in,
favor OF the measure is that it adopts
what is known as the county unit.
This county unit system is simply
what might be called centralized
system and such system takes away
from the small districts the manager
ment of the schools and school funds
and places it in the hands OF board
far removed from those most inter-
ested
The claim was made that very
large per cent of the. patrons OF the
schools would endorse the proposed
changes. that in fact these changes
were for the purpose Of establishing
a strong educational system which
uyouId ba Co.. tt,, l4aft arr,.,,,s AZ,
Of the rural schools. The results show
that fully IS per cent of the patrons
of the rural schools who nave been
heard from are opposed to the meas
ure as now under consideration be-
fore the legislature. The commission
which was 70 pgepqre fhe bill. sun
mitted It's report only a short time be-
fore the legislature met, and out few
copies, comparatively. were printed
so that the people knew bur little of
the proposed changes until the bill
had been framed and presented.
At the outset of the discussion of
this question it might be well to re-
member that the people may be trust
ed. They know the right and win do
it, and the nearer legislation places
the power in the hands of the people.
the better it viii be for all concerned.
The general tendency OF the proposed
law is opposed to this theory and in
favor of Capitalization. 1t has been
suggested thar the law might be passed
and then amended as occasion re-
quired, This is certainly very lame
argument and worthy Of no consid-
Grafton. 1t has been suggested that
some sort of school commission be
chosen patterned after the Board OF
Control. This would be only carry
| ing the idea of centralization to a
| greater eXtent and taking the power
farther away from the people One
argument in support of the proposed
bill Is that it would make ii more CON
yenient in handling books. This may
be an argument in favor of the school
book companies, but il is scarcely ten
able when applied to the SCHOOLS them
selves, One argument in favor of that
office of school treasurer and provides
that school funds shall all go into the
hands of the county treasurer is that
IF the money is taken out of the pands
of the various school treasurers and
placed in that of the county treasur r
it will account for all expenditures
without mistakes being made by in
competent treasurtrs.p This may look
like valid argument, but there are
many flaws in it. In the. first place
the loss by defalcation on the part OF
county treasurers and failures of banks
has been very large. while the defal-
cation of school treasurer is thing
almost unknown Then. too. the large
additional expense entaIled by reason
of the increased force necessary in the
couhty treasurer's Office to handle the
large Increased business would far
more than absorb all the interest which
might accrue from the deposits OF
these funds by the treasurer.
1t is stated that in the proposed sub
stitute bill the county board is allow
ed to raise the tax levy above that
fixed by the small township board who
know the needs of their schools ana
know the necessary expense when
they are administered economically,
This certainly gives the county beard
unjustifiable powers enabling them
to raise tax in one district TO be
used in another where conditions are
not so favorable. Then. too. a large
percentage of the rural school officers
serve without compensation and even
arrange TO carry school warrants with.
out expense. when the fund may be
temporarily short.
The farmers of the state. those who
are specially interested in the educa
tional facilities Afforded their sons
and daughters, are not Demanding any
change In the law. They want the
right to govern the little school on