The state herald., 1909-06-11

The Phillips county Independent, in
commenting on the recent defeat of the
high school bonds, says: "The Inde-
pendent is in favor of every legislati-
mate means of spreading education, but
TIE people acted wisely in defeating the
CLAN, as the law permitting the erection
df high school buildings at county ex-
sense is pernicious bit of legislation
Aid is not calculated to meet with gen
oral favor, as the benefits derived by
Che territory outside Of the town in
which the building is located is entirely
disproportionate to the amount of
taxes borne by such territory.
When town attains sufficient size to
need a high school it can and should
bear the expense of building it, charg-
ing tuition to students who attend from
other parts of the county.
The defeat Of the bond issue leaves
the committee in an awkward position,
Us the rooms now used as a high school
will not be available next fall, but
doubtless some satisfactory solution
viii be made"
The writer of the above evidently
5oss not date his residence in our coun-
Il, vefy far back or he would not have
written az he has. He seemo to take
it for granted that. simply because the
people of the county have voted down
the proposition to build $4,000 high
school building, majority OF the peo-
pie of the county are not in sympathy
with the maintaining OF a county high
school. Such conclusion is not war
ranted by the facts.
The state legislature did not force
county high school upon the people of
fhillips county. but simply enacted a
law making it possible for the voters of
any county in the state to organize the
county into high school district by a
vote Of the people and maintain coun-
" high school at the expense of the
county.
At the general election in 1900, the
question as to whether Phillips county
would take advantage Of this law to or
ganize and maintain county high
school was submitted to the voters Of
the county and. by their ballots, large
majority Of the Taxpayers Of the coun-
ty said that they considered tho county
high school law wise law and wished
to take advantage of its provisions for
Phillips county and, contrary to the in
sinuation Of the Haxtun Independent
that the people Of llolyoke are the only
payers Of the county that favor n
county high school, this large minority
vote was not confined to Holyoke either
but the high school proposition carried
in the home district OF the Independent
by vote Of three to one.
This vote Of the taxpayers oil the
county shows very conslusively that
thcy have no sympathy whatever with
this newly discovered idea Of tho indie
pendent that the high school law is
"pernieious legislation" and II is no
likely that they will take very kindly
to It's attack upon the county high
school.
This law applies to fourth and fifth
class counties and has been in force for
about 10 years. During that time, ma
nv of the counties Of the state have n
vailed themselves Of It's provisions and
have thoroughly tested the merits OF
the law. II Il has proven such per
nisious legislation" as the Independent
would have its readers believe. 1t Is
somewhat remarkable that this has not
been discovered In ten years trial OF
the law but remained for tho lndcpcnd'
cnt to make this great discovery.
The Independent takes the position
that high school is not needed TIL
town Is large enough TO support It's owl
high school. That would mean that IL
some counties good many years might
pass away before the pupils OF The
county could have tho advantage OF
high school education In their owl
county and II would follow us mnttc'