The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1910-08-06
RESTORE HERITAGE TO
STATE SCHOOL FUND
State Teachers Association and Those
Interested In Education, Start Active
Campaign to Restore Colorado
ChiIdren's Heritage 80 Ap-
proximates a Millions

proximates a Millions
The Colorado State Teachers assOci-
alton 10 actively engaged In a campaign
which may result in tho restoration Of
ono million dollars to the public school
fund OF the state.
The association proposes to do this
through the Cove amendment to the
constitution at the next general election
70 be held In November. AS II means
to this end, the state is being flooded
With letters advocating the adoption Of
this amendnent, and giving the genises
Of the long neglected debt Of the state
to the school fund, and some revelations
n to the usthre Of it.
This great heritage to the children of
ths State Of Colorado, according to the
letter. was unwittingly lost to them by
m unexpected and startling decision Of
the supreme court.
The origin of the debt dates back to
the admission of the state to the Union.
At that time two sections of land in
every township of the public domain
within the states borders was set aside
by the United States as a public school
endowment.
Under the constitution Of Colorado
accepting this gift the principal Of the
endowment could never be impaired,
but the aanalal income was to be dis
dributed each year to all school districts
Of the state in proportion to the popula-
tion, and Nas thus made available every
year for H6tual and immediate use.
The seta)ement and growth Of various
parts OF tae state gave value and maize
q deman4J for these school lands, large
portion 0a (which have since been sold by
the state and board, creating vast and
perpetusee Endowment for all the school
tiiaEricts u the state.
AZ autAprized by the statutes Of the
state, the state treasurer in lSs7-S0, with
cash pocr4ed from the sale Of school
lands. plrchased state paper to the
amount n $455, ,54s.97. These warrants,
which. .lsaxe been drawing interest more
than % gears at the rate Of 6 per cent.
per annun, now amounts to more than
81 .000.0olt
Almost every kind Of warrant was
purchaGa1, warrants for salaries Of state
la6aelaln qiIdinas for penitentiaries, in
sane asyiuhs. sosdisn and s.ilor'l
homes, etc. In plain facts these war.
rants represent the operating expenses
Of the state for parts Of three years, and
are still unpaid.
The warrants were not paid because
the money raised by taxation, which has
been appropriated by the legislature for
the payment Of these warrants, was
used in the payment Of warrants Of pre-
vious years.
This WAS not new departure, but
was In accordance with practice pre-
vailing In numerical order. At the
time these warrants were issued the
state was in arrears for several years OIL
running expenses. II
In 1889 the supreme court, answering
an inquiry from the governor, handed
down decision that the warrants Of
any year must be paid out OF the reven-
ues Of the same year.
This decision came like thunderbolt
out of clear sky. and from that day to
this the warrants purchased for the
school fund have remained dead asset
neither principal or interest available
for school purposes.
The Cove amendment provides that
the major portion of the Indebtedness is
held in the state school fund as an in
vestment, which under the constitution
of the state must forever remain inviO-
late and intact, and loss thereof to be
supplied by the state.
Former attempts to do justice to the
matter have failed because Of lack OF
understanding on the part Of educators
OF the state.
Every teacher has been enlisted In the
present fight to regain the heritage OF
the children Of Colorado, and the cam
paign Vt publicity which has been start
ed will do much to swing pubic senti.
v,,onf fv, lima nj e1,x, uiortiNn povt Nnv,