Semi-weekly herald., 1910-04-25
THE ISSUE is, WHO'LL SHOW THE
BOOKS.
ditor:

Tditor:
". the Wage Garner took the
field in uefense of the present school
board and as | will not have chance
TO answer Mr.. Galbreath's arguments
through the Farmers Voice before
election. ! wish you would let me say
a few words to the voters of Durango
through The Herald
MT Galbreath says: "If Mr. Tiff
fany would say that he is in favor OF
making children from out side districts
pay only the actual expense caused by
their coming here to school we would
be with him heart and soul; aud that
is all the farmers sohuld ask him to
promise" Now will Mr.. Galbreath
please state when the farmers asked
for anything more than that For the
last six months the farmers have been
trying to find out what 1t actually does
cost TO educate theii children in this
high school, and so far they have been
their committee 10 the Durango school
board to find out if these is any iusti
flcation for the additional tax. and a
majority of the board. namely. Mr.. Bal
fused to tell the committee what they
are doing with the money they are ex-
acting from farmers contrary to law.
When the committee reported how 1t
had been received, the farmers natur
ally concluded thai the Durango board
had no way to justify its conduct, and
n good many were in favor of appeal
ing TO the courts, and having the
extra tax stopped and the money re-
funded. The majority. however, de
cided that the cheapest and quickest
way TO settle the matter is to leave 1t
TO the voters at he coming election
If Mr.. Balster Is reelected 1t will mean
that a majority Of the voters believe
that some time, in some way he will
be able to justify the queer stand he
has taken In imposing this extra tax
on the farmers. and refusing TO show
them any reason for it. On the other
hand II Mr.. Tiffany is elected 1t will
mean that a majority of the voters
want this war between city and coun-
try people stopped. That the books
Will be opened, before some impartial
Investigating committee or tribunal. SO
that litN and pAnnIa lilo q
be convinced exactly what outside pu.
pills costs school district No. ..
Like a good many others Mr. Tiffany
evidently believes that outside pupils
more than the $3.50 per month, which
The law provides indeed, how can he
believe anything else? How can Mr.
Galbreath or any other good citizen
believe anything else? The Legislators
who passed the law and the great edu-
Gators who approved it must have
made close estimates on the probable
cost of running high schools. and why
should Mr.. Galbreath, Mr.. Tiffany or
anyone else assume that they made n
mistake? Every other school distric'
in the state. so far as we are able to
learn, says 1t is enough; and II It
isn't enough for the Durango school
board, why don't they prove it2 The
three men who have taken II upon
themselves 10 declare this law uncon-
stitutional must know that the bur.
den of proof is on them; and when
Mr.. BalsteT, who has charge OF the
hooks. refuses to offer any proof. 1t
ers viii conclude ne has no proof to
offer.
There are four chief reasons why
the voters will reach such conclu.
sion. First, Mr. Balster knows that
the extra tax he votes to impose on
farmers is unauthorized by law; aud
II there Is any way to prove that 1t is
backed by equity IT is reasonable to
suppose that in the interests OF har-
mony. II for no other reason he would
try to prove II. Second, most voters
believe that our schools should be
supported by taxes levied on property,
and they revolt at the idea that a man
who is patriotic enough to send his
children to school should be burdened
with a special tax for doing so. Third,
the voters know that this new law is
an attempt to introduce little sense
into our chaotic school system, by
taking 1t out Of the power OF stupid,