The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-18
UNJUST CONSOLIDATION,

Under the process Of consolidating
schooI districts which has been going
on IN the counties to greater or less
extent throughout the State, VIC believe
that good results arc achieved where
the population is homogeneous and Of
undivided interests. In eases, however,
where there are antagonistc interests
or where a school district has made in
any county such advance as is incom.
parably beyond that of other districts
IN that county, such consolidation may
work very serious injustice
case of this kind has Just been re-
ported to us from Emery county. The
Green River district there is, by a very
large majority. Gentle, settled in the
past four years by Eastern people, When
they came there they found no improve
ments and the school facilities were cs.
pecially inadequate Doing as Eastern
people usually do under such circum-
stances, this community at once got
alive TO the need Of schools, enlarged
the school. put it on a good basis, and
have recently voted bonds for n fine
new $4,000 school house. Now, appar-
entity to head off this Eastern enterprise,
and put this Gentle school district in
the hands Of the reactionary Mormon
rulers, there is proposition 10 consoh-
date the whole Of Emery county into
one school district, with n view of
bringing the Green River local school
under Mormon influence and control,
No move of this kind was ever thought
of in the past. when the community
was all Mormon, aud when nothing had
been done especially for any Of the
schools in the districts throughout that
county. But now that Eastern people,
progressive and interested in schools,
are making Roadway in their local
school district. this plan. apparently to
trick them and nullify their efforts, is
brought forward.
The State statutes (Scction 1891
New Revised Laws,) provides that
where county has 5000 school children
or more. it may be consolidated into
a district Of the first class. Emery coun-
ty has a school population all told of
but 2065, so that under this statute II
would not be legal for the county au-
thorities to make the consolidation.
There is another statute, however. (Sec
tion 1901, New Revised Laws), which
appears to give the county commits
sioners complete control in tUe consol
datiou and modifying Of districts. 1t
docs not, however. give them express
- IL, oil ,T H. 4 -
of the county into one MS the section
first cited contemplates: and il might |
still be a question whether the county |
could legally proceed |
with the apparently tricky scheme that
has evidently been devised TO wrong
the progressive citizens of the Green |
River district. Those citizens are max
ing an emphatic protest against being |
with the other Emery |
schools. They are able to take
care of themselves, and want to be let |
alone to do IT,
The Tribune sympathizes heartily
with this feeling Of the progressive
GENTLE school population of Green Riv-
nr, They will not only have better
schools if they are left to transact their
school business for themselves, but they
will insure the warding off of the con
.aminating influence of having as
teachers the polvgamous wives Of vari-
JUS local church officials and elders. The
Green River people certainly have
light to their own schools, and their
protest against consolidation should be
conceded.