The Paducah evening sun., 1910-12-22
CITY COLLECTED
OYER S6 CENTS
M fContinued from Page one.J

public schools a lump sum. regard
less Of the S5 cent levy and pays the
money over. Nobody has ever ques-
ltioned that action, and nobody would
Question the action of the Paiucah
general council. which appropriated
money for the Ohio Valley Improve
ment association, the Tennessee
River Improvement association, the
silver service and a junket to New
Orleans, IL IL would be equally daring
in giving to the schools.
II the special levy of LES cents
had not been made for the schools
the tax rate last year might have
been reduces to sL.s335 and IL the
balance of the 35 cents levy was not
TO be given 10 the public schools, the
tax rate might have been reduced
still more. Since the levy was made.
Il seems fair to the taxpayer, from
whom the money was taken, and
to the schools in whose name II was
taken, that the money go where the
taxpayer was informed II was in
TENDED to go.
What the Solicitor Said.
81 would like to see the schools gst
sr5 900 more than they receive un-
der the apportionment." said City
Solicitor Campbell. to a reporter for
The Evening Sun: "But the general
council didn't ask my opinion as to
the worthiness OF the schools de-
mand. They asked me whether they
had the right to give the schools
more than the apportionment and
pay over the $4,000 and told them
they had not. The law Is plain
enough, although. of course, nobody
is going TO prosecute them for giving
money to the schools-certainly, not
l. would have told them the same
thing, II they had asked me about
appropriations for anything else not
anticipated in the apportionment,
and the transferring of funds from
one department to another"
Don't you think, that since the
general council levied a special tax
on the people for the schools. the
money so received ought to go TO the
scbnols2" he was asked.
Personally, / should like TO see
1t 60 to the Schools" he replied. "and
there is no likelihood that people,
who paid the money in for that pur-
pose, would try to prosecute the city
for turning the money over to the
schools; but / was only asked for a
1 nd nj 10
matter of fact, the levy was Illegal,
and any taxpayer could have
rendered his taxes at the rate of
$1.S3 and fraction, and demanded
receipt for his taxes with perfect
right. The general council had no
more right to make that levy. than
II has to give the money to the
schools. wasn't asked for my opin-
ion when the lazy was made, was
only asked for II when the question
of paying over the money came up.
Zone thing should be looked to
this next year, and that Is making
the apportionment for the schools
sufficient to cover the revenues under
the 35 cent levy"
''As understand you then" he
was asked, the general council
wasn't so anxious to ascertain its
right 10 levy a tax on the property
owners. as it Is now to ascertain its
inability to give the money to the
schools. as il promised?"
81 don't know as TO that" he re-
piled cautiously. 81 was asked for a
legal opinion and gave IT,"
The special apportionment ordi-
nance is only to convey to the schools
the balance of collections under the
35 cent levy in excess of the original
apportionment, without regard to the
SO 900 promised and raised under
the levy of 1.65 cents. isn't it?" he
was asked.
Eyes. That is all | hold the gen.
eral council has authority under the
law to give the schools. OF course,
II they choose to give more. that is
their lookout, though there isn't
much danger OF anybody objecting TO
the money going to so worthy a
cause"