The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1910-11-04
Amendment No. II.
Columbia, Mo-, Oct. %

10 the Editor:
Through the columns OF you,
paper let me call the attention O
the voters to the amendment t.
the State Constitution which vii
be voted on next Tuesday, pro.
viding a tax of three-tenths Of
mill On the dollar for the supper,
OF the State University, College
of Agriculture and the School Of
Mines at Rolla. This amendment,
is the eleventh on the ballot. II
has been endorsed in the Demo
cratic and Republican platforms
and by commercial clubs, trades
unions, farmers associations, and
other public spirited organizations
all over the state. There is no Or
gained opposition to it, but the
voters often do not inform them
selves about proposed amend
ments before election day, and
then vote "no" on the principle
that things n good enough as
they + This tendency endan-
gers the passage OF this amend
ment, and the following facts are
given SO that by being better adj
vertised the amendment will be
more generally and more enthus-
iastically supported.
The present support Of the Uni
versity is by appropriations made
by the legislature out of the gen.
eral revenue fund of the state,
and out of the collateral inheri-
lance tax fund. This means that
the University must depend on
the biennial pleasure Of the leg
islature for its support and it's
work is less effective because it
is thus kept in politics. Moreover,
the cu%rators have no definite as
Of the amount of none
which they may expend until the
end OF the biennial period, when
the money is actually paid in. The
returns from the collateral inher-
itance tax cannot be counted on
until they are received. For ex-
ample, in 1909, the legislature APP
%propriated a new building for the
University; in October, 1910, the
building contract is not yet let
because the curators cannot be
sure that the money will be forth
coming. Yet this appropriation x
pires il the money is not spent
before January /, 1911. The re-
suit must necessarily be unbusi-
ness-like methods Of spending the
money appropriated. The curators
should be able to count on fixed
sum from year to year.
The two reasons for the change
ares: /. The University should be
taken out of politics. Q. The Gu
rators should have some definite
assurance OF the University's sup
port.
How the change is to be made:
If the amendment carries, a tax
Of three cents on the n hun
dred dollars assessed valuation)
will be set aside for the Univer-
sity, and the legislature will ap-
portion it to various uses. Thus,
a man who owns $4,000 worth of
property, which, at the present
time, would be assessed at 81, 900,
would pay 80 cents a year to the
University.
This amendment does not mean
that the University is to receive
more money from the state, nor
that it will cost the tax payers
more than in years past.
The tax payers will pay direct
ly to the support of the Univer-
sity, instead Of paying to the
general revenue fund the money
which has been ultimately given
to the University by the legisla-
ture. As a matter OF fact, the I'm
iversity will receive a lesser
amount of money under the
amendment than it received from
the 1909 legislature. But it will be
able to accomplish more on less
money, and its support will grad
ually increase with the growth OF
the state.
The collateral inheritance tax
may be abolished by the legisla-
ture II the amendment carries, or
it's proceeds may be used for 9TH
er purposes-rural schools, high
schools, good roads, etc. The Uni
versity will no longer claim 1t.
1t will thus be seen that the
amendment does not necessitate
an increase of the tax rate by so
much-though if the increase
should result it would not 60 to
the University but to other state
purposes.
How the University serves the
state:
1. Public instruction in all
branches is provided to several
thousand students each year, on
ly nominal tuition fees being
charged.
2. The College Of Agriculture
conducts a general campaign OF
education among the farmers OF
the state-Imaintains experiment
stations in SO out Of ia counties,
publishes bulletins on apriculture