Evening star., 1912-09-13
TUITION IN THE DISTRICT
Repeated Inquiries From Residents
Of Nearby States.
SCOPE OF PROHIBITION ORDER
Secretary Hine of Board Of Educa-
ton Explains the Provisions
in Detail.

Hc HcW luitfon law dHoCUnS the puD-
lie schools of the District of Columbia is
making life continuous burden to
Harry O. Hine, secretary of the board
of education. He is on the telephone day
and night, each time answering differ
ent question concerning the rights OF
Maryland and Virginia residents to have
their children educated free i'm the Dis
trict of Columbia. Two thousand chill
dren are affected by the new law. which
makes non-residents pay for education un-
der certain conditions
All sorts of reasons why Maryland
children should come to school free in
the District are being advanced by mail
and telephone. The law. as explained in
The Star of yesterday. appeared perfectly
plain, and the intention of it's makers
was to have 1T appear ironclad. water
tight and alright and to obviate all the
little subterfuges for free education
witch have been in operation under the
previous laws.
reason for inquiry upon the part of
every parent.
Citation Of Reasons.
One man told Mr.. Hine today that he
was the executor of a big estate here
in Washington, but that he lives in
Maryland
Now this estate will be long time
in settling. and I am one of the heirs
under the will. In the meantime I am
the active man. the executor. 1 attend
70 all the business and pay the District
soNeriinent Tor the estate big sum
oeen going to Washington school.
for We live just over the line. viii
| have to pay the tuition fees?
MI Hines advice was to keep on send
ing the children until the papers in the
case We're examined by the board of
education
Another man has the interesting prob
lem or being the active man in a big
corporation. The corporation does busi-
ness here; in fact, almost its entire
operations are limited to the District
!ts assets are large and its tax receipts
| ln1cate prosperous business. This
ma; man asks whether or not he is not en-
titled to send his child to a school in
the District. Probably he will not he
fees. 'Ae ea'eioi
grievances Of Property Owners.
Several people who own property in tn,
District feel aggrieved because they vii
pe cnarged for the schooling Of their chill
oFen, VINO Will come from Virginia and
maryland. The law states that the levied
TAX must be greater than the tuition
lees which run from $40 to $136 a year
ms section of the law has been con-
demned by many who own small
amount of property here, but who live
out In Maryland. The reason for this
passage in the law is plain. it is declared
when one recalls that five enterprisinc
Marylanders bought single fifty-dollar
LOT IN the District several years ago. and
nave been paying an annual tax of i.
cents apiece and educating their children
in the District free of charge by virtue
OF that small levy.
The passage of the law which exempts
the children of men or women in the
pubic service from paving fees has given
several residents of Maryland and Vir-
Slnia new ideas on the subject of what
the public service consists Of
Ordinarily no one would doubt that
the government, federal or municipal
business in this city and living outside
the District contends that his business
is purely a public benefaction and
claims exemption under the law. and an
employe of the Y NJ G. A. claims his
business is for the great benefit of the
public, and wants free education in
the District for his child. Several
others in lines of trade and commerce
have the same ideas.
Right by Inheritance.
One man will undoubtedly change his
line of work In order to get the bene-
fit of the public service clause. He
told MIR. Hine that he would have to
pay $SS for the education Of his chill
dren this year. and wanted exemption
on general principles. This, of course.
he could not get. Then he stated that
his mother paid a large tax in the
District.
Cant these children of mine go TO
school under the protecting influence
OF their grandmothers taXes?" he ask
ed He found that this would be i'm
possible.
We'll. this land will belong to me
some day" he suggested further. That
would be all right when the time came
he found, but the inexOrable law still
demanded $SS.
He figured it out that he might get his
mother to transfer the District property
to his name, and perhaps this will be
done, but to his dismay he found that
his mother has already paid the taxes
for the year, and Tax Collector Rogers
refused to take any more taxes in ad-
vance. Mr.. Rogers will take half year
i'm advance in November, perhaps. and
Mr.. Hine advised the scheming Mary
lander to send his children to school, pay
the pro rata share each month and in
November emerge from the District build
ing waving tax receipt and bidding
a goodbye to the tuition fee bill.
However, before he left Mr. Hine he
had said he believed he would get a job
in the navy yard this fall, and that would
settle the matter. as his employment
would then be in the public service.