The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-02-01
SCHOOL TAX IS
HEAVIEST OF ALL
Costs More Than $17,000,000 to
Operate Michigan System

Lansing, Mich, Feb, 1.-lIave YOU
any idea what il is costing the people
of Michigan to run their public
schools? Few have the slightest con-
ccption.
In 1872 II cost $l7,tii,6SS.72 Ia run
the public school sy stem. Those are
the figures that come from the official
sources at the state capitol. OF that
amount approximately S6,5OO,000 was
paid into the primary school fund by
the railroads, telegraph, telephone and
express companies. \ total of $l0,6tI,-
GSS.12 VAS raised 10y taxation upon the
general property of the state
Have YOU any idea how that amount
compares with that of the previous
year or with the amount it cost 10 or
II years ago? Have YOU amy idea how
the expenses of the educational sys-
TEN of Michigan is growing aud has
been growing during the last decade?
Nearly Doubled in Ten Years.
Wei. i'm 1901 the total amount dis
bursed for school purposes in the state
was $67S2,6S6. In 1911 the total
, amount was $l2,935,S2S. an increase Of
SG,i53,1i2 or 80 per cent In 10 years
while the increase of 1912 over l90l--
II years, was SlO,S62. OO2.72 or l52 per
cent.
Education costs money i'm Michigan.
Let's look at IL from another view.
The total number of teachers employed
in 1901 was 1864 and in 1911 but IS
2Og, an increase in 10 years of 2,1iS or
! 1873 per cent.
The number of children of school
ogc, according to the census of 1901,
was 10000 while in 1911. 10 Years
later, the number was 771.2ll an in.
crease of 5O.G11 or per cent Now
! bunch the figures and get "a compre-
, hcnsivc idea of the increased cost of
education in II years in Michigan.
Increase in number of teachers. 1873
. per cent.
Increase in number of children, per
| cent
Increase in cost of education, 49,
! per cent.
The school taves are by far the
/ highest items of expense in the state.
| Next to them comes tho taxes for cit
| les. This latter tax. as levied upon
school tax but always to the school
tax must he added from $6,000,000 to
! $4,000. 900 levied against the railroads
which eventually gets iuto the school
funds
County Road Tax Growing.
one other tax bids fair 10 press the
school tax from now on and that j.
the county road tax. With the growth
of the interest In good roads, thc'taXes
ire increasing enormously. and viii
! The heavy bond issues being voted al
uver the state. these taxes must in
crease proportionatoly. just by way oi
showing the relative amounts of taxes
! levied we will take three years, re-
Numbering in each year to add In the
school taxes from $6,oo0,oOo to $4,000,
900 annually rs coming from the rail
! roads, etc.
State tax--i9o1, $3.S3J,SSS.t9; 1911
S6.523,013.32; 1912. S5,iJ1, S52.63.
County tax--I90i, $3,1i1632.2S;< 1911
I H.7t7,SSO.S1; 1912, $l,9Si.iOi.i6.
Township tax-l9O1, S7i5.0Gi2S;
1871. $l,t9l ,O02G9; 1872. $l,209,jlS.S5.
School taX-I90l $6.155.SG1.77; 1871
SS.532. 523.95; 1912, $10.6ii,6SS.72.
Highway tax-l9Ol. Sl,lO7,357.0S;
! 1911. $3.47I43235: 1872 $3,St5,S3iS?,
County Road--l90l. Si66,iii.76, 1919
sSl5,227.2i; 1872. $l.3OS,Oi3t3.
Drain tax--l9Oi. Sti5,Oi2.27, 1911
S216,O59.66; l?l2. s2ti,i0i.1O.
City tax-t901, So, l23,022.@i, 1911
$t2,3ii,t55.S0; 1872. $1i.O0S, 1875.
Village tax-l9ot. $7Si,i12.13; 1911
$1.i90.S47.76 1912, I,565,7O7.62.
From this 1t is easy to see how grea;
has been the increase I'm the cost oi
education, as compared with the other
taxes levied, and it will lac noticed that
exclusive OF the money the schools re
| ceivc from the railroads more than
/ half the total increase In taxes in the
year 1872 over 1911 was found in th,
| school taxes alone