Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-24
IMPOSSIBLE TO
BRING UNANlMITY ON CON.
SoLIpATloN QUESTION.
TRANSPORTATION TROUBLES
ARGUMENT OF OPPONENTS
Against Constellation, Rather Than
inereasee in Taxes-soms Districts
Where Schools Have Been Merged
Would Not Return to Old System.
Special to Times-Republican.


MeiNDse township in Grundy county
have just concluded a campaign in
whli the issue was the establishment
Of township consolidated school At
! troversy forty people voted for con-
, solidation and 100 against the plan.
Those favoring the idea admit tina,
, the township plan will not be consid-
cred any more, the majority is on the
other side. When the petition was
circulated in January it was seen that
! the outlying districts would oppose the
proposition as few signatures were OBJ
tanned there. Nearer the center serious
opposition was not expected a COM
rittee made a trip OF inspection TO
! some township schools in the north
, west part Of the state and returned
with a favorable report. They found
men in the remote districts VINO de-
clared that they would be willing to
pay a higher rate OF rent there than
in other localities without central
schools. They talked with land own
ers who said they at first opposed con-
solida;ton because Of the higher taxes
but that now they would not think Of
returning to early day methods despite
the higher expense. They interviewed
teachers who declared that they would
not consider teaching in the old fash
ioned graded school. Nobody com
planned of any trouble in the matter
Of transportation. Then another COM
nittee visited another school and they
too brought back q report. One mother
told the committee how her child was
thrown out Of the conveyance six
times and otherwise roughly handled.
Another had a washing on the line as
the result Of disorde-liness on mud
dv road. The patrons of the outer dis
tricts were dissatisfied and wished they
lived elsewhere.
The opponents distributed cards on
which we're printed these questions:
81. Do you know that the law gives
! the school board the power to make
you bring your child two miles to meet
the school conveyance?
49, Do you know that some children
will have to get up before daylight.
ride and walk from fifteen to twenty
| miles each Gay and return home at
dark?
+ 80. Do you know that no school
board has yet been able to furnish
| rules for their drivers sufficient to
! maintain decent conduct enroute?
| IL Do you kknow that such rigs as
will be necessary TO use on bad roads
will be heavy, dangerous and unventl-
lated?
IS. Do you know that the Pilgrims
settled America so they might have re-
ligious liberty and educate their chill
dren as they plea sed? Is the birth
spirit OF America dying?
So Are you working for the moral
uplift when you vote for the benefit OF
the few to the detriment Of the many?
In another circular it was figured
out that with total yearly resources Of
ss7S4 the annual expenditures for an
accredited high school in the town
ship would be BLISS with no provis-
ion for making bond payments.
One Of the chief advocates OF the
opposition declared. however. that the
item of expenses had nothing to do
with his objections, that he knew a
central school vas much better than
the district school, that many who said
thew preferred educating their children
! in the district school and then sendlns
them to some town would never finish
80 -
ton would prevent his favoring the
township plan. The advocates OF con-
solidation declared that nothing worth
while ever was accomplished without
meeting with the "in possible" obtec-
;-;ocs. that some OF those so jealous in
their anxiety for the welfare OF the
"outside" residents never hesttated to
raise the rent on these people If OPP
portunity offered and that opposition
70 the consolidation plan will work OUT
lust as that 10 the establishment OF
| rural mail routes on the part Of some
towns has already zone. That 5 otsiaI
towns have extended their routes al
most TO the outskirts Of neighborins
towns and thereby gained an adVant-
age in many respects, so the towns
will in future consolidate and make
outside territory OF many OF these
communities which if they would
might now secure nearby schools.
One man. a land owner who opposed
the central school, lives thirty Eoos
from a district school house and FOUR
nflas from the center Of the township
and saws ne would not change his opin-
ion in the matter If ne were two miles
/ from any school because ne can real
ize how the "other man feels. an
other lives near the center. nearly TWO
miles from school but opposes because
of the difficulties Of transportation. ne
TOO. is a landowner: the first OF these
takes a daily paper but the otne1 ooes
not because he isn't mucn OF Teaue'
and hasn't time to look at daiiy ai.e'
the Sunday school lesson IS iearnea-
An opponent says hardly anybody
changed his mind on the suo1ec. as 'iIe
campaign progressed and an aa'oca..
saws that several renters on Who'i NE
side depended for some strahss feas'i.
-..eo,,onaa i, the last few davis anc