Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-01-26
Nom Taxpayers Impose Unnecessary Burdens
Upon Nonresident Property Owners by
Scheme of BOndlnQ and ASSeSSlnQ
WASTEFUL METHODS WORK BIG INJUSTICE
County Funds Used to Build Expensive Schools
in Sections With Only Family or Two
for Population

ing warrant debt Of $500 and is build.
ing cottage for the teacher to cost
5000. The special tax levy this year
for district No. 1T is $1534.53, Of
which amount $1404.34, or 91.51 per
cent, is charged against the railroad
property.
For One Child, $s16
The western part of Clallam coun.
ty, sparsely settled, is divided into
20 school districts, most of them con-
tanning from two to five pupils. Dis
trict No. 80 has schoolhouse valued
at $1,000. Last year there were four
scholars enrolled in this school, but
the average attendance was only one
pupil. This child belongs to the fam
lily Of the directorate. for the father
and mother are both on the board.
The teacher, a daughter of the direc.
tors, draws $50 per month. The faith
or director supplied the wood and the
mother director drew q salary as clerk.
The total cost of education for this
one child was $916 for the school
year.
Respecting the educational condi-
tions in this neighbor . farmer at
Sappho, Clallam bay. writes:
I'VE have here two outrageous in
stances Of sponging on the county
school funds In two adjoining IL.
tricts are two families about mile
apart. one with boy six years old
and a girl ~. the other with q boy
Of 9 years. It costs $3.50 month for
two teachers, besides the incidental
expenses Of keeping up two schools.
In the two districts are only six resi-.
dents. two Of them bachelors. I laid
the facts before the county superin-
tendent and he sent me a petition
form, with the suggestion that IL
got five signatures he would consoli.
date the two schools at Beaver, which
is less than three miles distant, but
as there are only two residents of
the neighborhood not in on the graft
1t would be impossible to get five sig.
natures to the petition"
chehalIs County Waste.
School district No. A. on the Hump
tulips. Chehalis county. for the last
five years has had an attendance rang.
ing from 10 to II pupils. For the &C
commodation Of less than q score Of
scholars there has been erected .
school house valued at $4,000.
District No. 40 has a school house
valued at $4,000. with an average at-
tendance Of about dozen pupils. BY
way Of contrast 1t may be stated that
the town Of Oakville of the same
county, with an attendance in its
schools Of 120 pupils, has a school
house valued at only $4,000.
Pacific County Also.
In the North river territory of Pa.
ciflc county there are two school dis.
tricts, Nos. 80 and 45, in which 9S
per cent Of all taxes come from tim.
Der assessments. For the last fve
years the average attendance Of
school district No. 33 has been from
3 to pupils, and for the last two
years the average attendance was
five pupils. For this small school
there has been expended in FIVE years
for teachers salary $29s5; for janitor,
fuel. supplies, etc.. $1615.
In 1910 district No. 80 had school
house valued at $1,000. The report
for 1914 gives the value Of the school
property at $4,000. During the last
hve years there has been expended
for new school buildings, apparatus,
furniture. $2s05. making . total ex.
pended for the Ave-year period OF
$s41e or $16s3 per annum. It ID to
be noted that this excessive expendi.
ture is caused by building and inei-
dental expenses. which are out Of all
proportion to the requirements Of the
school.
In district No. IS there has been an
average of from 8 to 10 pupils attend.
ing the school during the last five
years. This district maintains q high
school and two teachers. The ex-
penses for the ive-year period have
been: For teachers' salary. 1880:
for janitor. fuel and supplies. $2e10.
District No. b6 had in 1910 school
house valued 1t $4,000. and the same
valuation II given In the report for
1914. There has been expended on