The enterprise., 1915-02-18

ter OF the location of consolidat-
ed school.
l. Land valuation and taxation.
2. Topography.
3. reputation.
4. Good roads.
ihe first great care then has to
DO largely with the financial and the
maintenance of the school. And if
board does not make ...is it's first
step, sooner or later the school will
D. forced to close it's doors because
OF lack OF funds. There can be but
little doubt but that the land in and
about the city is assessed enough
to make ample provision for the Sc
curity OF we'll built and organized
consolidated school. That there may
be a possible doubt as to what is
meant by a consolidated school. it
may be stated that it is one which
removes the one room and one
teacher schools that so conspicuous
ly dot the landscape in rural COM
munities. This issue will be dealt
with when the results of q consoli-
dated school are to be summed up.
Land then valued from $40 to
$50 per acre will, with additional
funds that accrue from other levies,
support consolidated school. This
will not always mean that the school
Will be placed in the very heart of
the city, nor in the most densely
populated part, for the elements Of
topography and population will in
great measure govern this. But
it should mean that the school
should be placed in community,
mind you, which will see to it that
it is properly careo for and support
ed loyalty. A school tax will, if
properly levied, do much toward
the elimination Of the evils which
are bound to creep in where taxes
are indiscreetly imposed and a
tax system disorganized or anti
quated. 1t, therefore, behooves a
school board to step forward with
a method of legitimate taxation in
it's hands and present it to the peo-
pie, so that there shall not be an
outcry against it, but an evident
fhn 0f tho
payer to accept it. The old adage
tnat "a bird in hand is worth two
in the bush," will have it's sway, and
with capital in hand the city can go
forward with it's enterprise. No
fear that the ship will founder or
run on the rocks need be entertain
ed, for it will sail on under the clear
skies of a perfect day.
But you ask me what l mean, in
the second place, by the tOpograph-
ical element BY that is meant the
geographical features. or the char
acter of the surrounding country,
which are conducive to the proper
location OF a school. Malta is sur
rounded with the long, sweeping,
rolling prairie. bronen here and
there only by narrow and shallow
ravines, land interspersed by but
few creeks, and halved by pretty
river. In such country, mountains,
lakes and rivers and preciritous
canyons do not have to be taken
into consideration for avoidance.
The country itself lies waiting for a
progressive people to make the best
use o. 1t for her sons and daugh-
ters, now and in the future.
ii one has in mind that the school
is not to lose the aspect of the rural
school, then the placing of buildings
should be in a place where neither
the freedom nor the beauty of the
rural school is lost. For that free
dom. or isolation, in sense, and
tnat ideal and picturesque country
environment have much to do with
the health and scholastic standing
OF the pupils. The close confined
city limits are most injurious. And
although the population is largely
distributed about the commercial
district, yet it must be remembered
that the largest possible number of
children shall be reached from the
country abounding, too. In city
it is not possible to secure the
amount Of land that school boards
in the several states are demanding,
shall be set aside for school pur-
pose. For the consolidated school
today should have at its disposal