The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1915-12-31
THE SCHOOL MONEY
QUESTION SETTLED
Supreme Court Decides What is "Or-
binary Revenue"-SchOOls Get
S334,1S9 More from State.

jefferson City, Mo-, Dec. 22.--The
State Supreme Court en- Banc today
handed down a decision by Judge
Charles B. Faris with the concurrence
of all of his associates in the man.
damus proceeding instituted by State
of Schools Howard A.
Gass against State Auditor John P.
Gordon to get ruling as to what con-
stitutes the ordinary revenue" of the
State Treasury.
Judge Faris sustains the contention
that virtually everything coming in
to the Treasury is ordinary revenue"
and therefore one-third is subject to
apportionment to the support of the
public schools of the State.
Auditor Gordon, before the 1915
apportionment of the State school
moneys, after consultation with other
State officers, withheld total of $780,
5S7.34 on the ground that certain in
spection taxes, like those accruing
from Beer, Grain and other inspection
departments were not Ordinary rev.
enue" within the legislative meaning.
Judge Faris awards writ of man
damus against the Auditor and directs
him to restore at once to the public
school fund 1884, 1881 and apportion
it on the usual basis. This will make,
with the amounts already disbursed,
a total State school apportionment
for 1915 of $1,947, 669.11.
Certain Sums Withheld.
Of the amount in controversy, Judge
Faris holds that $162,39s.O3 is not
subject to apportionment to the school
fund. This includes the fines collect
ed from the lumber companies, total
ling 1852. 1855, and the transfer from
the funds of the State Insurance De-
partment amounting to $125,000.
The lumber company and similar
fines for violations of the antitrust
lays, Judge Faris says, are purely adj
ventitious and can only be regarded as
"wind-fall" and not, therefore, as
part of the regular revenues of the
State.
He leaves no doubt as to the fact
that the beer inspection and similar
taxes are part of the regular annual
revenue of the State and must be sc
trated by the administrative officers
Averts Future Controversy.
Adjudication of the matter viii
avert controversy in the future ovel
the apportionment of the school fund
| Auditor Gordon had estimated that O
the amount involved, S317,000 was du,
the school fund.
Last year the total apportioned t.
the schools by the State was Sl,981,
s89.45.
This year there was apporti0ned il
/ July sl,613, 479.8O This years tota
/ apportionment Of school money is thc
| largest in the history of Missouri.
| Immediately upon the filing Of thc
opinion Auditor Gordon certified t.
State Superintendent Gass the amount
named by Judge Faris' opinion as
ready for disbursement.
It will be apportioned on.the basis
Of the money distributed in July,
edits ETAOIN
Jack Johnson, the colored pugilist
one time world champion, who has
been alternating in Europe for some
time past, owing to having become
entangled in the meshes of the Manr
act, now seems DESTROYS Of returning
to this this country. 1t appears to be
the general opinion hereabouts, how
ever, that there is as much room ovei
there for him as he could possibly dis
cover in this country-even in Chica'
go.