El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-08-09

school building, under the state law
providing such aid for financially weak
school districts. are % on file in
the state department of education
from large numbers Of school districts
in twenty Of the twenty-eight counties
in New Mexico. The total amount OF
the aid asked for In these applications
Is $l8,46S.00. The department Of edn-
cation has examined these applica-
tions carefully and has approved them
all for payment. The payments, how
ever, are delayed. and must be delayed
for some time to come-not by the de-
partment Of education, whose records
show that there is, or should be,
ample money In the state aid fund to
pay all these applications, but be-
cause the money is not in the fund to
pay them, and because the state audi
tor can not issue warrants covering
the applications until the money is
there. This money has been spent for
other state purposes under enactments
of the legislature. which no matter
what their constitutional status may
be, have been effective orders on the
state treasury which could not be de-
MED by the states disbursing officers.
Demand for funds under the state
aid law have recently become SO in
sistent and the need for rendering this
aid Is so urgent that State Superin-
tendent of Education J.. Fl. Wagner to-
day issued a statement explaining in
detail the reasons why these approved
petitions for aid have not been paid.
Great Need, Realized
"No one knows better than we in
this department the great need for
state aid in school building in many
districts" said Mr.. Wagner, and be-
cause the failure of these districts to
receive the state aid funds for which
they have properly applied may lead
10 a misunderstanding as to the cause
of the delay, we feel that a statement
of the situationfs necessary. In 1908
our legislature passed a law. under
which the residue from the current
school funds each year is converted
into a separate fund for the use of the
department Of education in supplying
ST ate aid for weak school districts; to
the end that every school district may
have the equipment and the school
guaranteed in the enabling act
and constitution. Under this law school
districts needing assistance may make
to the department of edu-
with the approval OF the county
superintendent. If the appli-
is approved by the department
OF education and the attorney general,
the state then allows $500 to such dis
trict tor building and $50 for furnir
ture, with the provision that the dis
trict SO aided pays one-third Of the
total outlay and furnishes a school
site.
i'The wisdom OF this law is general
Iy agreed upon. The fund for its exc
cution should be as sacredly guarded
as any other school fund. Without it
development of our rural school sys-
to its present status would have
been impossible, especially in the poor
err counties. Large amounts have been
paid out under the state aid law and
In some counties every school district
has had this assistance.>
Had the state aid fund been left
intact ample money would have been
available to meet every proper applt
for assistance, including every
dollar Of the nearly $50, 900 for which
approved applications are now on file
Unfortunately the state aid fund has
been depleted for other state pur-
poses. The books ofthis department
show that there is, or should be,
available in the state aid fund a to-
tad Of $40, 365.27. As a matter OF fact
less than $4,000 is in the fund and the
state auditor properly refuses to issue
warrants against the fund for money
not there to pay them.
Briefly, the reason for this condi-
ion Is that on July 2S, 1915, the state
aid fund, then showing a cash balance
the treasury of $4,000. was drawn
upon for $37, 500 with which to pay for
The cost Of the 1915 codificatiofi Of the
laws of New Mexico. The authority
'or this draft was found in the law
authorizing the codification which pro-
vided that payment Of the costs there
If should be made out of any funds in
he state treasury other than those
or interest on the state debt and
fund.- The cost of the codifi-
in other words, was provided
or by q blanket order ON the treasury.
Unfortunately 1t so happened that our
state aid for weak school districts
'und was the only one which at that
line had a balance large enough to
pay the bill for the ~codiication. The
aid fund, therefore, was the one
% suffer. Later in the year, on De-
3, the state aid fund was tap
ped for $1,000 more, as an advance to
he experiment station of the state
agricultural college. We do not know
yet exactly upon what authority this
was made. The amount is
'elativeiy small and the experiment
station's funds soon will permit re-
paymentA
Not a Criticism
1--WE wish it clearly understood that
his statement is not a criticism Of the
legislators or of any one else. The
department. Of education is interested
in finding a way out OF our diff
SO that the state aid SO urgent
y needed may be extended to the
This is simply a statement
If facts SO that the people of the inter-
,sted districts may know why their
I'D Is delayed and so that the position
" the department of education may
he misunderstood.
ION August IL, 1916, $4,000 of the