The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1917-11-02
WOULD RETARD
SCHOOL WORK
State Board Of Edueailon Against
Proposed Law.


In the fast growing interest in u,
amendment for statewide prohibi.
tion. 10 be voted on next Tuesday
November 9. New Mexico people ar,
likely 10 lose sight OF another pro.
posed amendment 10 the conslitu.
tion, 10 be voted upon at he same
time, the adoption or rejection vI
which will determine 10 yer,
large extent the future progress
and efficiency Of the states whoi,
public school system. This is The
proposed TAX Amendment b,
which tho existing law Of 1915
limiting increases IN tar lovics IN
any one year 10 5 per cent would
bo written into and mado a part Of
the constitution Of the stste. Ac-
cording 10 the view held by the au-
thoritieslof the Department OF Ed
ucaiion, and by leading educators
throughout the state. adoption OF
this amendment means that oduce-
tonal progress In New Mexico, II
not absolutely checked, will be SER
iously retarded for years TO come
The welfare OF the states whole
school system. and the very exist
cnce OF an effective rural school
plant and organization. thoy assert,
demand The emphatic defeal OF the
proposed amendment
The language OF the proposed
Tax amendment follows:
section I, Taxes levied upon
tangible property shall be in pro-
portion 10 the value thereof and
taxes shall be equal and uniform
upon all subiccts Of taxation Of the
mo alaas. !, il,.l-,'-7 = =
mo county, city, town, village or
school district shall In any year
make tax leyies, which will In the
aggregate produce an amount more
than i've per cent In excess Of The
nmnunt produced BY tar levies
therein during the year preceding
except ns hereinafter provided.
In case the amount desired TO be
produced by tar levies Is more than
Ave per cent greater than the
amount produced In The year pre-
ceding, such fact shall be set forth
in The form OF a special request
and hled with The State Tax Com
mission. IN case the State Tax
Commission approves such proposed
inoreae Il shall specifically authorize
the samei u Il disapproye, IL shall
so state with ils reasons therefor,
aud II decision shall be final.
The above provisions already
constitute state law. enacted in
1915, and under which for the past
two years, the State Tax Commiss-
ion has been called upon 10 pass
upon a great many appeals from
school districts for permission 10
exceed the per cent increase
limit, for absolutely necessary i'm
provemenis IN their schools The
operation OF tho law, according 10
the educational authorities Of tho
state, has proven so disastrous 10
school progress, and especially for
the rural schools in the poorer dis
tFicts, that a statewide sentiment
will demand lis repeal. or meterlal
amendment by the next legislature.
Friends OF the proposed TAX
amendment they say, realized this
condition as likely TO occur, and
proposed this constitutional amend
ment so that the law would be
Sglltgn Into tho state constitution,
where II has no buslness, as pure
legislation, but would thus be made
many times more diillcult OF amend
ment or repeal. Once in the con-
atitution, the educational auihori-
ties show, repeal or amendment be-
come virtually impossible,
1t is shown al the department Of
edHestiGn, that in spite af heroic
efforts 10 better tho situation. tho
salaries Of New Mexlco rural school
teachers remain the lowest m the
United States. A school having !.
teacher with a third grade certifl-
cate has total OF 900 a month. OF
this $40 a month p
y -saust 90 for heat
lSguIrs and other fixed charges
lhe teacher gets $50 a month. In
'he same way the second grade
school has S76 month Of which the
teacher gets sd5. while the nrsi
grade school, with 600 a month,
gives $40 a month 10 the teacher
THESE salaries ore low enough, but
u Is pointed out that the enactment
OF this o Dor cent llnIlniiou inio IN,