The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1917-10-03
NO STATE AID FOR s5
....5.@.. +. SCHOOLS THIS YEAR
District Court Held That State Of
fetal. Cannot Pay State Aid to
4 Rural Schools. -.

i State school aid deficits growing
out of debts incurred for the past
two school years can not be paid out
of current state school funds for
1917.
This is the verdict Of the Ramsey
county district court rendered this
week and sets at rest, for the pre-
sent at least, controversy involving
! several thousands Of graded and rur-
al school districts scattered over the
state
/ Unless the supreme court inter-
feres it will continue as the law of
the state and in the meantime the
'Little Red School House, and it's
more affluent neighbors, the high
and graded schools, will have to get
along as best they can. Inasmuch,
however, as the latter schools have
already been taken care of through
the medium of the state high school
board their condition is not so bad,
but in the case of the rural schools
the situation is more or less critical.
The rural schools and others for
that matter who are burdened with
deficit will have to continue to pay
| interest on school warrants issNed to
| cover past indebtedness and wait un-
til the next legislature meets in or
der to get relief. Accepting the
statement Of Public Examiner Fritz
the interest now being paid on
known deficits amounts to nearly
$500 day and this the schools af-
fected must pay. In round figures
the debts which the schools of the
state are confronted totals nearly
100000 and this must stand until
the next legislature gives relief.
At the close of the legislature of
1917, Governor Burnquist vetoed an
item Of $l,070,l93 in the appropria-
tion act, which was provided to meet
the deficit of $AO70,193 in school aid
that occurred in the fiscal years end
ing 1915 and 1916. In spite of this
veto the State High School Board, bv
a vote of three to two, attempted to
pay this deficit out of the current
appropriation for 1917.
The legislature of 1917 appropriate
ed, by the same act, $2,637 ,545 for
school aid and made it available for
1917. The standards of the schools
were so high at the close of the fis-
cal year of 1917 that they we're en-
titled to $2,866,069, or $228,534 more
than the legislature appropriated for
1917.
The district court of Ramsey coun-
ty, in suit brought by a taxpayer,
Mr.. Mushel Of Foley, enjoined the
state officers from paying the deficit
OF $780, 1913 out of the money de-
voted to the schools for 1917, hold
ing that the 1917 money cannot be
diverted by the state officers to
other purposes. Consequently the
$l,07O,193, due the schools for 1915
and 1916 cannot be paid as Governor
Burnquist vetoed the item that the
legislature appropriated for that
purpose.
The Attorney General, who repre-
sented the state officers in the case,
attempted to Justify the diversion of
money appropriated for one purpose
to another by claiming that when
MIR: lverson was state auditor he
permitted it for several years. Har-
rls Richardson, attorney for Mr.. Mu-
shell, claimed that as the governors
veto annulled the appropriation for
the deficit, the constitution and the
statutes forbade the diversion of the
appropriation for 1917 from the spe-
cltlc purpose for which it was ap-
propriated, and Judge Brill so held.
Attorney General Smith has stated
that he will appeal to the supreme
court, as the question of divertine
funds is very important one in the
administration of the financial affairs
of the state. i
Prior to 1913 deficits carried over
from previous years were cared for
by payments from lump sum which
the legislature appropriated for
state school aid. The wiping out of
standing appropriations, however,
put that practice in the discard and
a set amount to cover reported de-
ficits was provided. 1t was this de-
ficit appropriation of $1,o70,193 that
his excellency vetoed and it is as a
result of this veto that the schools
of the state find themselves up a.
gainst it. ~.:. - = :..; !.
Though it is generally agreed that
the governors action was never ac-
tuated by any desire to cripple the
schoolsL still that is the situation
and those in charge do not feel any
too kindly towards those responsible.