The Vashon Island record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1916-1919, 1917-09-13
The PEOPLES FORUM
TO The BEAUTIFUL BUSYBODY or
VASH0N HEIGHTS

VASH0N HEIGHTS
And all others, II such there be, who
have as bad an ingrowlng Crouch ~
the school board:
Each school director has copy Of
the school law. These books are the
property of the state, but anyone is at
liberty to consult them who may wish
to do so. Ignorance Of law excuses no
one II you are not familiar with the
school law you know how and where to
become so; and il you do not choose to
do that, then for the love OF peace do
not impose on the school board and
the newspaper by asking for semi
monthly explanations of matters that
Intelligent people know all about.
In the first place, the board never
has made any such ruling as that you
mention, or any other ruling concern
ing the transportation question. The
school law says in these words; s. y
but, in case transportation is provided,
the directors shall not be compelled to
transport children who live within two
miles of the school house, The mat
ter of carrying those who live inside
the limit has been left entirely to the
discretion of the driver, and, as far as
We can learn, he has been very accom-
modating, the extent Of his accommoo
dation depending only on the capacity
OF the wagon and the behavior Of the
children.
The Scales road is nearly three
iourths OF mile inside the limit. And
even il it were not, where would be
the justice in furnishing transporta-
ton to the children on the Scales road
when there are many other parts of
the district which need II much worse?
For instance, why not furnish trans
portation from the Glen Acres sec
ton? The Scales children have about
twelve or fourteen hundred feet farth-
er to 90 than do my own. There are
| fifteen children attending school from
this neighborhood; all of them except
ing four are small, and nine of them
| live a greater distance from the school
than the Scales road. The road from
the Scales corner to the school house
is good, had, level and fairly dry in
winter, while our road is succession
Of mud-holes, alternating with small
ponds, and there are two very respect
able hills to climb.
| If the directors are to furnish trans
portation at all there can be no dis
elimination (by the way, the North
End enjoys its transportation facilities
by reason OF n special agreement made
at the time the North district came
into the Vashon district), and in order
to serve all parts it would require at
least four more routes. Five trans
portation routes would cost the dis
trict at least three hundred dollars per
month.
The district is already taxed to the
limit allowed by law, and our indebt-
edness is so near that allowed by law
that when we voted to bond our war
rant Indebtedness the state refused to
buy our bonds.
Now, Mr. Beautiful Busyhody, YOU,
prior to the last school election, agi-
tated proposition to have separate
polling place at the Heights, in order,
as you stated, to get out larger vote,
and you were told that the matter
could easily be arranged with the
county superintendent; but the in
slant you ascertained that the state
allowed no rent for the yoting-place
and the election officers had to serve
without pay, the matter was dropped
like hot stove lid.
You were asked to serve on the last
school board, and refused because it
would make you late in getting home
Your magnificent acts OF self-sacriiice
have thus far failed to touch the hearts
of the school board very deeply, espec-
tally as we believe we are acting in
accordance with the wishes of the av-
erage taxpayer; and. mysterious or not,
we shall continue along tine same lines