New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-08-10
ROBBING PETER
TO PAY PAUL HITS
SCHOOLS HARD

pHOjSSS, SLs ASSOCN Oc
TRANSFERS BY THE LEG
ISLATURE
An interesting situation and one
involving serious difficulties for
many of the needy rural school dis
tricts of the state, is disclosed in a
statement made public here Tuesday
by State Superintendent of Educa-
ton ]. H. Wagner, dealing with the
status of the fund for State aid
for weak rural school districts.
Applications are on file with the
Department of Education, and have
been approved, totalling $l8458, for
assistance from the state aid fund
These applications come from large
n mbers of 1is,rtts in twenty out
of the states twenty-eight counties.
The books of the Department of
Education show that there should
he a balance in the state aid fund
of $20,365H or more than enough
to pay all the approved applications.
Unfortunately the books of the state
treasurer show that there are less
than 5000 in the fund and that
SIS 900 which should be there are not
there are at all, having been used
to pay other state bills, notably the
cost of the 1915 codification.
With the explanation that his
statement was not a criticism of le-
gislators, or any one else respon-
sible for this draft on the state aid
funds, and was to the end only that
the position of the State depart
ment OF education might not be mis-
understood, Mr.. Wagner said:
mo one knows better than we in
this department the great need for
state aid in school building in many
Ct our rural districts. Because the
failure of these districts to receive
state aid funds to which they are
entitled by law may lead to mis-
understanding as to the cause Of the
delay, we feel that statement OF
the facts is necessary. The legisla-
Iture in 1909 passed law under which
the residue from the current school
fund each year is converted into a
separate fund for the use of the de-
partment of education in supplying
state aid to weak school districts,
SO that every school district may
have the equipment and the school
term guaranteed in the enabling act
and constitution. Under this law
the needy district makes application
to the department of education, with
the approval of the county school
superintendent. If the Department
of Education and the Attorney Gen
eral approve the application, the dis
trict then receives from the state
$500 for school building and $50 for
furniture, provided that the district
pay one-third of the total outlay
for the school and furnish school
site.
"The wisdom of this law has been
generally agreed upon and it had
been supposed that the fund for its
execution was to be held as sacred
ly intact as any other school pur-
pose fund. School districts in al
most every county in the state have
been helped by it and in some coun..
ties every school district has had
help. Without it our rural school
system could not have advanced to
ITS present status.
"Our books show that the state aid
fund should have balance of $20.-
365.Z7, or more than sufficient to
pay all the pending and approved
applications. As a matter of fact
there are less than 5000 in the fund
because heavy drafts have been made
o nit for other state purposes.
1.-THE law authorizing the codifica-
ton of the laws of New Mexico of
1915, provided that payment for the
codification, printing, etc, should be
paid out Of any funds in the state
treasury other than those for inter-
est on the state debt and sinking
fund.- In other words the payment
for the .codification was blank
order against the treasury. It hap
pened, unfortunately, that our state
aid fund was the only one in which
there was sufficient money to meet
the Qualification bill. The state aid
fund had a balance of $4,000. The
codification bill took out S37,500 of
it. This was on July 2S, 1915. Short
ly after, in December, 1915, further
draft was made on the fund of $34OO
for the use of the State Agricultural
College extension fund. On August
Is, 1916, $4,000 of the money taken
for the codification was paid back
and on September 20, 1916 further
payment was made of $4,000 The
state aid fund is stin short $l2,50O
on account of the codification bor-
rowings, and $3400 for the expert
ment station, Or a total of $l5,90O.
"That is the reason and the only
reason why applications approved
by US and now on file have not been
paid. Many of these school districts
can not go on with their work with
out state aid. Their taxable pro-
perty is as low, sometimes as $500.
They can not, at the highest tax
rate, pay teachers, much less build
schools. The Department of Edu-
cation is using its very best end
eavors to get return of this money
to our state aid fund. We hope
to be successful so that it will not
be necessary for these districts whose
needs are urgent, to wait for an
other session of the legislature for
relief. In the meantime, all that
these needy districts can do is to
wait Whatever can be done for
them will be done by the depart
ment"
Don Encarnacion Sandoval who
lives east of Mosquero, has sold