The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-09-04
CONSOLIDATION
IS SUBJECT IN.
MASS MEETING.
County Superintendent and
Township Trustee Lead
Movement to Revoke Jack
son Township School Move.
Law SUIT IS FILED


ship schools, voted at a special elec-
ton last fall, to become fact, came
to head in mass meeting at Cam
bridge City, Friday night.
Beside the attorneys for both sides
in the controversy, and the school
board of Cambridge City, the meeting
was attended by 27 persons. 1t was
called by Mr.. Williams, Friday.
Williams and DR.. Ehle submitted a
plan by which the township and the
city would have the same school tax
rate, the revenue to be applied to
each unit as its needs required. but
0nder which plan, the school admin
stration of the township and of Cam
bridge City would be vested in the
township trustee.
Mr.. Williams said that the taxpay-
ers of Cambridge were paying too high
a school tax, and he proposed to equal
ize the burden over the township, he
said.
Says Consolidation is Invalid.
In statement made at his office
Saturday, Mr.. Williams also asserted
that the attorney general of Indiana
had given an opinion to the effect that
the consolidation Of the town and
township schools was invalid. He
further asserted that the majority of
the taxpayers of Jackson township had
recently signed a petition and had
filed it with DR.. Ehle asking that the
consolidation be nullified and that he
resume the Management Of the town
ship schools.
Mr.. Williams asserted that the town
ship schools could be legally with
drawn from the consolidation by the
filing Of a petition, signed by the ma
jority Of the effected taxpayers, de-
manding such action be taken.
Thursday two members of the con-
solidated school board, President
Wissler and Treasurer Huddleston,
filed a petition in circuit court asking
that Dr. Ehle be required to assume
his duties as secretary of the board
and to pay to the board treasurer the
school. funds he. had "unlawfully"
withdrawn from the county treasury.
Displays Stansbury Letter.
Superintendent Williams displayed
a letter Saturday he had received from
Ele Stansbury, attorney general, under
date of May 81, last, in which he gave
the consolidation of the schools of
Cambridge City and Jackson township
had been completely effected"
The letter explained that under the
law after majority of the voters at
special election express favor Of a
school consolidation the trustees OF
the two school corporations shall pro
ceed to consolidate said schools and
provide the necessary buildings and
equipment therefor" The attorney
general concludes his letter with the
opinion that the consolidation of the
Cambridge City and Jackson township
schools is not effective until buildings
and equipment are provided and "the
schools are ready and do begin.
Since the consolidation has not
been actually accomplished, but only
authorized it seems to me each of your
school corporations occupy the same
position they occupied before the con-
solidation election, and may now
abandon the proposed consolidation
and take whatever action they may
deem under the law to abndon the
town school corporation" Mr.. Stans~
bury ruled.
When questioned Friday evening BY
opponents of his solution of the diff
Guilty, Mr.. Williams admitted, it is
said, that it would put the power over
the schools back into the hands of Mr..
Ehle and himself.
Could Place School Anywhere.
It was further brought out by op-
ponents. it was said that under the
plan proposed by him, it would be
possible for the trustee and himself
TO place a proposed township consoli-
dated school anywhere in the town
ship.
The vocational director Of Indiana
schools, q. NJ. Smith, told me some
time ago that Williams had said he
never intended the school for Cam
bridge City, and that he would put it
at East Germantown CPershing). if
his plan went through" said a member
of the opposition, Saturday.
The weakness of the contention
that Cambridge cannot stand a tax
rate of 81, is hown by the fact that
Richmond will pay tax OF $l,25 and
Bluffton already is paying one Of
$3.50"
Thinks Burden on Cambridge.
The burden of taxation for the oper-
alton OF the schools of Cambridge City
and Jackson township under the con-
sol!dated plan would be borne by the
freeho!ders of Cambridge City. in the
opinion of Mr. Williams. expressed in a
statement made by him Saturday.
Superintendent Williams declared
that it will cost $4,000 to maintain
the schools of the two school corpor-
ations during the school year, which
is Just opening. providing the con-
soldation remains effective.
On the basis of school enumeration
Cambridge City would have to play
two-thirds of the cost of operating the
schools. which would be $4,000. The
Jackson township taxpayers would
only have to pay 100000" said Mr.
Williams.
THE taxable valuation of Jackson
township is s5.O00,000. The taxable
valuation of Cambridge City is $4,000,
000," Mr. Williams added. This means
that in Cambridge City $4,000 would
have to be raised on 100000 of tax
ables, while only $4,000 would have
10 bo raised in Jackson township on
$5,00G.000 Of taxables.
Continued on Page Twelve)