Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-07-13
AS THE PEOPLE VIEW 1T

, that In general their civic activities
are on a high plane.
Curry county, a Santa F'e rail-
road county, probably has the
most extraordinary schools In the
state. That they are too fine and
too costly is the general opinion
not only Of the railroad but or
other taxpayers there. 1t is pro-
portionately as much or more or a
burden for other taxpayers to pay
excessive school taxes as 1t is for
the railroad. The railroads school
taxes in that county alone last year
were nearly $4,000, this year
they will probably be $4,000. That
is their school taxes alone. OF
course the people ultimately pay
these taxes as well as their own.
They pay them In fares and freight
charges
There Is no reason why the
school people should take offense
whenever there is any criticism of
school costs. There Is no good
reason why school costs and ac-
tivities should be looked upon from
any other angle than other public
activities, and that is from. the
angle of service and efficiency and
the peoples power to pay for
them. We are proud of our schools
and have reason to be, but that
does not imply that there should
be no restraint on the amount of
money spent to support them or on
the taxes levied to raise that
money.
There Is much that should be
studied and weighed before this
amendment is rejected. According
to the 1910 census. New Mexico
had one thousand and three chill
dren between the ages of to IS
years for each one thousand adult
| males, whereas for the western
states as whole there were only
five hundred and ninety-six per
one thousand adult males New
Mexico In 1912 had $4,000 OF
property for each child, while the
Western Division as a whole had
over $4,000. These statements,
supposing that New Mexico were
spending as much for educational
purposes per capita of population,
would indicate that New Mexico,
relatively speaking, Is contributing
more than two times what the
other states of the Western Di-
vision are contributing. 1t is to
be noted that Colorado has $4,000
worth Of property for each child
and Arizona 100000 worth of
property for each child.
The school tax limitation is NOT
the only limitation as to rates pro-
vided for in the amendment. It is
only one of many. Kill that and
you XIII the whole program. XIII
that and you leave the gates wide
open for extravaganza. You say
that the plain implication is that
the school boards will levy all that
the law will allow and sauander
the excess. There is great danger
that they will. and in order 10
guard against that danger the law
requires that all school levies In
excess OF ten mills and up to fif-
teen mills shall be first submitted
70 another checking authority the
TAX Commission, before thev are
decided upon. Is there ANYTHING
unreasonable in that? rs there snv
possible good reason for fighting
such provision in times like these
when everybody in the state is so
nard pressed to make ends meet?
There is, after all. only three mills
dirference between the maximum
limit commended for by Mr.. Conwav
and the maximum limit permitted
under the amendment. One is 10
mills and one is Is mills.
Let us be reasonable, fair ana
consistent In this matter.
Respectfully yours,
II. J. HAGERMAN