Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-12-11


Indebtedness. That, in my humble
opinion, was the situation in re-
gard to some Of the amendmenIs
submitted to the people at the re-
cent election - measures designed
as relief to our already over
taxed people, but which were re-
jected by the voters.
one of these amendments pro-
vided for tax-levy limitations. and
among other levies a permissive
15-mill school tax levy. This
amendment was defeated because
of the strong opposition of certain
of the school people. They resent
ed the plan that school levies be-
tween 10 and IS mills should be
submitted to an intermediate
checking authority. 1t was favored
by the Taxpayers association on
the ground that school monies
should be as carefully guarded and
as economically spent as any other
public monies, and that waste and
extravaganza in their disposal is
fully as reprehensible as in any
other line of public expenditures.
We advocated the amendment be-
cause we believed material savings
in school expenditures could, by
the method proposed. be effected
without in any way interfering
with school efficiency. I believe
that a good many people have
since the recent election come to
the conclusion that these views
were correct, and that the amend
ment which was urged would have
had a wholesome and beneficial
effect.
This whole matter of school
costs is one which merits the most
careful public scrutiny, for there
is no branch of governmental ac-
tiyity that so closely touches the
average citizen as education. There
is no public charge generally so
gladly accepted as the tax for
schools, and when the tax burden
is so overwhelming, as at present,
the citizen is beginning to demand
that he know how wisely these
school funds are being used. He
begins to ask what, in fact, our
program of public instruction act
udllY Is. ne llilhS lAltil llltIV N-Ai'tA'
much confusion in the public mind
as between the crystallized opinion
of the people and the aspirations
of the individuals and groups who
are devoted to the cause of educa-
ton He finds that much of the
data which enter into existing con-
illusions as to educational costs
are not reliable. And If he goes
deeper he will find many cases of
high cost IN both personal and ma
terial items for purely adventitiohs
activities which represents the
caprice of individuals rather than
the consistent part of an orderly
and authorized program. He will
demand what the legitimate cost
of fully and actually carrying out
of q legitimate program promising
competent teachers and other Of
ficers should be. He will inquire
deeply into the relation of the cost
of school services and other public
services, and try to definitely con-
clude whether 1t is economically
possible to afford n continuance of
the present program.
Furthermore, attempts are now
being seriously made to distinguish
the value of education at different
levels-to the individual from its
value to society at large, The
whole program OF free education
is predicated on the assumption
that the social advantages of edu-
cation predominant over the in
dividual advantages. Whether this
is actually the case is a very per-
tinent inquiry, especially in view
of the opinion tacitly or openly
that educational costs
should be judged from a different
angle from other government costs.
So with the matter Of highway
expenditures, which have for a
long time been the source of moro
or less acrimonious discussion.
The recent election demonstrated
the fact that the public generally
is strongly favorable to good roads.
1t did not need the election to
demonstrate that fact, which is
admitted. The dues-
ton as to how far we are justified
in going in view of our economic
condition in the building Of new
roads remains unanswered. We
all want all of them that we can
afford to pay for and maintain.
| think fundamental error in our
of this matter - and
this we have all along maintained
is that we have become accus-
toned to regard road building
finances from the standpoint of
capital costs rather than from that
Of carrying charges. We figure too
much in the terms of construction
and too little from the standpoint
of maintenance-and our highway
budgets are generally too vague as
to how the roads built are to be
Doubtless the higher
the initial cost the less the ratio of
annual maintenance
cost. But even that formula is
subject to discussion, for expensive
surfaced roads, however well built,
soon require expensive repairs
while with graded roads necessi-
tating what amounts to almost |
reconstruction, the unit cost |
of construction and maintenance |
may be much less than with the |
highways. Now that the |
whole road program for the state |
has been definitely settled for a |
period of years, it would be we'll |
careful and frank inquiry as to |
what the future can reasonably |