Mexico weekly ledger., 1921-03-10
REP.WW. Bolts
EXPLAINS STAND
IN CO. UNIT BILL

IN III. uni bill
In answer to the many letters from
his people concerning the County
Unit Bill, Representative w. W.
Bolts Of Audrain County has written
a public letter which explains his
stand on the measure. The letter fol-
fows:
Jefferson City, Nc.
March 8, 1921.
Mexico Ledger.
Mexico, Mo.
Mr.. Editor
Having received many requests to
vote for and some requests to vote
against House Bill number 1913 gen.
orally known as the County Unit
Educational Bill. / took this method
of answering the letters and stating
my position in regard to the bill.
There has ben a great deal of pro-
paganda in favor Of a County Unit
School Law and this act in its present
form processes to be a County Unit
Bill and to be in response to the
strong demand for a County Unit
School Law.
This act practically takes away
from the school district boards their
authority and vests it in a County
School Board. 1t also takes away
from the local school districts their
taxing power and their school prop
erty, and vests both the taxing power
and the school property in a County
School Board and County School Dis
trict.
The County School District COM
promises all of the County which lies
outside of School Districts maintain
ing an accredited High School Of the
first class. 1t gives to the County
School Board authority to make rules
and regulations for governing all the
schools in the County and furnish all
the supplies and fuel for each school
district, furnishes the list from which
the rural district can select teachers
It can consolidate several school dis
tricts into one and in any way change
the boundaries of the districts an(
may establish High Schools wher'
ever needed.
So far this carries out what SEEM
to be a strong demand among tn
Educators for a County Unit system
for schools. But now the Legislator
has done another thing which / d
not think the people understand. B
adding sections TIA and 17B to tn
bill, the character of the bill seems I
me to be wholly changed.
The agitation for a County I'm
system has been urged wholly or a
most wholly in behalf Of the Count
School Districts. These two amen
ments the first one section TIA, pr
vides that first class High Schoo
shall first be taken care Of out Of Il
State School fund. This school fun
has heretofore been distribut'
among the schools OF fine state in pr
portion to school population. Th
section provides that before any SUI
distribution is made to schools ge
orally, that if a High School Distri
leaves a tax of one dollar on the oil
hundred dollars and if that tax a
cording to the assessment of 1919 II
CARELESS Of any increase in ~valuati'
after that date) does not yield encul
money to pay twenty cents a day I
the average attendance in the grad
and thirty-fve cents a day for pul
for average attendance in the Hi
School, that the State Superintende
shall apportion to each High Schc
in the State enough money to build
up to that standard.
The pest estimate that l can fol
of the amount of money that Il
would take, leads me to believe tn
this section alone will take practica.
all of the State Schol or 81
leave nothing for the children W
do not live in High School Distric
/ cannot, therefore, support the bill
w ". BOLTS