Great Falls tribune., 1921-11-23


lat 81, ,334, $50 Of the $4,264,47
e from the common school fund
ge of delinquency, he charged,
, is 31.29 per cent.
Mr.. Cunningham's figures were based
upon the report OF an accountant EN-
ployed by the state association to in
vestigate the handling of the fund by
the state land board. The report COW
ers the two years ending November 80,
1920. On farm loans, $2,143. 800: gem
eral fund warrants, $2,O41, ,498. is: lib
erty bonds, $320,OOO: school district
bonds. $56, 600. About $4,000, 600 in
farm loans had been made prior to the
time covered by the accountants re-
port.
Blames Legislature
Objection was made that the state
land board had loaned only S56. 900 ON
school district bonds, rejecting 07 an
pications for $3.91S,435, while invest
Ing SO literally in farm loans, which
pay lower rate of interest than the
school bonds. Mr.. Cunningham cues
toned whether the legislature had NOT
transcended its constitutional rixhts-
in providing for handling the common
school fund as state asset, when in
reality 1t was gift from the federal
government direct to the school chill
dren for educational purposes.
Correspondence has been had by az
sociation officials with the department
Of the interior at Washington. which
recommended action if the money had
been devoted to purposes not contem-
plated in the federal 9rant. The
teachers association voted to have
committee place its demand for resti-
tuition before Governor Joseph NJ.
Dixon for inclusion in his messasge to
the next legislature. Should the
legislature fail to take suitable action,
suit against the state win then b
in order. it was said.
Commsnds Present Board
Mr.. Cunningham announced that the
present state land board, which took
bought, from from ass school aso 'Ii Districts. seas
bonds aggregating $2,225OO About
5000 in farm loans, pledged by the
old board, had been completed By this
years board he said Figures were
supplied to him by State Treasurer
J. w. Walker. Management Of the
fund this year certainly should be
commended" he declared.
Mr.. Cunningham also pointed out
that the income this year, which Is
interest received from permanent fund
Investments during the year and which
is distributed to school districts on
February 1 of each year, has been
invested in Z per cent state hail war
rants. As this temporary fund had
been permitted by the former state
land hnqrH fp 10v idle IN hcr Hc
invested Mt 21a per cent, Mr.. Gun
ningham believed most progressive
step had been taken by the new land
board. This board is composed az
Governor Joseph NJ. Dixon, Attorney
General Wellington ID. Rankin, Secre--
tsry of State Charles T. Stewart and
May Trumper, superintendent Of pub
lie instruction.
Pension Law Up
The perennial fight on the Montana
pension law was precipitated
soon after the report Of the commit
tee on teachers retirement fund Was
read by Principal Margaret Mcdonald
of Butte, showing that 81 teachers are
drawing annuities OF 5000 with only.
81 $50 left in the fund. In spite Of the
fact that the pension law was labelled
AS gold brick" and a freak that
takes the cake" In the discussions that
followed, opponents of the present
law were unsuccessful in their attempt
to secure recommendations that it be
lnnulled.
The committee on the teachers re-
tirement fund recommended that
every teacher work earnestly to secure
state or district aid for the law: that
consider the necessity of con-
larger amount to the fund
# state aid can be secured. and that
the state teachers association appro-
pirate not less than $500 to be used
BY the committee for publicity and the
study of this matter"
Dietrich Starts Discussion.
Superintendent John Dietrich Of Hell
emu started the discussion of the in
adequacies of the present pension law
by asserting that minimum age limit
should be stipulated. The laws per-
nits annuities to be paid to those
teachers who have been 25 years IN
he service, which means that should
person start in teaching in Montana
when is years old, he Gun qualify for
| pension when AZ years of age. SUI
II. O. Randall Of Halls
,ell, said that in Flathead county q
,ensioned teacher is now running
BOARDING house with another super
teacher is earning good
wing us taxi driver in addition to
lis pension.
superintendent S. ID. Largent Of
treat Falls said that the state and ma
ion could nots stand the drain upon
he treasury ,saat retirement at II
tCsntInsed On Psss Ihirtssn.A /