The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-08-25

n EFOEE ~ is another statement from the Taxpasers association of
y iesics and arguing rsai~r sssen nss for the adoption ID p Of constitutional
amendment Ne I which ; ws s,a limit The levy ir schools Il e .,m ten
Tx commission IN urn approve the extra fiseAmils margin.
e,ie ! . 4 fsr !" : y ases taow' The n question: question: raised :, : oSer this prop
imhstion on school iesies in amendment No. y is whether We are
number Of school days IN oar public sehboIs, and whether we want
a limit on onf school taxes badly enough 70 accept the limitation
The Tsxps,ess assoristion is maintained by large corporate
interests. There Is nothing objectionable about the supporters Of
stood. TO these interests q rigid, constitutional limitation upon tax
small, 50 long as ii does not Interfere with other public interests
and responsibilities which ar more impor,an, than the rate Of taxa
fion. A corporation has no children. IL may be interested IN civic
welfare. social progress and an advancing citizenship, but this inter
u eSildssn who need = e duo both the efficiency Of the educational d
system and The rate Of taxation are concrete things They eau
school plenty Of teachers and comfortable school rooms, with a high
school tax levy, against five Or seven months Of school, underpaid
y is NOT fan 70 state that the railroads and other large corporate
not Il appears to be q fact that some of them, at least, would place
a limit upon school ievies which would make adequate schools i'm
II il the same state Of the cooperate mind that complaeently
SlsaSs J n IN s s%s"h%s%' No. 70 p g. which X adds precisely Sssi no POWERS %%rs' %Ga t
e, land, and e ds, e IN ss early dissolution Of any state supervision Of
We believe that the parents Of New Mexico and not. the large
The corporation interests have rights a = taxpayers which should
be respected The children OF the state have rights which must
not be endangered. Amendment No. 8 endangerS the right Of the
children Of New Mexico to efficient education and plenty of IT, 1t
The county and town school superintendents of the state. in a
meeting in Santa Fe last week were unanimous in their view that
tMs amendment would cripple the schools. The school teachers do
mot expect more money than they are getting now. II IL little
enough. II cannot be reduced without reducing school efficiency
n requires no intimate knowledge Of educational matters TO know
that nine months of school produce better results than seven or Ave
months. II is clear that the Teacher with thirty children before
her can give more time to each than the teacher whose room is
crowded with 20 or so children.
When the Albuquerque schools open on September G here will
be rooms in every ward in which a single teacher must attempt to
Teach 10 or more children. II is impossible TO do tina. and do it well
~ this school levy Limitations is adopted there will be more
such oyeFcrowded school rooms in this city We do not believe the
parents OF Albuquerque want that to occur. School conditions here
are better than anywhere else ia the state, perhaps. If that is the
effect Of the limitation here, il is easy to judge its effect throughout
the state.
II is true that we have a lot Of rural schools whose expense per
capita Of children taught is very high. These are the exceptions
II is impossible 10 reason fairly that because of these exceptions the
great majority ef schools and the vast majority OF children in more
populous districts. must suffer.
There are three amendments before the public for their decision
on September 20, eueh of which has for IFS object the greatest good
for the smallest number of taxpayers. These are the corporation
commission amendment No. 8 the land commission amendment, No. Z
aud the tax levy limitation. No. :. al of which have a common origin,
all Of which tend TO reduce the efficiency Of the public service which
the people have a right 20 expect and two of which will undoubtedly
reduce the revenues available for the public schools. They should
be defeated. Ft