Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1922-04-14

HDlnd1ng country and city into 9 s0ciak
unit u 81 ss.4 s.:s#s5ss=. HI:
The board has decided to get along
without penmanship supervisor for
the coming year, feeling that the work
is now well established and that the
teachers themselves now hold Palmer
certificates and hence this economy
might be effected without too much
injury to efficient teaching. &
II we can't do more eliminating Of
teachers why not slash salaries?
Little Falls is now below the average
for schools of it's size in the state.
Space does not permit the quoting of
statistics in this article but this may
be taken up subsequently, If our city
decides to put in three or four blocks
OF additional paving, would they ex-
pect to secure the paving material at
prices very far below the price paid
by other cities? Would you 20 to
your Ford dealer and insist upon a.
car at price far below the market
quotation? Better $135 to a good
teacher than 500 to a poor teacher
Do not let us join the forces that
would drag down the dignity and quail
ifications of the teachers of our chill
dren. We are by no means out of
the woods of the teacher shortage sit
uation. Last year the State Teachers
colleges of Minnesota graduated 700
and the Training departments 900.
The annual replacement of the state
require 5000. If all the graduates Of
all the state training institutions and
departments of the United States were
still living and teaching, the schools
OF the United States would still not
be fully manned with qualified instruc-
tors.
II $4,000 is spent on salaries what
becomes of the other $4,000 of the
school budget? Remember that we
are maintaining five buildings, for
which the fuel alone this year will
amount to about $4,000. Incidentally
to illustrate the rise in costs as it af-
fects the single item of coal our rec
ords show that in 1914 the board paid
$5.35 and $3.50, in 1917 $3.50, in 1918
$535 an d$5.50, in 1917 $3.50, in 1918
$500, in 1919 1898, in 1920 sis and in
1922 $40.
Books have gone up in price very
decidedly and remember that we are
furnishing free texts to over 1900 pu.
pills. The total cost of texts last year
was $2,239.75. This year the similar
item will be less.
Insurance on our building alone
last year cost us over $4,000. Water,
light and power last year cost the dis
trict $1,031.96. Even such an insignifi-
cant item as telephone amounted to 4
total annual of $270.76.
1t would be tiresome to name all
the various items. The books of the
district are kept in businesslike
manner and are open for inspection at
any time.
The last two years have marked an
increase in high school enrolment Of
over 100 pupils. To take care of these
only two additional teachers were add
ed. But new seats had to be pu:-
chased, additional books and equip
ment. The two extra rooms of the
building have been finished
Why should our schools not cost more
than the care of the streets, fire and
police protection, lighting, etc? For
nine months of the year the schools
have under their care for more than
six hours each day over 1900 young
lives, Here we have the future Little
Falls. Do we begMdge the $14 per
capita which the training of our chill.
dren costs us?
Of the total school budget this year
about $4,000 is raised by local taxes.
(Remember that part of this comes
from tax payers outside Of the city
hmits). approximately $4,000 Of
state money is expended in the city
of Little Falls through it's schools.
But, you will say, we contribute to
this amount also through our state
taxes. True in very small measure.
Eight thousand dollars is a rough esti-
mate Of amount received from state
apportionment, $4,000 of which per-
haps comes from the state permanent
trust fund. Remember also that the
Railroad Gross Earnings tax, the in
heritance tax and other state revenues
do not benefit our local community
unless returned to our city through
state aid money. Again we must not
forget that the wealth of our state is
concentrated more or less in certain
spots, in the great cities. in the
mines, etc. The principal way in
which we can share in this wealth IS
through the state aid to schools.
From a purely selfish poin; of view,
is it not worth while to invest $4,000
in our schools in order to receive an
additional $4,000 and thus make the
Little Falls schools the equal of those
in other cities of our size?
Do good schools or prosperous
churches drive away investors and
homeseekers? Not the kind of, cit1-
zens that we want. If any person re-
fuses to pay the price of civilization
in taxes, let us invite such person to
take homestead in Siberia or Central
Africa. These excessive taxes would
not annoy him. ..g> y
Do we investigate carefully when
some glib propagandist tries to plant
the seed Of discomfort in our minds
about the cost of some of the really
essential things in life? Are we pay.
ing too much for decency insurance?
Or does the slick propaganda have
some private axe to grind? Why
should we SO meekly pay excessive
prices for fuel, food and shelter, or to
the Spectator in real estate and SO
numerically criticize the cost of good
roads, protection Of our life and prop,
erty or the cost Of insuring happiness
and prosperity to our children?
And can aI1v wise man nxn1ain fhe