Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1922-05-31
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PUBLIC FORUM
MORE ABOUT CONSOLIDATION

sHere is another letter that was re-
ceived by Mrs. Ellsworth Jeidy from
Mr.. Gilligan, Graf. Iowa. l wrote to
him in regards to consolidation and
here is his answer to my letter. Quite
different than the letters you received
from some County Superintendent or
School Principals of Iowa, isn't it
Bishop? Seems like they have just
such money takers in Iowa to contend
with as we have in the village of
Bloomington.
It does seem too bad that a few
fellows that are practically no tax
payers should have so much to say.
Now if you fellows that are no tax
payers had to work as hard for every
dollar you get as does the honest old
farmers there would not be so much
discomfort in this world. Now look
here you Bloomington school builders
if you have to build new school,
why don't you go and build? You
didn't respect the farmers enough to
take them into consideration in this
consolidation plan, but still you think
their money is good enough to build
Our school,, as some one said.
Bishop, why do you think a crime
like consolidation is good enough
to bring upon the farmers children,
but you would not want it brought
upon yours. I dent think you Bloom
ington people know the golden rule,
least you don't act by it, it is edo unto
others as you would have others do
unto you" Why is it that you peO-
pie in the village of Bloomington that
your vote counts and that the hard
working farmers vote don't seem to
count? Surely taxpayers vote is as
good as no taxpayers vote? In his
letter Mr.. Gilligan tells how their
taxes raised in one year. Now if they
raised like that in this part Of Grant
county why it would only be year or
two until nearly every farmer would
be bankrupt There you see would be
the banker harvest No wonder some
of them are wanting the farmers to
build their big school.
Graf, Iowa,
MAY 10, 1922.
Mrs. Jeidy, Dear Madam:
Received your letter asking about
consolidation here in Bankston.
can assure you that it was very I'M
satisfactory. If the people knew what
they were getting into, they would
have put up q more strenuous fight in
the start Those promoters would
have succeed in Harvesting consolida-
ton on them.
after we had consolidation for a
while, we found out what money
grabbing fake it was, we started in
earnest to try and have it dissolved
"The promoters who circulated the
petition, in order to. get trial, in the
second trial we won the right to have
the board of education for the county
decide the matter. The board gave
us the right to decide by vote.
when we held the school meeting
there we're 166 votes cast for dissolu-
ton. The other side did not show up
at the meeting. therefore, consolida-
ton was knocked out
eve found out consolidation was no
good in the country, as children would
have to come five or six miles from
the outskirts of the district, they
would be on the road at six o'clock in
order to be on time.
Our school taxes jumped from $15
to S125 the first year. They had not
furnished transportation nor had they
hired a principal that year.
jacksonville in Delaware county,
went back to the old standard. Buck
Creek consolidated school in the same
county cid not give satisfaction, as it
was in litigation the past year.
"The grades in the Bankston school
were just the same as they were prior
to consolidation.
Judging from our experience here
would say-fght that proposition
hard, for after you are in it, you will
find it hard to get out. You will be
burdened with taxes without any adj
vantage to the education of your chill
dren.
'have read in the Iowa Homestead
Ca farm paper that consolidation is
rot proving satisfactory as a general
rule in Iowa.
Hoping you will not have as much
trouble with the school problem as we
have had, l am,
yours very truly,
IF. P. GILLIGAN.
Graf, Iowa, r. F. D. No. 1.