The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1922-02-17

from ZSOZ Ill 1S44 W OWL IA AoSA IA
Valley county. School supplies have
increased from so percent to 800 per-
cent since 1914, the price of coal has
gone up by leaps and bounds, railroad
fares and board and room have in
creased 1913 percent and as a result OF
these last mentioned increases, teach
ers salaries have increased. We re-
ouire teachers with better quallfica-
tons and because Of this have offered
a salary that will make it worth while
for teachers to prepare themselves TO
be better qualified. Considering these
things is it not to be expected that
school taxes will be greater now!
Valley county has been more FORUM
ate than her sister counties. In l9l4'
the average school tax was SA mills
and in 1921 the average school tax Vas
1914 mills, an increase OF D mills;
some counties have more than doubled
their in the same time. Glasgow DIS
trict No. l has maintained thelr
schools on 10 mills since 1914. Many
school districts have been cut OH
from the several larger school dis
tricts of 1914 making % districts III
1920. Most of these are not situated
on the railroad and do not receive any
benefit thereof and their taxes are
high. Many a rural school district IN
Valley county is saved from a high
special tax levy or a short term OF
school land often both) because a
railroad right-of-way or other corpor-
alton property happens to be located
within it's boundaries. For many years
the taxpayers living in such districts
have taken an advantage as a matter
of course. 1t has not occurred to them
that their right to this advantage
might for good reasons be questioned,
The school tax paid by the railroad
helps only those districts through
which it's tracks are laid. This visits
injustice upon the children OF other
districts and particularly in the new
err sections where many OF the set
tiers may still be h~omesteaders. Nat
urally the land near the railroad lines
is developed first. Thus the mar WIFI
lives in the older and better developed
section near the railroad who is wei
able to pay a high special school tax
scape it because the railroad pays
it for him. On the other hand he who
lives in a less favored spot often
struggles under an exorbitant levy and
must be content with an inferior and
short term school.
The man who lives in a district re-
mote from the railroad has helped to
develop it. He pays for the transpor-
tation of the things he buys and the
things he sell. He pays travelling
He thus helps to pay the
railroad tax into the treasury OF the
district through which the railroad
passes. Is it just that this man should
pay an excessive tax on a low valua-
ton in his own district to secure a
short term of school for his children
at the same help the schools in the
rich districts? Thinking people are
fast coming to the realization that
there can be no rapid progress so long
as some peoples children are grow
ing up in ignorance. The children II
some rural sections will continue to
suffer from neglect until modification:
are made to our present system o.
maintaining schools.
Below is a digest of the Montana
County Unit Law which will in al
probability be put before the voter:
this spring to remedy conditions il
Valley county:
Digest of the Law
Petitions signed by at least thre'
hundred registered voters of thir'
class districts, must be presented t.
the county commissioners between
January 1 and May /. The commits
sioners must then call an election t
be held at the regular voting precinct
in third class districts not later thai
June 10. Only registered voters o
third class districts may vote on tn
same measure. The election costs tn
county little as judges and clerks serv
without pay.
If the election proves to be unsuc
cessful that county in which the elec
ton is held cannot vote on the meas
ure again for two years. If the ma
iority of those voting express them
selves in favor of county unit, tn
county commissioners divide the thir
class districts of the county into fiv
parts of as nearly equal area as pos
sible following the present distrit
boundary lines. From each of thes
parts (subdivisions) the county con
missioners appoint n person as
member of the rural school distri'
board of trustees County board
After the first year the members {
the county board are elected at tn
annual school election by the voter
Of each of the five subdivisions.
There shall be annually two regl
lar meetings and if necessary tw
special meetings of the rural scho'
district board County board). tt
members of the board receive an hol
orarium of $50 a year with expense
paid at the meetings. The board
organized in July. The county SUI
erinterdent is ex-officio secretary
the board but without the power
vote.
The trustees Of the subdistric
(present local d~istricts) retain Il
same duties and powers as under Il