Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1923-02-28
Today
'Life Is ShOrt-Tell the Truth
A New Consolidation View.

A New Consolidation View.
An article on school improvement
by State Supt. Callahan is quoted else
where. 1t is significant to note that
Mr.. Callahan's office does not want
the burden of being arbiter in con-
solicitations. He is quoted as being in
favor of legislation that would permit
a majority of all the votes in the ter
ritory to be consolidated to determine
the question.
This knocks the props from under
the advocates of consolidation by
force and reinstates the principal of
majority rule That communities could
be so over jealous for large schools,
equipments beyond their ability to
pay for, that they would subvert dem
ocratic principles seems inconcelv-
able, but we have seen it done.
The Bloomington Record has lately
blandly stated that the Prentice de-
cision settled the Bloomington case
and nothing remained to do but pro-
coed in a formal manner. j. w.
Murphy, attorney for the DIRECTORS,
says exactly otherwise. If Mr.. Muir
ply is correct then Editor Bishop is
either deliberately deceiving his read
ers or he is again guilty of an old
failing of jumping at conclusions.
The Herald would like to see justice
done but we don't believe it will be.
Under the old law the farmers are
FRAMED" from the jump and until
new legislation is formulated there
will be little chance for redress.
Under the present unjust scheme
there is nothing to prevent any COM
will c o.
worthy but large ideas, on voting a
school that would literally bankrupt
the community and then proceed to
''rope in" enough valuation adjacent
to give them what they want without
raising local taxes appreciably even
though it enormously increases taxes
in the "roped in" territory.
Considerable friction has developed
over the Bloomington controversy and
against our will the Herald has been
drawn into it. We feel entirely able
to take care of ourselves in con-
troversy but we really detest bicker-
ing worse than anything in the world.
Nothing is settled until it is settled
right. The people of Bloomington or
any other town are to be applauded IN
their desire to better school cOndl-
tons. Inc people OIL OuCly AHS teI4l-
tory have a just grievance when they
are forced into consolidation against
their will. This brings us to the fol-
lowing premise.
Education is properly a state mat
ter. The state requires the commune
ty to educate the child, setting GER
tain standards. 1t is not fair to the
municipalities to require them to &C
cept outside pupils at loss. This IS
being done right along. A small eff
fort is being made toward compensa-
ton by having the outside town pay
tuition but the sum paid is nowhere
near commensurate with the pro rata
expenditure.
1t follows that legislation assessing
the cost of free high schools into the
state budget as the university bill is
placed in the budget, should be en-
acted. The state requires us to live
up to certain standards in the educa-
tional line and to offer tuition to any
young person within reasonable dis
tance of the school unit. With this
cost properly fixed against property
as a whole and then paid back to
various high schools according to
their right the whole matter would be
settled and settled right.