Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-03-09

letter deals only with the Ignorance"
of newspaper editors in general and
need not be answered, for by our
weekly writings, We shall know us.
Maybe Senator Rockne proposes to
take away from the wealthy districts,
which he refers to, enough money
to help the state out of its dilemma;
however, l doubt it, since he has
not been associated with the groups
who have that philosophy.
The February issue of the Mime
sofa Journal of Education contained
an article under the heading of
Crossroads and Highways" dealing
with the income tax as aid to schools,
and Senator Rockne's statement. The
article is written by the editor of the
Journal, Walter E. Englund, and
might further explain to Senator
Rockne the spread" which he COM
ments on in his letter and the dangers
involved in taking school funds to
aid other state activities. The arti-
Gle follows:
'Diverting part of income tax rev.
enue-Method advocated as way to
meet expected deficit of SIS, ZOO, 900
Switching of $7,O00,00O year from
schools to state proposed That is
the challenging news item appearing
in the January II issue of the Min
neapolis Tribune. Reference to the
same matter appears in other Twin
City papers. The story quotes Sem
ator Rockne to the effect that this
legislature will have to take action
to switch funds over to the operat-
ing costs and the taking up of deficits
The Senator is also quoted as say
ing, I believe that the exercise of a
little common sense in distributing
appropriations and taxes will pull us
out of our predicament and hurt no
one No, the diverting of the in
come tax from the schools will not
hurt anyone but the school children,
and since they cannot vote and their
elders are supposed to care more
about taxes than child welfare the
thing is as good as done! l wonder.
1t is intimated that educational or
CARNATIONS will oppose the move and
the legislators are 'bracing them
selves for a fight in which the Twin
Cities, Duluth and certain southern
Minnesota communities will join
forces to control the situation and
proceed to save the state from bank
ruptcy at the expense of the schools.
THE proposal looks like wishful
thinking, and there is no evidence,
at present, to show that the COM
munities cited in the story are COM
mitted to such a plan. 1t behooves
the friends of education, however, to
be on the alert to see that the in
terest of the children is not bartered
for the sake of keeping other state
activities going. Granted that state
indebtedness is great and that de-
mands for other purposes are exact
ing School people, too, are citizens
and equally interested with other
folks in the welfare of our state and
for that reason, cannot see that such
end is accomplished by taking things
out on the children. Our sons and
daughters will have a sufficient load
to bear in the payment of bonds and
other evidences of Indebtedness
passed along by the present genera
ton. They ought to be allowed al
least, a reasonable assurance of an
education so they will have enough
ability to pay the bills referred to
them for disposal. The effrontery
with which it is always suggested
that governmental unit get out OF
financial difficulties at the expense
of school children and school teach
ers leads one to wonder why repre-
sentatives of these governmental
groups persist in referring to the
schools as saviors of democracy! II
is high time that we dropped all
sparring and got down to cases.
SIS it not assuming a great deal
that the communities named in the
article are willing to sponsor pro-
gram of diverting the income tax tC
the general revenue fund and letting
munity for support? It is paying the
three major cities poor compliment
to also assume that they would be
so shortsighted as to have part in
initiating the work of finally separat-
ing the schools from the income tax
entirely to their ultimate disadvan-
tage. 1t is gratifying, however, to
have it recognized that the educa-
tional forces will resist this move!
They will resist, and with them will
stand the friends of education, in
and out of the cities, who cannot be
regimented into a rubber-stamped
group dedicated to the salvation OF
political prestige and self-seeking
interests. Yes, we will stand for the
schools, confident that taking up the
cause of youth will have the support
of Neutrality-suspicious. Minnesota.
at is going rather far afield to
think that the Legislature will COM
NIT itself to a program of hamstring-
ing the schools. Just as the three
cities cannot afford to have all in
come tax taken away from the sup
port of their schoolS-and that will
inevitably follow if this program goes
through-so the Legislature cannot
afford to assume the responsibility