Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-02-09
WOULD RAID RURAL SCHOOLS
(Tracy Headlight-Herald)


The Twin Cities have started a
campaign to secure from the legis-
lature a greater portion of the in
come tax, which goes to schools of
the state. They would have the leg
islature take away from the country
districts a part of this tax and give
it to the cities, basing their claim
on need and that they pay most of
the tax
There are many good reasons why
the rural school share of the tax
should not be reduced, even if the
cities do contribute most of that tax
First, it may be asked where that tax
money originates in the; first place.
The cities look to the state and rural
sections to furnish them that money
The Big Twins would be bowling to
the skies, if all the rural business
stayed at home or went elsewhere
They would soon be starving, be-
cause they must look to the country
to furnish them the sinews of trade.
So when some of the state income
tax is returned to the rural districts,
even when paid by the cities, the
money returns to the sections where
it was produced.
A good illustration of city attrac-
ton of trade and state favoritism is
illustrated in the building of our
highways Any one familiar with our
road building program knows that
the bulk of our paved roads lead to
the cities.
For years we of this section of the
state have been working to get Trunk
No. IA paved through to Winona, but
before there was much connecting
up of various parts it was seen by
Twin City interests that connections
were made to their cities, so the
trade would flow in their direction.
That has been the plan of the whole
road Improvement program, and eX-
plains why no paved roads running
north and south have been obtained
in western and central Minnesota.
Then again there is the matter of
schools. A great university is main
tanned by the state right in the heart
of the two cities, which gives high
er education to thousands of Twin
Cities boys and girls. Over 60 per-
cent of the total enrolment in the
University of Minnesota, state owned
and state supported, live in the Twin
Cities. The state maintains this
school at cost of something like
100000 year. Not only do the
cities benefit directly by getting free
education for thousands of its boys
and girls in this school, but they are
benefited by the business and money
which is spent in the cities by the
other thousands of outside students.
This business amounts to several mil
lions year.
The cities seem to be hard pressed
for funds to operate their schools.
So are the rural districts. In the
first place the city teacher gets about
double the salary that the rural
school teacher draws, this holds true
for both grade and high school teach
ers, if we are correctly informed.
The cities do not show much in
terest in the problems of the country
schools, when they propose to take
away from them the little state aid
they get Perhaps little more bust
ness management of the city schools
could get them out of their diff
culties. The country districts must
be alert to head off this drive to de-
prive them of funds, which they abb
solutely must have to maintain their
schools on some level near the city
schools.