Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1943-01-21
Victory Tax.

|
Victory Tax.
| Complete information regarding
the application of the victory tax to
teachers and bus drivers salaries
has not been received. Our State
Department of Education is still in
the dark regarding certain ques-
tons. Until information is more
definite, it would be advisable and
safe for school boards to hold out
five per cent of the monthly pay
check, after first deducting $50 eX-
emption. Thus you would hold out
five per cent of $38 if the contract
is $50 per month. This no doubt
would not apply to substitute teach
ers. These victory tax deductions
and reports on special blanks pro-
vided, will be sent quarterly to Fed
| eral Internal Revenue Department in
April, July, October, etc. Watch
papers for later information.
Copper Drive.
The need for copper, also brass and
bronze alloys, has become so acute
that the Federal government desires
that a special copper salvage drive
will be made during the week ot
February to IL, as set by Gov.
Stassen. The motion picture houses
are cooperating in this drive Bring
your copper to your school and thus
earn free tickets to the copper mat
inee." Watch for further instructions
in all newspapers.
Snow Complications.
Fortunately we have fairly good
snow pillow service over most of our
main Pine county roads in spite of
the war difficulties. Yet the abund-
ance of snow does hinder school
buses and general school attendance.
When schools are forced to be closed
for such reasons, those days may be
included in the final report as illegal
holidays" The state department has
thus ruled.
During this congested road per-
iod, we are tempted to do the very
minimum amount of travelling among
schools and thus comply with the
Federal governments gas and tire
requests. This also saves the county
about $50 per month. We are also
anxious to cut our educational frills
to a minimum and still meet all of
the state requirements. Most of our
contacts since November have been
made by mail.
Last year we dropped our rural
schools sections activities (declam,
spelling and play days. and also grad
uation exercises.
Our extra efforts, however, are
being redoubled in other ways in the
interest of schools and for Uncle Sam.
Your county superintendent is still
averaging 70 to 80 hours per week
of service even though there is no
overtime. Your rural teachers, most
of them, are doing likewise. From
seven in the morning until ten at
night is her usual schedule. She also
does school work on Saturday.
New Changes in School Aids.
Information has reached us to the
effect that several proposals for
changes in school aids have been sub
mitted to the legislature the past
week.
Any plan to pay present aids in
full or at least at the rates of 80
per cent should be very beneficial
to counties like Pine.
Any plan to pay the income tax
aid at the rate of $40 per child in
stead of $40, would not help Pine
county schools if other aids Supple
mental, etc., were cut proportionally.
This $40 plan will be supported by
the three large cities and by the rich
southern counties.
Any plan to put all aids into one
lump sum sufficient to operate the
schools without any local school tax
levy seems, on the surface, to be a
very fine plan for Pine county. Our
average school maintenance rate in
Pine county is little more than 20
mills. This would be wiped out en-
tirely and a flat 10-mill state rate
] would he levied en- aS to supplement-