Montana labor news., 1945-02-22
HOUSE BILL NO.. 65
THE WRONG METHOD

THE WRONG METHOD
By JAMES D. GRAHAM
Information Vital to Every Taxpayer
and Citizen of Montana by J.. r. Cul-
yer, chairman. Montana Education asso-
citation committee on Tax education ant
school finance, is an interesting pamph-
let well worth reading. Mr.. culver deal'
with the burden counties carry in taking
care of the public schools and thinks
that the state should carry more OF the
load. Why do Montana schools need
more state s%upport?s he asks. and state.
that Montana is one Of the 16 states
that contribute less than 20 per cent OF
the cost of maintaining schools. while
the counties take care Of the balance
He intimates that there are only eight
other states that give less state support
to the schools than Montana. Mr.. Cul-
yer claims that more than 80 per cent Of
school costs are obtained from property
tax.
House Bill No. 65, which is sponsored
by the Montana Education association
viii place a greater tax on counties tc
take care of the schools by changing the
burden of taking care of the states con.
tribution to the Teachers retirement
fund to the school district and counties
and likewise add a greater tax on prop.
erfv as tbs state of Montana levies ng
tsx On property for the maintenance e.
the state.
wbv does the Montana Education
ASSOCIATION bewail the tax burden al
Dropertv and counties for school main.
tenance and support q bill which is con.
trarv ia their propaganda?
THE present session of the LeeislaturI
win give the counties the power to in.
crease die tax levy about 10 mills to nee
increased costs. vet many of the leei5la.
Iators deliberately proposed to add {,
the tax burden of counties by s~lpportiu.
House BIZ No. 65. When the state ha.
a surplus Of over five million dollars il
/ its general fund and quite competent &,
meet its obligation in the contract tina
the LEGISLATURE. on behalf of the state
entered into with the teachers of Mon.
tana. to contribute to the Teachers re.
tirement fund. there is no need Of pass.
ing House Bill NO. 65.
The net profit made bv the state OF
it's liolor business licenses and permit
in 1914 was s3.OO6 922.O3 and there il
no need or sound reason for the enact
ing of House Bill NO. 65 into law. Legis
lators saw that the teachers want tn
enactment of the bill. There has neve
been a vote taken to ascertain the de.
sires of the teachers OF. this subject, ex
cent nv the Butte Teachers union. VIII
voted nv secret ballot which showed tina
only one teacher in EIGHT favored the ia,
on school districts to take care of tn
states contribution to the retiremen
f,nd
II is said that the parent-Teacher as
qociation favors the passage of Hous
Biu NO IS. The Parent-Teacher grou,
merely endorsed what was presented 4
then, as the hest nlan of taking care @
contributions IN the Teachers retire
ment fund without a study of the yari
one ra~mifications Of the measure. TIL
paront-Taacha organization in Butt
is supporting the Butte teachers in on
n~osition 10 House Bill No. IS and tn
p n A Of Butte is said TO have owe
fiftv ner cent Of the delegates who at
fen6ed the 1914 PIT A convention an
about On ner cent of the state member
shin If the organization
IF The teachers who favor House Ri
No az knew that at a nublic hearin
hold on tbe hin a member of one of tb
f school boards represented at the heal
ino intimated nat the school distrie
Gould meet the tav nv retiring the oil
teachers and hiring Younger teachers a
a lower salary thew would not favor tn
measure Fnacting House Bill NO. 65 an
reducing the teachers salaries is a bru
TAI, c~olo-oloooeo proposiVioh puO IL ga
become a Ieduty.