Show P L WILLIAMS REPORT P L WILTA Ahti commissioner Coni missioner of schools for utah under ake ed munds the following report to congress it is inserted here that it might be bd preserved in awater of mt terest 1 virtually asks far fo r congressional lego dod and MO lt blo bias is therefore decidedly against the community of latter day sainta 1 to ro congem ngiM Co in accordance with the request require ments mente of law I 1 submit the A first annual report of oj af pf the 1 schools of utah tati territory w ier T f the yh fl flost gai enactment t of cj I 1 the legis lature af on the subject of a public school I 1 system was w appi approved oved february W it provided ed for the organization of school choo fill districts is jy by the in tb the so averal veral counties 0 antl es 0 of ki fhe he territory ferA tb forbie for fhe election 0 of f three t trustees pu t saix in eich district prescribe their duties ani and defined their powers they were authorized amongst other things to afew ati jan j jae annual tax of one fourth ot of 0 one n e per cont cent on all taxable property within gieir districts for to school purposes when more more than that amuat amount was required to liase build repair or furnish school houses or for other purposes it was fixed by a two thirds majority bority vote of the qualified voters resident j a 4 the dj district trAct present at a 9 meeting called far or tw that purpose this act also provided for the election of a territorial Terri toral superintendent of district schools and for a county superintendent of schools in each county of the territory it was further provided that all schools organized under the direction of the trustees in the respective school districts of the territory cry should be known in law jaw by the name and title of district schools the earliest enactment of the territory providing any certain or general support for schools by taxation was contained in the revenue law approved february 1878 which provided that there should be collected annually beginning with the year 1878 an ad valorem valoree va lorem tax on all the taxable property in the territory of utah three mills on the dowbor dollar jor the benefit of district schools and two years later by the ad act approved february 1880 it was enacted that the moneys accruing for the benefit of district schools under the provisions of the act of 1878 should be disbursed on orders drawn by the territorial Supe superintendent rip of f district schools in favor of the territorial aub treasurer of 61 each county according to school pupation and should be jhaj to the by the territorial sub ab nb treasurers treasur ers on the orders of odthe the county superintendents superintend enta and said mid money should be b used in paying school teachers during the year owing loving the ome oe in which it was wap assessed and the oct act ot aho first to jio provide for taking an amual cean of 4 the children resident iq in tb toe sev eral school schol districts between 6 ad JAy aa years earp which was made the age M f ance v tao apt t of J ia he haa 0 been no Mater material pat erial 11 awigeja the of 1 anthe 0 and now naj ever with reference to the th further kupst thereof ay tax the school law of the territory as lt prose present ut aad which is the same as tho th apt 0 of february 1880 is herewith in connection wm with tj the biennial report of the of schools lor for the yean 7 to the atje twenty eighth ocion of the legislative assembly of the territory which began january ath 1888 1 in a the practical operations of this law it is found that the 8 mill tax provided by the iseton af 1878 and annu annually vAly collected aud and distributed tri buted to the several beveral counties and districts of f the territory in proportion to the school population there of as shown hown hy by the last preceding annual census is scarce enough to pay one half of the compensation of the teachers hitherto employed so that it has been and the almost uniform usage up to the present time to collect each term a tuition fee for each of the pupils in attendance at the school which was fixed in the respective districts by the trustees and graduated in amount according to the vati estimated mated balance required in addition to the public fund for the payment of the teachers within the last two years efforts have been boon made in a very few djs dis and in a still smaller perhaps not exceeding eight or ten tea in toe the territory to levy a local district tex tax sufficient to supplement the territorial fund applicable to the payment of teacher sand thus main tein free chool eherd is no provision in the requiring school too fay foe be kept tor for any specified time during jhb year or providing any penalty in 1 way pf af wit withholding holding any portion of the school fund to which a district may be entitled in consequence of a to provide a school but the bubele of school ix entirely within the pleasure of di district the partial provided by the verri terri kopial law if tendency to lacour age schools cho ola and baet the inadequacy of this fald ne the ool collection lection alao ofa decate pe cate to keep many children of the poorer classes of 1 art I population at home when theat attending while thus taa iho territory tory i has tv tipa a limited extent the aft efU xao appa forthe for the beneat ofa of a fitin of school it aps bps as failed falato to wy ar r outtie theory to it ri at by jire viding adequate daano ja ao 40 sup parLa ca abst m of I 1 atthe at the Tn twenty ty eighth of th held in a the early partokh fh year a billias bill was framed aad passed the lower house of the hie which contained gereral jy the embodied in aho he recent of these states and Terri territories which have established aad are maintaining a L system of public schools echo ola to which agthe authe children between prescribed ages age are entitled to attend free of charge but upon presentation in the Coun council pil substitute there fog was preseptor and passed with imae or no except so sr ifor m W it was wab 0 opposed by the two nen bonnoit ot of gentile members me iBbers of the council which substitute was wasa in sub substance stanco a re reenactment of the existing territorial law with the following material differences I 1 13 t all schools organized under the direction of the trustees in the respective school districts of this territory shall be known in law 11 by the hame and title of district SC schools and all other schools shall be a known as private schools all schools both district and private shall be bb entitled to a just and equitable I 1 t a apportionment mo of any public school kal hind d arising from the united states or from legislative anace ments mente of this territory such apportionments portion onmin ments ts shall be made to said schools by the th trustees on the basis a et the actual attendance of pupils and the holding of four terms a year and all such schools shall receive a distribution of funds in proportion to the number of terms held nd abe attendance of pupils pro voted abat of any uch pua 0 A school za oo 00 fund shall be M made a to any I 1 V district or private te school h bah achell shall hold at least two full terms term during the year SEC 14 the board of edi education dedication cation trustees or other p persons havin having g the management and control of any private school in this Territory may rem receive ve their pro proportion atlo ak of the school funds provided for ivi in this act by electing or ap appointing treas treasurer aurer appointing for their school J and I 1 a written certificate of such appointment or election with the of the school dA strict in which such school is situated before receiving re celvin any funds the said treasurer shau ihal fenter enter into bonds payable to such school district in double the of the probable distribution to be made tp to such school to be deai by y the trust trustees cs of such district arid cah conditional dit ional that he will such sach funds and honestly dearve them in the payment of for such wc school I upon the oder of the board of aduca education 1 urton trustees bi or other persons I 1 having tuff management I 1 nl and control of df such andi and ald aid bonds shall be by and filed with the school deboo 0 o trusses I 1 sac SEC 91 2 2 5 the moneys accruing for th the e benefit of emrict schools under the provisions of section I 1 of an act to provide deveaw for the territory of utah and the several counties thereof hp approved proved february 22 1873 1 shall ahall be disbursed on deders drawn by the commissioner of dilo arlet schools in favor of the terri sub treasurer bif of each county according to the school po population clatl on t thereof and shall bo be paid no to the t trustees by the territorial on the orders of at the equity superintendents and said moneys shall be used by the trustees in paying in the teachers of district and arf private vate schools within their respective districts during the year following the one in which it was assessed and collected no pupil pull shall derive any ny benefit from said mid moneys who is under the age of 6 years nor over the age of 20 years the treasurers treasur ers of the respective counties upon the receipt of the proportion of school moneys to which their counties are entitled shall hold the same subject to the orders of the superintendent of district schools thereof ther eor and such moneys shall not be used or disbursed for any other purpose than that for which they are ar paid in 11 SEC 27 that section I 1 of an act providing revenue for the territory of utah and the several counties thereof approved february 20 1878 be and it if is amended by striking out the figures 1878 in the fifth line of said section and substituting sti in lieu thereof the figures 1888 and by striking out the words 13 3 mills on OB the dollar for the benefit of district schools in the seventh and eighth line of said action and substituting in lieu thereof the words 18 8 mills on the dollar for the benefit of district and private schools this substitute upon being returned to the lower house hous was concurred in without protest or active opposition from any source except the three so called gentile gendle members of that body the of the original bill in the lower house had bad been opposed by various members chiefly on the ground of the in I 1 creased burdens 9 of taxation it provider provided for th the support of the public a schools by the terms of tha that bill it ii wis waa pro provided viled a maximum of 4 mills on an the dollar should be levied in addition to the existing if territorial berri tax of 3 mails mills and was to be imposed as a county tY tax the to be fixed each fu year lq by the county court court within the mum kt at such estimated amount as a would be adequate to supplement the territa territorial oal tax and arp provide v 0 4 a sufficient amoun amount t for po he payment of te teachers Flohm the substitute as it passed bota houses provided A general territorial ta tax 4 of 8 mills Ws tobe to tobe to be devoted t to tb the support of district an Private schools ji in n he proportions aps fps named in the sections above quoted tie result ot of such A y secured private schools the benefit of public taxation enjoyed by bf tho the district schools themselves and auda at tb the same time aimey secured their entire freedom and exemption from all ki kinds 1 VU of public lic control or super supervision and enabled t the b e person or persons who might ight be in charge of an any y such up private school to te apply for and obtain I 1 thirl their pro ro rata raia of we the public publia funds this enactment met with the fate fate that it me merited and which was apparently pare patently ly not mot unlooked unlocked for by its frien friends the executive veto and thus ended all effort at amendment of the pres present ent inadequate legislation upon the subject of a schools Pre previous to this time there had been established two or three schools in the territory under the auspices and support of the mormon denomination or but since that time there has been evinced a greatly increased interest and advocacy amongst that abat class of the population to establish and maintain private or denominational schools and the leaders and principal men of that church are the active supporters of the scheme of establishing in each stake as they are called in the territory one or more private schools under the direction and charge 01 the church aut authority bp these stakes in territorial extent with the several counties in the territory in the circular of such a school in salt lake city denominated the salt isalt lake stake academy for the year 1888 9 4 issued by its executive committee in july last I 1 find and the following which explains ja in some me measure asare the attitude of ef the mormon people upon the subject of public education at this time I 1 quote the career of the salt lake stake academy during the two feal of its abet active ive oPel operation tVan is now a matter of bf record both in the archi archives of the tie and in the marts hearts and memories of its patrons therefore re with pleasurable autiel anticipation pation and a firm reliance upon the continued and increased 80 support bort of our p I 1 e that we issue the circular of rhe the 6 academy for the third academic year A chango in hi the board has taken place since we the close of the last school year owing to the of the general board of education of thia the church this will tie bb more fully understood froni from the following letter SALT LA laai cry june tane 1888 TO to vie fe pre 4 t of lp zak ta stake sta B Baia AEy A meeting of th ge general 1 boar of education was hal held z today 0 wy F an and the subject of the educational 0 of the latter ater day alfito was vat n tion conand an 4 discus sedat some length it was decided ithac that a board of education consisting of pot not less than khan live five and not to th exceed d afir eight lit in umber number should be selected in each stake to 0 take char of had and pr promote mote he ol of education in the stake this ma communication is addressed to tou to t inform m koupf you af pf this action an and to have you select energetic men who are friends bf education who the needs of the people enle 0 and who have influence with jhb the salute to carry out any suggestions lif in this direction that may be deemed proper in id the decision which was made b by our board it was made maae the duty of these boards to taker into consideration the formation of church schools and the best method of accomplishing this and after arriving at proper conclusions to report them to totne the general board commus communications of this character may be addressed to elder george reynolds who is the secretary of the board it wax waa felt by the board that to begin with there should be one stake academy established in each stake stae as soon as practicable we feel that the time has arrived when the proper education of our cur children should be taken in hand by us as a people eople rel religious ou a ti training is practically excluded from the district schools the perusal of books that we value as divine records is forbidden our children if left to the training they receive in in these schools v will ill grow u up entirely ignorant of these principles of salvation for which the latter day saints have made so many sacrifices to permit this condition of things to exist among us would be criminal the desire is universally expressed by all thinking people in the church that we should have schools where the bible the book of mormon mon and the book of doctrine and covenants can be used as text books and where the principles of our religion may form part odthe teach teaching ing of the schools to effect this it win will be necessary that funds be collected the church alu doubtless doubt leea do re its share but it cannot cavy carry |