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Show I School and Salary (lurries. Falmlsuton, Davis County. JsLU.iry 23d, 1879. Editor UtruLd .- Will you please answer the folio w-iog w-iog questions through the columns of the Herald : First Are pupils under or over school age entitled to the same privileges privi-leges of attending district schools as those of school age providing ibeir tuition fees are paid independent of any school funds; or, in other words, are taxpayers under legal obligations to pay the expenses of building and repairing scboolbouses for those not oi scnooi age r Second Why are euch high salaries sala-ries paid lo our officer? There is a general complaiut everywhere of laxes being too high, and as a considerable con-siderable portion of the taxea are used in paying officers, the people, of course, cumpUin of where at least part of tue;r money gues. When profitable employment is tis sejree as it now is, wuges baing &s low as 50 cents to 75 cents a day lor Uborere, and from tl.oO to $2.00 per day for tsatn, workmen are very apt to spend a little of their time in calculating how many days it will take them to earn sufficient uieane to pay tor one day's Bervicea of Borne of our officers, who make, in Eome cases, more than $25 per day. They are, of course, honest enough, -and, as they say, only take "what the law allows them." Joseph Smith, in speaking of high taxes, hih salaries, etc., I think in his "Views on tho powers and policy of the United States envarnmptu " said of congressmen: "Pay them $2 per day for their services; that is more than the farmer earns and be makes his living honestly." I will close by expressing my opinion in favor of changine the law relating to fees allowed t'j officers, so they will not be allowed to charge . more than from twenty to thirty or ! forty cents per hour for services rendered. ren-dered. Respectfully, C. T. In answer to the fir&t query, we would say that the territorial school tax of three mills has no reference whatever to Ecbool buildings and appurtenances . The law etatis very clearly that "said money shall be ueed by the trustees in paying Bchool teachers uccordiog lo the average daily attendance of pupils" the pupilj referred to being, of course, those ot school age. The sections regarding the providing of school houses (tud iippurlcnauces, giveB the trustees power to assess and collect, according to the needs of the district, "any sum not exceeiiDg 3 per cent, per annum, as shall be deoided by a two thirds majority vo'.e," etc. In this section there are do specifications a3 lo whether the school buildings and appointments shall only be fur ohild-ren ohild-ren of school age, or for students of all ages, hence the natural construction construc-tion would be that all persona attending attend-ing the district school are entitled to the benefit 3 accruing from the local tax. Besides, Buch a construction con-struction is only just, in view of the fact that, as a very .genera rule, pupils go to schools in their own districts, and as the tax is assessed proportionately on all, all are entitled, regardless of age, to the advantages arising from such local tax; but they receive no benefit Irom the territorial tax, unless within tbe age provided by law. Our correspondent should have been more specific in his remarks concerning concern-ing tbe salaries of officers, unless he intends it Jto cover the entire list of officers provided for by the statutes. It may be, as he says, that the taxes are too high; yet it is possible that the complaints in tbi3 respect arc not based upon logical grounds. One thing is certain, and that is, that even a heavy reduction in the salaries of territorial officers would make go slight a difference in the tax asaeas ment as to ronder euch a move useless use-less with the intention of relieving the poor from the burdens of taxation. The only way to make taxation lower is to elect mon who will exercise greater economy respecting respect-ing the expenditure of public funds, or to place men in office, who will be les3 energet'o in making public improvements. It is possible that over $25 per day is made by certain officers who receive fees ; but it should not be forgotten that there are many days and even weeks wheu these officers make nothing out of their feo-emolumeutfl. There ia not an officer in the employ of the territory terri-tory who receives anything like $25 per day for the performance of his official duties. It is true that laborers' wages are very small, and it may also be true that when times are dull and everything every-thing reduced, the salaries of officers shouU be reduced correspondingly; but there ia a diflerenco between general gen-eral labor and the duties ol office, in that the former is a commodity, to be bought and sold, while official positions are presumed not to bo in the mir-ket, mir-ket, and it is euppoed tiiut apecial qualifications are required tj fill taese offices. There is also a point that many people seem to take narticular naina in fnr- gcltic, and tain is the va3t ditferonce in the quality of tbe labor performed. The wcrld has come to the conclusion tbat brains , are worth considerable, and a ma a is presumed to be elected to an offico on acconut of his fitness for tho position; these positions re-quiro re-quiro brain j true, brains do not til ays lill them, but it is supposed they do and btains command a much higher price than do muscle and hone. A man with brains could not be induced to work for $2 per day, even in congress, because his Lime nil! bring bini ia a much greater amount; while 2 a rjay may be re-guded re-guded as a fair talary for a laboier. I This is cot taiil lo dif parage lah,ir, but to recall (be fact that thequa ily of labor varieB es much as docs iny-thici: iny-thici: else. It is a law that is in-cvithbiy in-cvithbiy feicid upen mankind, ar.d 'there is no help lr it. llcwever, discutaion of Ihe question es to iwhttiitr the salaries of officers are j not too high will ceria:nly load to no harm, if it is not productive cf gcod. |