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Show American Fork Free Schools. Americas Fork, April 17, 1875, Editors Herald: The position taken by your correspondent cor-respondent "Trustee," in regard to freo schools, is one which would naturally be accepted by those win seek the public good and look lairty at both sides of tho question. I am pleased with his remarks, and as a teacher, am happy to state that my associations to-day aro with trustees of equally liberal sentiments. As he states, tho visits of Prof. Rigga, in company with Mr, James Dwyer, have already had their effect, that of presenting to the public the true state of schools visited, and awakening that interest iu the subject which ita importance demands. The experience experi-ence of the following named teachers: Mr. Eugene Henriod, Mr. Atlewell Woolton, Mr. Ebnezor Hunter and others, with my own, has taught ub that the old system is but a cypher, one of iu evils being that after concluding con-cluding our terms of school we had the healthy exercise of traveling over the scattered district to collect our pay. Ech teacher bears record that a portion of said services rendered years ago still rumains unpaid. un-paid. It required considerable labor to keep a school in session thrco months in the year. Our school record showed an attendance of about one hundred. Let us look at the present state of the district. We have had the pleasure pleas-ure of Davinc school Lax tor the naat six years During that time the community com-munity have built two fine school-houses, school-houses, purchased lots, fenced the same, and still the people live, the trustees have means to handle, and the schools are in a healthy condition. condi-tion. We, as a people, are taught cooperation and unity; we believe this, and hold that the bright intelligent intelli-gent face of the poor man's child and widow's must be looked upon with the same fraternal respect as the rich. By this equalizing method of tax for each pays in proportion to the amount of property gowned all are in unity and cooperation in this noble work. The people at our last election, three months ago, having the experience of the past belore them, unanimously declared in favor of the tax system as the only Bate and sure method of conducting our schools. To show our present status, I will reter to our last census. The number of childran of legal school age was represented at 57o. During the last four months we have had 535 names enrolled upon the school records. Our schools are open eleven mouths in the year, with six teachers employed em-ployed during the winter months and three teachers the remainder of the year. I think this showing in a (arming community, which is bo necessarily scattered, will compare favorably with other districts. Our schoolhouses are favorably located lo-cated for convenience; and tbe question ques-tion has been agitated of building another. an-other. We have an educated bishop whose liberal sentiments and wide awake ideas have contributed to oui advancement in this glorious work. In the matter of supervisors I would state, we have no superintendents and middlemen with fat salaries to eat up the tax: also, that our assessor and collector has but a nominal percent., which leaves the funds in the hands of the trustees, who disburse it with wisdom for tbe public good, and it reaches the point aimed at. The community does not feel the tax a burden, because they realize the benefits ben-efits and consider it money well invested. in-vested. The remedy which "Trustee" refers re-fers to is the very system we have in force. Consequently I write this from experience and the above named teachers, with the trustees of the district, concur. Peccavi. |