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Show Senator iSenator Hammond ExplainsHis Explains ExplainsHis r rHis His School Finance ProgramI ProgramAnswers Program PrograIn - _ _ Answers Protest of Local Citizens Regarding 3 Per Cent SalesTax SalesTax Sales SalesTax Tax ; Such a Measure ' Would 'Vouid Vouid Greatly Reduce ReduceProperty ReduceProperty Property Tax . Last week . a group of southeastern southeasternUtah . . Utah businessmen sent a telegram to toState State Senator W D Hammond and andI andother I other members of the state legislature legislatu legislature , , i expressing opposition to S B No Nointroduced 81 " . ' , I introduced mtroduced by Senator Hammond , which whichseeks whichseeks " seeks to increase mcrease the sales tax fromtwo fr from fromtwo < " two to three per cent . . Undoubtedly Undoubted , many of the signers of the telegramwere telegram telegramv.ere . were v.ere vere not aware that S B No 81 was wasone wasone ' one of a group of bills introduced by bySenator bySenator Senator Hammond for the purpose of ofproviding ofproviding o , providing more money for the scho schools schoolsof schoolsof Ju - > of the state , and at the same time reducing re- re reducmg - * - ducmg ducing the property ta tax , . Senator SenatorHammond SenatorHammond Hammond s program , if approved by bythe bythe ? the legislature during its closing hours hoursthlS hoursthis this thlS week w k , will wl1l w11 unquestionably prove a aboon aboon boon to the educational system ofUtah of . Utah , and an at the same time it 1t will re- re rel1eve reheve " - - - lieve l1eve heve the tax load being bemg borne by the theproperty theproperty property taxpayer . In order that the businessmen who whosIgned whosigned signed the protest , as well as the people peopleof peopleof ] > le of southeastern Utah generally , mllY may mllYunderstand mayunderstand understand Senator Hammond s ntives mo- mo motives motives , - . tives for introducing the sales tax bill bhe ' , he has prepared an article for TTimes-Independent TTimes Independent The TheTimesIndependent TheTimes.Independen " Times-Independent Times Independent Times.Independen TimesIndependen - . which explains in inde indetail " detail de tan the plan he has in mind mmd T This Thisarticle Thisarticle ] article is published ubllshed below , and every everyinterested everyInterested interested citizen is urged to read 1t it 1tThe itThe The article shows that the senator has hasgIven hasgiven given deep study to the tax problem as aswell aswell well as to the perplexing perplexmg problEm : of ofaJffording ofasffording 01 - , affording aJffording asffording equal educational educabonal opportun opportunities opportunitles ities itles to all of the children of the state stateSenator stateSenator sta1 -e e - Senator Hammond s letter follow fonows follows followsSalt ; Salt Lake City C1ty March 7 Times Tunes IndependentMoab Moab UtahGentlemen UtahGentlemen Utah Gentlemen GentlemenJust just recently I received aIre a \ wire \\Ire Ire \ ire slgn sign signne sig ; business met mei meiof ! ' . ne ned by a number of the of Grand Grandand ' -and and 3nd - San Juan counties pro protestmg protesting testing testmg the passage of S B No Nc 81 It Itmust Itmust must be agreed that such a protest protestagainst protestagainst proteagainst st against this particular bill b1l1 or for that thatmatter th:1 th1 th : ; t tmatter matter anv any other measure , is not only onlythe onlythe the right of any citizen but it 1t beconn becomes becomesthe becomesthe the duty of such citizen c1tIzen to inake lndke snake his hisI hisdCSlre hisdcslrev is which whicho whic"o whico ' h dcsirec dCSlre dcslrev < : Lncwn hncwn kncwn en CI1 such maters mattprs matrs I " 0 o v v.tallv vtallv . allv affect the peorl peorlr " ' 1\- 1 1a \ s - : . a re'icscinalnp reicscinalnp rep rep1C5emah repiescnthliE ' twelftt tvelft twel r enator enatorwI enatorial enatolal - ' " 1C5emah\\ 1C5emah iescnthli\E iescnthli E 1C5emahfrom ! \ ( ' \ \ from om the wI ial cu'liict culiict ciili1ct CIl'tJ CIltJ ' ict I feel ieel a very gieatiesnoi gleat gle'clt gleclt gieat ' icsioolsibilitv 1 eSDOl1 iesnoi iesnoisibihtv eSDOl1Slblhtv Slblhtv sibihtv end znd and I am a'll all ' making makin rv-y rv y rVMY evy ' - effo.os-1 effo.os1 effo.os effoos 1 effort I ' . , . , osc.I- osc.I osc.Ito Osto Os- Os . ' ' - ' } - ' ' ( to discharge dlschare ! thit t"t tt tiit . " ) ics 's.on s.on son CSOfl'ft CSOflft ( ' , . on-it on it ' " ' ' - ! ! : ; ; I IIty Iily ' ity ily honorably and for the best st cuod uod ) f fthe the people of southeastern utah utahSince UtahSince Uta ] " I Since this thl . $ protest comes from m mifnends my myfnends myfriends ? ifnends fnends friends , I 1 am sure that vou you will w1ll permit permitme permitme me to explain in m some detail my posi- posi p051- p051 position p051tion ! " - tion with regard to this particule particular particularsenate particularsenate " senate bill biU To do this it 1t seems neces- neces necessary necessary nece -i i ; - - - sary to go back a number of years andrelate an anrelate and andrelate 5 school schoolset schoolset scho relate some facts concerning concermng our < " set up in m Utah UtahMany UtahMany , , , Many attempts have been made to toprovlde toprovide provide provlde a umfoirn umfOlm unifoim system of education educi educa- educa educat10n - , - ' - tion t10n in this th1S state About 1919 the le leg1slature legisiature ( ' - islature 1slature isiature passed a measure permittto permitting permittingthe 6 the state to lew levv levy a tax which , , togethewith togethervith togetherv.ith : " v-ith v ith v.ith vith - . certain other funds , would raise rais$2500 rais2500 ; ? It Itwas Itwas ] 11 state $2500 2500 $25 25 $ 00 per school child in the was thought at the time that such suchmove a amove amove move would solve the ever perplexing perplexingQuestion perplexingquestion of unequal educatlonaal educatIonaal ad- ad advantages advantages - question vantages 1r in , Utah This ThlS provision did diddo diddo do some good as the money ( [ for or W Wfund this thisI thisfund thisfund " was "as as vas collected conected from all over the thestate thestate fund state and distributed according to th the theschool ' I school census The result was that thatin thatIn in restricts Istricts istrlcts with a very low assessevaluation assessed assessedvaluation assessedvaluation , valuation they received more than was wascollected wascollected . district districtwhile districtwhile collected m 111 in their particular ' . while the districts distncts with a high assessedvaluaton assesse assessed assessedvaluaton valuaton received from this fund less than was collected It was soon ap- ap apparent apparent - - - parent , however , that this thlS adopted program program pro- pro - - gram was insufficient to t < > guarantee guaranteeequal guaranteeequal equal education opportunities and sothe sothe so the struggle began all a11 over again Itwas Itwas It was the avowed Intention on the part partor partof or of some to increase mcrease this thlS $25 25 $2500 2500 $ 00 Pf'rcapita percapita ' per Pf'r Pfr capita fund to $80 80 $8000 8000 $ 00 Several attempts attemptswere attemptswere were made along this direction dlrection Wlthoutsuccess withoutsuccess without Wlthout success and in 1927 a bill b11l was Introduced intro- intro introduced - - duced to accomplish acconiplish th tHIs thili S very thingThat thingThat thing That is to have ha\e ha e ha'e hae \ ' the state collect by aI amill amill a amill mill levy on tangible property , a sum sunt sumthat sumthat . I that would guarantee $80 80 $ $8000 8000 $ 00 to o eachch eachchild each I Ithat child ch d of school age in 111 the state It Itvas Itwas \vas vas was \ at this time that I became much1l1terested muchinterested much 1l1terested interested in our school program and andafter andafter after considerable study , . was convincedthat convincedthat convinced that the method of distributing dLStributlng theschool theschool the school funds was 'was ' not a fair and eqult- eqult equit- equit equitable equltable - - - able distribution distnbution This bill raising the the$2500 $25 25 $ 00 fund to $8000 8000 $80 80 $ 00 was defeated in 1927 The Information gathered Rathered during durIng dur- dur - - inj Ing ( the lilt ; l 1927 ( session ; > t : ; . > snju tuuvim-cu tuuvim cu convinced - me . "ic ic " be- be bevond beyond LTC- LTC LTCvond - - vond yond a doubt that our school oppor- oppor opportunities opportunities - - tunities were not equally equal1y enjoyedthrouRhout enjoyedthroughout enjoyed throughout throuRhout the state , so I attemptedav attemptedto attempted to correct this situation in 1929 by in- in inroducin inroducing - reducing roducin roducing H J R No 3 It Ii was quite quiteapparent quiteapparent apparent to me that it was not noj a amatter amatter matter of more money for our stateschool state stateschool school fund but Instead a better bettermethod bettermethod method of distribution After a careful care- care careful - lul ful study of this matter , , . it occurred to tome tome me that ttat t at to create an eauallzation eaualization fundfrom fund fundfrom from which monev money could couJd be distribut- distribut distributed - - ed to the school districts of the state stare stafe stareaccording stafeaccording stateaccording according to t < > their needs , rather .than than .thanI . han than thanon I on UIl a a per pel capita lapil.iA lapiliA ; . basIs uaol , would nuutiA more moreI morenearlv morenearly mwtf nearly nearlv harmonize with the COnstitu- COnstitu COnstituhonal Constitutional - - I tional honal provision Article X . , Section Sectlon 1 l 1I ' the theestablishment theestablishment theestablishment I ' 'The The The legislature legrslature shall shal1 nrovide provide tor for establishment and maintenance of a auniform auniform " uniform s stem & df ' public schools- schools schoolsTf schoolsTI - - " ' Tf : TI 1-n.c 1n.c 1 n.c nc . , - . : hnnM wi1h si'ch sich s1'ch s1ch si'eh sieh ' a pro rirodram m tha that each 1-- 1 1d - - d district strict wouIB woum woulti beu beuguaranteed be guaranteedenough i enough money to assure a minimum minimumschool minimumschool minimumschool school proeram proszram prorram of nine mne months school I I with certified teachers and in a gen- gen general general - ofeducation of ofeducation eral way provide provlde a uniform system education which would be fair fa1r and Just Justto ust ustto to all concerned I said in m support of th s plan In 1929 1929that 1929that that it v.as vas "as as " . not a matter of money inthe in inI inthe the district dlstrict school scheol schcol fund , , but a matter matterof matterof ofDr of distnbuion , , . , I I Dr distnbuionDr L John Nuttall said s1d s \1d 1d \ with w h refer- refer reference ref er- er erence - - to the manner in m which the district dis- dis district - - ence I trict school fund was distributed d1stnbuted . , Utah UtahEducational UtahEducational Educational Review December 1930 , page 17 1'7 ' 'This This ' ' This fund has had valuen value \n n in inequthzina \ neQu"lhzlne I equilizlne eQu"lhzlne eQulhzlne equthzina " : the lo3d 103d load but has hasfallen -fallen fallen - far farI farshort farshort the theuru'atlsfactory theunsatisfactory short of its possibilities posslbilitles because of I I unsatisfactory uru'atlsfactory uruatlsfactory ' method of apporhon- apporhon apportion- apportion apporhonment apportionI apportionment apportionment - ment ' Well , at any rate the oroposl- oroposl proposi- proposi riroposi- riroposi proposition riroposition oroposltion - - I tion failed and we nut through what whatIS is known as the $5 5 $ S500 $500 500 00 equalizatiOnfund equallzatlOnfund equalization equallzatlOn fund It was vas v- v - as stated bv by the tne advocates advocatesof of this measure that all the ills 1115 in 3D the theschool theschool school program nrogram could now be elimtn- elimtn elimin- elimin eliminated eliminated - - ated The state now levys and collects coUects coUectsa collectsa school fund which WhlCh should shoud ] equal a $3000 3000 $30 30 $ 00 per child If the t.he . full amount amountwere amountwere collected collecte it , would vould to ould be about were I $4 4 $ 500 500000 000 00 From the fund each child'would childwould child childcuJd i ' , \ \ culd cuJd receive $25 25 $2500 2500 $ 00 and then the the$5 the5 . $5 5 $ $ 00 00fund 00fund I fund would be distributed dlstnbuted in m a manneraimed manneraimed manner I aimed to rfve ghe ( h e the poor districts more moreand moreand and the rich districts dlstncts lessAll lessAll less All this has helped but we \ \ e find the theproblem theproblem problem still sbU unsolved , some of the thepoorer thepoorer poorer districts dstncts ] being bemg lorced forced to cut cutthe1r cuttheir their the1r school year Sh01 shoit t some even evendown evendown down to six and one half months , while whileother whileother other districts enjoy a full nine months monthsperiod monthsperiod I period with many other conveniencesNot convemencesI convemencesNot conveniences convemences to toI tocut tocut some districts distr1cts forced , 1 Not only are I thelocal the thelocal cut their school term short but local levy for school purposes vanes vanesfrom vanesfrom I from around ' 7 1 ' 7 mills to 15 157 7 mills andI andthe andthe and the * i . per n- n nr capita - > r > l4-a l4 a - cos costs < 'neT neT ' < ! varv vary from frrvm about aboutI aboutContinued aboutContinued I I ( Continued on page four ) - - Lf " 5 1 SENATOR HAMMOND NAMMONO HAMMONDI NAMMONOContinued I I ( iContinued continued from fust firSt page ) I child chlId to $144 144 $14400 14400 $ 00 . _ $43 43 $ $4300 4300 $ 00 per - . . i A - _ facts CMft rv before llQ ftI " us II * , it Is very veryapparent , With these shon short shonof shortof far we have fallen apparent that or of education in inthe inthe of a un1orm untform ! . system the state of UtahIt UtahIt Utah Utahover thc the of some of our educa- educa educators - It is hope will take takeover takeover the state day tors tom mnndthis over that the some entire erthis school problem problemmnnd mnnd .and and .andthis . ht is concurred in by byggether many manypeople this thou thou&ht thouht thought & is 'people people ' not alto- alto altogether 1 1to - ggether gether people becau becaue becauthey from because e poor r ' they they theyarc districts are arc . wlIling willing to togivc togive not that they theywould theywould theIr ideJltity identity , . , givc give up tip would WUU1LI flavor uavu avor * a u state . - . , _ board _ . _ - _ In prefer- prefer preference preference - their theirschool theirschool theirschool locaj loea local ! boar board to handle to a n ence school matters , , . but because cause they : feelo feelreceive feel feelthat feelthat will willthey will that they theyester they in this ester esterbe e\ e ever eer \ er nay vay , be beable be able abletin able and tin to in o receive receiveJustice receive receivt no other : . juStice juSticeand justiceand way waywill wayand waywill and fair play so far as equal educational educa educational . tional opportunities opportumties are concerned concernedIt wIll wIllalways willalways willalways districts that these It is my hope always maintain their identity , . thatlocal thatlocal that thatiltiTo - " -iltiTo iltiTo - e ro . ' rc retheir wIll always and women . local _ I . . H men , > " ' . .O'ht .Oht Oht . ' . t.n tn . - - ( ! nvem their - own - - . _ I . . H , > " ' . .O'ht .Oht Oht . ' . t.n tn . ( ! nvem their - own bl tarn owntarn Lam ; t the me .r'i"ght .right right .right right . . JHQH.U JHQHU ' " . 1 1govcm to w ---govcm govcm govern governschool o o.w .w w . ownschool is ismy ismy ismy school affairs Next to the home , it unit unitshould unitshould unitshould that the school unitI conviction my I ' should take fire place It is a a . sacred sacredinstitution sacred'histitution sacredhistitution sacredinstitution |