| Show THE GOVERNOR AND THE SCHOOL BILL IT is a matter of regret that his hie excellency should drag politics into the COD consideration of bill the council showed more wisdom than has either of the other two branches of the legislature while that bill was in the council the liberal 9 9 members worked the hardest for it but when it reached the house the liberal members there saw a chance to force political issues in connection with it and the result of their tactics was in no do sense beneficial unfortunately the governor seems bent upon sacrificing the interests of the schools to those of party politics in the states ward politicians sometimes venture an attempt of the kind but invariably the wiser and better 4 laar laspes es of the people denounce such efforts keep the schools out of politics is III a maxim among americans everywhere in criticising criticizing critic ising the bill in respect to the qualifications of electors at school meetings his excellency tak takes esthe the position that it conflicts with the laws of Clon congress gress this view is erroneous erroneous there exists no legislation by congress which relates to the qualifications of electors at school meetings and is applicable to this territory this has been sufficiently shown anth in these e columns heretofore the governor indicates more or less definitely what amendments shall be made to the bill to cause it to conform to his hie views but as the latter are illogical and erroneous upon this point no ameni amendment ment respecting it should be insisted upon the governor criticizes the system under which such rich and populous counties as cache and utah draw more out of the territorial school fund than thley they pay into it The Justice of such a system is a legitimate subject of argument on the one hand can be urged the duty of such counties to pay at least as an much as they for school support and onabe on the othet othar hand is the maxim which lies at the basis of all taxation for school purposes namely the education odthe child is the concern of the state 11 to Is it the concern of the commonwealth as a whole or of its it subdivisions in a bounty and school district capacity in some states this question is determined in iii one way and by others in other I 1 in n view of conditions existing in this territory we favor a small terri distributed according to J school population but would have II 11 no ito objection to seeing the gover nors stig suggestion adopted 1 to the effect efrece that a county having a population of over should not receive more than it paid toy school purposes this as the governor suggests would partly offset inequalities in assessments as between different counties and the fat fact that boom prices are beginning to prevail in some counties countie but not in others is an additional necessity for some safeguard against y excessive inequality lc it assessments t under such an amendment to the bill the weaker and poorer counties A would continue to receive the same aid as heretofore hereta fore save that it would be increased in consequence of booms in the stronger and richer counties rho rhe remaining amendments suggested by the governor relate to minor matters and defects defect sa and nd vary in importance none of them being be dg of a specially vital nature the he P territory needs a school code very much and the two liberal members of the cou council acil regard th this is bill as one that will meet the want ira in this view they are seconded by nearly every peoples peopled party member of the assembly Asse Ass emoly and by the 14 liberal members of the house barring the political objections they have urged against it it would be a misfortune I 1 to the territory were the bill to fall fail but the responsibility for such a contingency would rest upon the governor |
