| Show A WAY OUT OF THE difficulty A MEETING of the school trustees of this city Is ia called by the county superintendent for july at 8 in the thirteenth district schoolhouse the object of the meeting is laudable it is to unite upon some plan to settle the serious difficulty which has arisen in relation to the special school taxes assessed for the present year the trouble arises from these facts that when the special school taxes were assessed asses seti in the different di erent school districts bof p this city it was not known that a law would be enacted amalgamating all the districts and turning over to a board of education all the property of the several districts that when the law was passed these varied assessments se sess were not apparently taken into account or the law was not made sufficiently plain in regard to their disposition that the very high valuation placed upon property by the assessor was not anticipated when the special school taxes were levied and that much more money than is necessary will be squeezed from the taxpayers it the taxes are collected that while the amount obtained in some districts will be enormous in others they will amount to comparatively little jand and ibey dwey are turned into a CO common ajon fund great ID injustice Justice will result to different taxpayers that the collector does not feel justified I 1 by the law in turning over the results of these several levies to the board of education and will probably decline to do so that if the money should be collected and turned over it will be much more than is required for educational purposes in the city for the current year the great question is what can be done to settle the difficulty the law requires the special taxes levied to be collected as other taxes are thia we have already explained and proven but may there not be some judicial discretion which in a court of equity can be exercised for the correction of the evil that everybody bod y can see is arising we think such power exists and believe that if properly invoked it will be used in the enquired equi red direction courts of equity may interpose by way of In injunction function ini unction to correct mia mb take aj prevent fraud there is no allega uon of fraud in this ease case but there is evidently a grave mistake and the mistake is nt one of law which the court will not perhaps correct but one of fact which the court may correct the mistake arose through the expectation pec tation on the part of the trustees in certain districts that a levy of a one per cent or a one and a quarto ir per cent tax would only secure the amount necessary in the district fo for r educational purpose and the supposition that it would be expended in the district ic for district school purposes the passage of the new school law changed all the conditions and the difficulties arising are the consequence an injunction against the collector restraining the collect collection log of these special school taxes would correct the mistake prevent the conflict arising between school trustees and the board of education and accomplish a public good in securing peace and harmony in school affairs and as all taxation must be uniform in order to be legal a court of equity would probably interpose to prevent the wrong which would be the consequence of the enforcement of these unequal assem assessments ments it is believed that the increased valuation of property will cause a 0 sufficient revenue to be raised for school pur purposes durpos pos s under the board of education until that body can make a new estimate of expenses for another year in that case the enormous amount to come from v these unequal special taxes can be dispensed with the public mind will be quieted quiet edthe the public pocket will be much relieved aud and the trouble will be dissipated A friendly suit against the collector to enjoin the collection of the special taxes if successful would calm the troubled waters 31 3 1 we believe that if the trustees and the board of education will come to a common understanding and mutual agreement on this point the difficulty will go no further we hope this agreement will be reached A combination of forces will be cheaper wiser and more effective than any individual effort the trustees should endeavor to I 1 settle the matter amicably it is not a party question all party feeling should be banished in the discussion of this issue the old trustees and the new board should have only the public interest and the cause of education in view let us have peace equity harmony and free and competent education |
