Show THE SCHOOL QUESTION SOUTH BOUTH cottonwood COTTO MWOOD september 18 1895 after carefully reading and considering si your last laet reply and consulting various sources of information on the subject under discussion I 1 deem it neoe necea aBary eary to again ask for space in your paper that I 1 may place myself and the position I 1 maintain squarely equa rely before the prom from the first and still there to is but one question to be settled though through inadvertence or may be defective composition there have crept in minor differences it to la true various questions arise from the main question but can we succeed in settling battling the min main one that will settle bettis all the minor issues so far as an the discussion is lot liet us discard for the present all questions except that of the county school fund perhaps the best beet way to make myself understood will be to enumerate al all the taxes levied and by what authority then as an I 1 sold laid before confine my aej to the one issue As aa I 1 understand the proposition there in IB a levy of two milla mill on 00 all taxable property in the territory which levy la Is for current expenses ex of the cheter ter state and la Is made by the legislature la there in ia a levy of three mill conditioned as aa above for a state school fund which 61 together with such other means as aa the legislature may provide shall be distributed among the it everal school districts according to the school population residing therein I aside this there to la a levy of three milla mill made by the county court for current county expenses expense there la Is also made by the county court a levy of two mills milla for a county school fund to be divided in the county precisely as aa the state fund besides all this there is vested in boards of education and boards board of school trustees certain other powers of levying a special school tax now the whole question lies ilea in the levying collecting and apportioning of the county school fund this to ia the crux of the whole controversy contro verRy veray the NEWS admits that cities of the brat and second class are removed w wholly b ol 01 ly f from rom con county n ty con control arol or responsibility lity in school matters J taking this to be true the county court could under udder the constitution still levy a tax on OD city as well as county property for current county expenses but they cannot levy on city property for a county school fundor it if the court should there would be at once raised be cry of double taxation which would very soon be declared unconstitutional to salt lake county lone alone this means a diminution of a a year in her school fund other counties may or may not be so seriously affected but when we consider that four firtha firths of the taxable property of salt lake county to la within the limits of salt lake city it is ia a serious proposition to the people of the county it la Is not only a serious blow to the schools of salt lake county but la 19 RD an entering wedge which means meana destruction to the whole free school system oue may say aay why apprehend such disaster the greatest evils often come from small beginnings but salt lake city or any other first or second class city Is ia only a school me ariot triot which cannot be divided now if salt lake city has ban the right to apply and be taxed separately why cannot any other school district enjoy the same privilege it if such a method be carried into effect it simply imply means a return to practically the old tuition getem system with the exception of the territorial apportionment which does not contribute one half ot the school fund ir if this be allowed wealthy school districts will soon boon bear such force selectmen aele otmen that will refuse to levy a county school tax it is i plain that where any school district contributes more to the school fund than it rece receive ivee under prospective conditions those districts diet riot will much prefer to exercise the special school tax privilege and thereby keep keel their funds within their own dimitr limit tp of the consequences that may accrue from this error graphic pictures may be drawn but this to la unnecessary as ae cold conditions furnish a more convincing argument the fact Is that the very foundation and framework of our tree free school estem system to la in danger and to all who love education ree raw and a prosperous state we would call for an unbiased investigation ere are the lurking danger throttle us and place us ui where we must helplessly help lenly watch the crumbling of our most moat magnificent institution our free school abool system J JO W MOFFAT |