WANTS FREE HIGH SCHOOL

WANTS FREE HIGH SCHOOL

Other High Schools Do Not Charge for Languages

ON TUITION CHARGES

Mr. H. H. Herbst Writes a Communication Giving Result of Inquiries in Other High Schools

Editor of the Argus:

On September 16th, the Argus published a communication from me upon the subject of tuition for languages in the high school of this city, I taking the view that such charges for resident pupils was against the policy of free public schools in this country, and stated, among other things, that I did not know any other city in this state which made such a charge for resident pupils in the high school.

Subsequent to the publication of the above communication, I addressed the following letter to every secretary of high school in this state of cities containing ten thousand or more population. (I unintentionally sent two or three to cities of less than ten thousand people, but received the same response.) The following is the letter:

Secretary of the High School:

Dear Sir: - Will you kindly inform me, upon the enclosed card, whether students of the high school in your city, whose residence is in the city, pay tuition for Latin, German, or any other language, and if so, upon which language, and the amount so paid? and much oblige, Yours truly,

H. H. HERBST.

I received answers from Grand Rapids, Manistee, Bay City, Niles, Saginaw, Kalamazoo, Coldwater, Ishpeming, Port Huron, West Bay City, Menominee, Marquette and Hillsdale.

In every instance has the answer been that "No tuition is charged to resident pupils for any language."

Some of the high schools do not charge "for any study" to resident pupils, but in no instance, except in the great educational center, Ann Arbor, is any charge made to resident pupils in the high school. I enclose the original answers which you may publish if you deem essential. I have no written answer from Ypsilanti, but have telephoned the secretary of the high school and was told by telephone, that no charge was made for languages in the high school there for resident pupils.

Have discussed this subject with numerous citizens of Ann Arbor most everyone taking the position that such charges to resident pupils was a narrow policy unworthy an enlightened community like ours. There are, of course, some who argue on the opposite side. A prominent law professor of the U. of M. advanced this criticism; he said that the charging of tuition for languages was not a "moral wrong." I concede that this is true; neither is the not establishing of free public schools a moral wrong, yet the doing away of our free public schools would arouse the entire country to the highest pitch of indignation. The forcing of payment for any branch of study in our public schools is of the same measure of wrong, only less in quantity. If the free public schools are the bulwark of our liberties, surely we should lay that foundation upon as broad and liberal a basis as possible. A narrow, contracted and stinted policy will not meet the wishes of the people. In speaking of this matter to a professor of the high school a few days ago, I asked him how much of an extra tax it would average upon each taxpayer if the tuition for languages for resident pupils was withdrawn, and he answered that he thought about 30 cents to 40 cents a year for each taxpayer. I shall let the readers of the Argus draw their own conclusions upon this. I stated in my previous communication that the charge for each language was $3. This might lead to the inference that it was $3 a year. It is $3 a semester. A resident having three children, each taking but two languages, would entail on him an extra tax of $36 a year, in addition to his regular school tax. THis is almost a prohibitory law. I have three children attending the high school, and there are many others who have as many children, some perhaps more. At all events, whether one child or four, the principle is the same. I trust the honorable school board will see the wisdom in doing away with a measure regarding which this city is unique in being the only one in the state of Michigan, so far as I can learn, which has placed itself on record of maintaining so narrow a measure regarding our free public schools.

Yours truly,

H. H. HERBST