Local and state government in Nebraska

Preface

In this, the second edition of Questions on the Constitution of Nebraska, it has been deemed advisable to include questions on local govern¬ ment. Besides questions dealing with the frame¬ work of each of the various kinds of local gov¬ ernment, a number of questions have been asked whose object is to help pupils to acquire some accurate knowledge of what is involved in the financial administration of local government. Knowledge of these facts is conducive to the development of interest in what they signify. In the part devoted especially to county govern¬ ment, questions are included whose answers con¬ tain much practical information relative to land surveys.

Our frame of state government is outlined in the constitution and all of our state laws must be in conformity with the constitution. Because this is so, a large amount of the work done in our high schools in the civil government of Nebraska should be based directly on the constitution. Following this plan gives pupils a true conception of the importance of the constitution of our state.

The questions and notes contained in this pam¬ phlet have been prepared with a view to en¬ couraging the study of the constitution itself. It is believed that their use will be conducive to'a greater degree of thoroughness than would be likely to be the case otherwise. The thing of first importance in studying a portion of the con¬ stitution is to understand it. These questions and notes have been prepared to assist in this.

After a pupil understands the meaning of each section contained in an assigned lesson, such other questions may be asked as, in the judgment of the teacher, are necessary. It is not meant that the questions in the pamphlet shall take the jplace of the text questions and the review ques¬ tions that the teacher may desire to ask.

In answering these questions the pupils will need to seek information from various sources. Work of this kind should be encouraged. It gives students helpful ideas of the true nature of various phases of local and state government. County, school, and municipal officers, and busi¬ ness and professional men are, as a rule, glad to give pupils assistance in their quest of knowledge along these lines. Reports of value may be pro¬ cured from the heads of the various state insti¬ tutions and from each of the departments of the state government.

Class discussions should be encouraged, but they must be guided by the teacher.

It is hoped that these questions will prove gen¬ uinely helpful both to teachers and pupils, and that in this way they will contribute toward giv¬ ing our boys and girls a more thorough concep¬ tion of our government.

Chadron, July, 1909.

SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS

The information contained in tax receipts is absolutely necessary in doing much of the work required. One is needed for the year in which the subject is taught and also for the preceding year. If the subject is taught too early in the school year for a tax receipt for that year to be procured, the necessary information can be se¬ cured directly from those who make the levies or from the county clerk. If a teacher cannot secure permanent possession of tax receipts, they should be copied before being returned.

Each pupil should be required to keep a note book in which answers to all questions are care¬ fully written in ink. The teacher should insist on carefulness in the preparation of the maps called for.

A large amount of the information called for must be gotten from sources outside of the school room. Practically all of this work should be done by the pupils under the direction of the teacher. It is a good plan to divide this work among small groups of pupils and to require each group to be responsible for the answers to a limited num¬ ber of questions. In many instances pupils willingly volunteer for this service. As a rule some pupils in a class have unusual opportunities for obtaining the information called for in some of the questions. This fact should be borne in mind in the assignment of questions.

Pupils should bring pencils and tablets to the class and take notes on the reports of the groups, or committees previously mentioned. Informal discussion of the matter contained in these re¬ ports should be encouraged. The attention of the class should be called to items of unusual in¬ terest or significance. Immediately after the reci¬ tation answers to the questions discussed that day should be written in permanent form in the note book.

A large number of arithmetical problems should be given. To a large degree these should be given and solved in the class. This should be the case to an especial degree after the nature of the set of problems is understood. This part of the work should be taught just as other mental arith¬ metic is taught. The nature of the problems should be determined by local conditions and interests. Property interests that are familiar to the members of the class should be used most freely in the problems given.

Public officers as a rule are glad to give the in¬ formation called for by these questions. In many instances it will be necessary to get the desired information by correspondence. Whatever may be the means employed, members of classes should in all this work show the highest degree of cour¬ tesy and common sense.

Various questions not in the text will suggest themselves to the teacher as the work proceeds. This is especially true in the study of the Con¬ stitution. The teacher’s questions should supple¬ ment freely those of the text.

Care must be exercised to see that pupils under¬ stand the Constitution. Pupils sometimes need help in selecting definitions in a dictionary. They frequently need help, too, in understanding these definitions and in making a proper application of them.

After the part devoted to local government has been finished, it should be thoroughly reviewed, so that a larger and more complete view of each of the units of local government may be obtained.

After the questions on the Constitution have been finished, a careful review should be given, for the especial purpose of unifying essential facts relative to the frame work of the state gov¬ ernment and to.its application to practical affairs.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN NEBRASKA

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT

1. Whaf is the area of your school district?

2. Draw a map of it.

3. Give the names of the members of the school board.

4. When are they elected?

5. Why is it better for them to be elected then in¬ stead of at the November election?

6. What is the length of the term of each?

7. How many are regularly elected each year?

8. Why is this better than it would be to elect a full board at one election?

9. Who may vote at the school election?

10. Who are the officers of the school board in your district?

11. Write a paragraph telling what the duties of the school board are.

12. What was the total revenue of your district dur¬ ing the financial year that closed last May or 'last June?

13. Name the various sources from which this revenue was derived and state how much came from each source.

14. What were the total expenditures of your district for the year ending last May or last June, and for what purposes was the money used? In answering this ques¬ tion include all items of expense under a few heads.

15. What are the legal age limits for school children?

16. When was the last school census of your district taken?

17. How many children of school age were there in your district at that time?

18. What is meant by the state apportionment of school money ? Article VIII of the constitution of Ne¬ braska will help you to answer this question.

19. How much did your district receive last year from this fund?

20. How much was that for each child of school age in the district?

21. What was the total enrollment of pupils in your schools last year?

22. What was the average cost to the district of the school privileges that each child received?

23. What is meant by real property? By personal property ?

24. What was the total assessed valuation of both real and personal property in your district a year ago last spring?

25. What fraction of the estimated actual valuation is the assessed valuation?

26. What then was the estimated actual valuation of all the property in your district at that time?

27. What was the number of mills of tax levied in your district a year ago last summer on each dollar of assessed valuation? You can get the answer to this question by looking at a tax receipt for last year.

28. What are school bonds?

29. Does your district have a bonded debt?

30. If so, for what purpose, and at what time was

it incurred?

31. What is the amount of the debt at this time?

32. What rate of interest does it bear?

33. What then is the amount of interest that the dis¬ trict pays annually at this time?

34. Is a bond tax levied in your district?

35. If so, it amounts to how many mills for each

dollar of assessed valuation?

36. What amount of money will this bond tax levy bring into the district funds this year?

37. What amount if any, will be left to apply on the payment of bonds after the annual interest payment is made?

38. What was the assessed valuation of the property in your district last spring?

39. How does that compare with the assessed valu¬ ation the year before?

40. What was the number of mills of school tax levied in your district last summer?

41. How much revenue will that levy produce for the running expenses of the school during the current school year?

42. Is this more or less than the corresponding amount for last year? If the increase or decrease is marked, give a reason for it.

43. What is the assessed valuation per acre of farm land in your district?

44. What is the assessed valuation of common work horses and common cows?

Note—A number of problems similar to the following should be given.

45. A man in your district owns 80 acres of land. He has 6 common work horses and 8 common cows. Tho assessed valuation of the rest of his personal property is $200. What is the amount of the school tax that he will pay this year?

46. A man has a house and lot in the city or the vil¬ lage in which you live. Its actual value is estimated to be $3,000. What will be the amount of his school tax this year?

47. What is the assessed valuation this year of the railroad property in your district.

48. How much will the school tax from this amount to?

49. What is the exact number of miles of track in your district?

50. What is the assessed valuation per mile?

VILLAGE AND CITY GOVERNMENT

1. How large a population must a place have before it may become an incorporated village?

2. What must be the population of an incorporated place before under the laws of the state it may become a city?

3. Name the cities in your county.

4. Name at least two incorporated villages.

5. What is the area of your city or village?

6. Draw a map showing its boundaries and the bound¬ aries of its wards if it is a city.

7. How are candidates for the elective offices of a city or village nominated?

8. Give the number and the names of the members of your city council or your board of village trustees. If you live in a city tell what ward each councilman is from.

9. When are they elected and if members of a city council, how many are elected from each ward annually?

10. Why is it better for them to be elected then than at the November election?

11. What is the length of the term of each?

12. What is their compensation, if any?

13. Write a paragraph telling what their duties are.

14. What is meant by city or village ordinances?

15. Name three important ordinances of the city or village in which you live.

16. Who is the mayor of your city or the chairman of your board of village trustees?

17. How is he elected?

18. How long is his term of office?

19. What is his compensation, if any?

20. What are his most important duties?

21. What other municipal officers are there in your city or your village who are elected by the qualified voters?

GOVERNMENT OF NEBRASKA l!i

22 . Give the duties of each?

23. Give the name of the person now holding each of these offices, also the length of the term and the com¬ pensation, if any, of each.

24. What important offices in your city or your village are filled by appointment?

25. Who appoints these officers?

26. Give the duties of each.

27. Give the name of the person now holding each of these offices, also the length of the term and the com¬ pensation, if any, of each.

28. What is meant by the term “fiscal year”?

29. When does the fiscal year of your city or your vil¬ lage close?

30. What was the assessed valuation for the last fiscal year of your city or the village in which you live?

31. What then was its estimated actual valuation?

32. What was the total revenue of your city or your village for the last fiscal year?

33. Name the sources from which it was derived and the amount received from each source.

34. What was the total number of mills of tax levied for city or for village purposes for the last fiscal year?

35. Into what funds was this divided?

36. How many mills were levied for each fund?

37. How much money did that levy bring into each fund?

38. What were the total expenditures of your city or your village for the last fiscal year?

39. Group under a few heads the objects for which this money was expended and state the approximate amount spent for each object. If necessary in order to make your answer clear, give some detailed information rela¬ tive to the expenditure of money under the different heads mentioned.

40. What is the assessed valuation of your city or your village for the current fiscal year?

41. What is the total number of mills levied for city or for village purposes for the current fiscal year? In other words, what is the city or the village consolidated tax for the current fiscal year?

42. How much revenue will this levy produce?

43. Into what different funds does the money raised by this levy go? State the number of mills levied for each fund.

44. How much money will this bring into each fund?

45. Compare the amount of money that the levy will bring into each fund this year with the amount that was brought into the same fund last year. If in any case there is a marked increase or decrease give the reason for it.

46. Hoes your city or your village have any bonded indebtedness?

47. If so, when was it incurred and for what purpose or purposes?

48. What is the amount of this indebtedness now?

49. What rate of interest does it bear?

50. How much money is needed each year to pay the interest ?

51. A levy of how many mills is necessary to provide money to pay the interest this year?

52. How much, if any, of the principal will be paid this year?

. 53. If some of it is to be paid, a levy of how many mills is necessary to raise the required amount of money?

Note—A number of problems similar to the following should be given:

54. A man owns a house and lot the assessed valuation of which is $600; a store building whose assessed valu¬ ation is $1,800; and a stock of goods whose assessed valuation is $1,200. What is the amount of his city tax this year? How much does he pay into each of the funds into which the city tax is divided?

V s • '

IS

THE COUNTY

1. Draw a map of your county.

2. On this map show the following: Precinct boundaries 1 and precinct names, section lines with sections numbered in at least three precincts including the one in which you live, or the one nearest the city or the village in which you live, railroad lines, cities and villages and principal streams. Name the cities, villages and streams.

3. What is a congressional township?

4. On a township map of Nebraska showing the United States land survey locate the base line and the 6th prin¬ cipal meridian.

5. What use is made of each in locating congressional townships? *

6. Indicate by light lines on your map the boundaries of congressional townships wherever these boundaries differ from precinct boundaries.

7. On two of the margins of your map in the proper places put the numbers indicating how many rows of townships north of the base line and how many ranges east or west of the 6th principal meridian each township in your county is.

8. What is the difference between a precinct and a congressional township?

9. What officers does each precinct have?

10. Bound your county.

11. How many precincts does it contain?

12. How many congressional townships?

13. How many square miles?

14. What is the number of the section on which you live?

15. Bound it.

16. What is the number of the section on which your school house is?

17. What sections meet at the section corner nearest your school house?

18. Give the number and the range of the township in which you live.

19. How many townships between the south side of the one you live in and the base line from which the survey of the state was made?

20. On which side of the 6th principal meridian do you live?

21. If east of it how many townships between the west line of your township and the meridian mentioned?

22. How far is it then from the west line of your town¬ ship to this meridian?

23. If you live west of this meridian how many town¬ ships between the east line of your township and the 6th principal meridian?

24. How far then from the east line of your township to this meridian?

25. From some paper in your county clip the record of recent sales of farms. Note the description of each piece of real estate and locate it on your county map.

Note—Pupils should learn the name and the location of every precinct in the county. Thorough drill should be given in bounding precincts. A number of problems similar to the following should be given. They should all apply to real estate in the county in which the pupils live. Sufficient training should be given to enable them to locate the desired places and bound sections without referring to their maps.

26. Bound each of the following sections: 26, 18, 31,

6 , 12 , 22 , 20 , 11 .

27. Starting from the section corner nearest the school building, go five miles west and four south. You are then at the northeast corner of what section? Give the num¬ ber of the township and the range in which this section is located.

28. Starting again from the same corner, go three miles east and four miles north. You are then at the south¬ east corner of what section?

29. Starting again from the same corner, go five miles . south. You are then at the corners of what sections?

30. How far west from this same corner would you go in order to reach the west line of your county?

31. Note the Standard Parallels or correction lines and the Guide Meridians on your map of Nebraska. How far apart are the lines in each series?

32. Explain their use.

33. In what way does the curvature of the Earth affect the guide meridians?

Note—A number of problems similar to the following should be given:

34. A piece of land is located in town 20 north, range 30 west. Locate it on the map.

35. A farm is located in town 6 north, range 12 east. Locate it.

36. Make a list of the county offices and give the name of the person now holding each office in your county. Give also the length of the term in each case, the com¬ pensation and the duties.

37. Explain how candidates for county offices are nomi¬ nated.

38. Why may a person not hold the office of county treasurer longer than four years in succession?

39. The task of assessing the property in a county is too great for the county assessor. Explain how he has this work done. Who was the deputy assessor for your precinct last spring?

40. What county officers have oversight of the public roads?

41. What is meant by the term “poll tax”?

42. Who are required to pay this tax?

43. How much is it each year?

44. What public officials give immediate supervision to the work that is done on the public roads?

45. In one of the precincts of your county show the boundaries of the road districts.

46. In one or two other precincts show the boundaries of school districts.

47. Who makes the tax levy for your county?

48. What was the assessed valuation of your county a year ago last spring?

49. What then was the estimated actual valuation?

50. What was the consolidated county tax levied a year ago last summer?

51. What amount of revenue did this levy produce?

52. Into what funds was it divided?

53. State the number of mills levied for each fund and the amount of money that this levy brought into each fund.

54. State as fully as you can just how the money in each of these funds was spent.

55. Does your county have a bonded debt?

56. If so, when and for what purpose or purposes was it incurred and what was the original amount of it?

57. What is the amount of this debt now?

58. What rate of interest does it bear?

59. What amount of money will it take to pay the in¬ terest for this year?

60. Are payments being made on the principal now?

61. If so, how much was paid last year?

62. What was the assessed valuation of your county last spring?

63. Is that more or less than it was the year before? If either, how much?

64. What was the total number of mills levied for county purposes last summer?

65. How much revenue will this levy produce?

66. State the number of mills levied for each fund and the amount of money this will bring into each fund.

67. Compare the amount of money that the levy will bring into each fund this year with the amount that was brought into the same fund last year.

68. If in any case there is a marked increase or de¬ crease give the reason for it.

Note—A number of problems similar to the following should be given to the class:

A man owns a farm of 160 acres. The assessed valu¬ ation of his personal property is $500. What will be the amount of his county tax on his farm and his personal property?

A merchant owns a store building whose actual value is $8,000. The actual value of his stock of goods is $6,000. What is the amount of his county tax?

TAXATION FOR STATE PURPOSES

1. What is the total number of mills levied for state purposes this year?

2. This levy will produce how much revenue in your county?

3. Name the funds into which the money raised by this levy goes and state the number of mills levied for each.

4. How much money will this levy bring into each of these funds from your county?

5. Tell how the money raised for each of these funds is expended by the state.

Note—Several problems similar to the following should be given:

6. A farmer owns 120 acres of land,the assessed valua¬ tion of his personal property is $400, what will be the amount of his state tax this year?

7. The assessed valuation of a stock of goods is $2,000, what will be the amount of the state tax the owner will pay this year?

MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS

An owner of property in a village or a city pays taxes for what four distinct purposes?

An owner of property outside of an incorporated vil¬ lage or city pays taxes for what three distinct purposes?

What is the total number of mills included this year in the four levies mentioned above in the village or the city in which you live?

The assessed valuation of a man *s property in the place in which you live is $600, what is the total amount of his tax this year?

How much of this goes for each of the four purposes mentioned above?

What is the population of the place in which you live?

What is the total amount of the taxes levied this year in the city or village in which you live?

How much is that for each person living there?

Select a rural school district in which the school levy is about what it is in the average rural district in your county. We will suppose that the assessed valuation of a man’s property in this district is $600, what is the total amount of his tax this year?

What amount of this goes to each of the three purposes mentioned above?

What is the difference between the total amount of tax paid this year in the city or the village in which you live on an assessed valuation of $600, and the amount that would be paid on the farm property of equal value mentioned above?

Give two or more general reasons for the levying of taxes?

Write a paragraph telling why every citizen should take an active interest in local public affairs.

Name three qualifications that a local public officer should have in order to do the work of his office in the best manner.

THE STATE.

CONSTITUTION OF NEBRASKA

Preamble. We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, do ordain and establish the following declaration of rights and frame of gov¬ ernment, as the constitution of the state of Ne¬ braska :

ARTICLE I.—BILL OF RIGHTS

Section 1. Equal rights—All persons are by nature free and independent, and have certain inherent and inalienable rights; among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To secure these rights, and the protection of prop¬ erty, governments are instituted among people, deriving their just powers from the consent uC the governed.

Sec. 2. Slavery prohibited—There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in this state, otherwise than for punishment of crime, whereof the party shall have been duly con¬ victed.

Sec. 3. Due process of law—No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.

Sec. 4. Religious freedom—All persons have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Al¬ mighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences. No person shall be compelled to at¬ tend, erect or support any place of worship against his consent, and no preference shall be given by law to any religious society, nor shall any interference with the rights of conscience be permitted. No religious test shall be required as a qualification for office, nor shall any person be incompetent to be a witness on account of his re¬ ligious belief; but nothing herein shall be con¬ strued to dispense with oaths and affirmations. Religion, morality, and knowledge, however, be¬ ing essential to good government, it shall be the duty of the legislature to pass suitable laws to protect every religious denomination in the peace¬ able enjoyment of its own mode of public wor¬ ship, and to encourage schools and the means of instruction.

Sec. 5. Freedom of speech and press —Every person may freely speak, write and publish on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that liberty; and in all trials for libel, both civil and criminal, the truth when published with good mo¬ tives, and for justifiable ends, shall be a sufficient defense.

Sec. 6. Trial by jury —The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate, but the legislature may authorize trial by a jury of a less number than twelve men in courts inferior to the district court.

Sec. 7. Search and seizure —The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, pa¬ pers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated; and no war¬ rant shall issue but upon probable cause, sup¬ ported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the per¬ son or thing to be seized.

Sec. 8. Habeas corpus—The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless, in case of rebellion or invasion, the public safety requires it, and then only in such manner as shall be prescribed by law.

Sec. 9. Bail—Fines; imprisonment—All persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, except for treason and murder, where the proof is evident or the presumption great. Excessive bail shall not be required nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.