Clinton County Republican-News
May 26, 1927

WHAT BATH TOWNSHIP FACES

The attention of the whole civilized world has been attracted to the village 
of Bath, in Clinton county, during the past week by the terrible tragedy which 
occurred there.  Columns and columns have been written about the murderous
disaster. The sympathy of the whole country has been manifest in messages 
which have been written, spoken, printed and wired.

Bath deserves sympathy.  Bath people are terribly shocked.  The deaths of forty-four
children and adults is a staggering blow.  Some forty other children are injured.
Some likely will die as the result of the disaster.  Others will be crippled for life.
There are fathers and mothers who will never recover from the crushing disaster.

Sunday the last of the dead were buried.  Monday the township took up its daily duties.
To say that the citizens of Bath township are stoical; that they have "buried 
their dead and are setting about to repair the damage done", is hardly true.  
In spite of this popular statement which is so often published following disasters, 
Bath township people are discouraged - and they have a right to be.

In a general way there has been published a smattering of the facts concerning 
the township.  Yet nowhere have we seen a complete and comprehensive statement 
of the actual financial status of the Bath Consolidated School District.  
The Republican-News will attempt to convey to its readers what Bath township 
faces as gleaned at a meeting of the school board in the home of Supervisor 
Ewing last Sunday evening.

The Bath Consolidated school district has an assessed valuation of $1,179,645.

The school tax for the year was $19.80 per assessed $1,000.

The total tax in the school district was $38.48 per $1,000 assessed.

Thus a farmer with an eighty-acre farm assessed at $5,000 paid $192.40 taxes,
of which $99.00 was school tax.

The reason for this high school tax is that the township has a bonded indebtedness
of $35,000 for building the school which was wrecked last week Wednesday.  
Interest and a certain amount of principal must be paid each year.

In addition to this, Bath township is bonded for $20,000 for Covert roads 
which have been recently built.

Also, those farmers whose farms are in the road assessment district pay a special
assessment which makes their taxes still higher than outlined in the above example. 

Bath township has many acres of poor land.  Its farmers have been experiencing 
the pinch of high costs and low prices the same as have farmers everywhere.  
Bath village has no rich industries to help bear the tax burden.  The Consolidated
school was a fine institution.  It brought modern educational facilities 
into their midst.  Nevertheless it was expensive.

Now the school house, which is not paid for, is gone - wrecked by 
a maniac's vengeance.  The $35,000 debt, however, remains and must be paid.

There were 312 children of school age in the township last year.  About forty 
of these children will never attend school again.  The remaining 270 must have 
some school to attend next fall.  Where is it coming from?

While the destroyed school cost the district $42,000, it was built at a loss 
by the contractor.  It really cost $50,000.  In addition to the new building, 
a part of an old building was used.  The school plant destroyed represented 
a value of probably $65,000.  This is a complete loss.

Funeral expenses, hospital bills and other expenses incidental to the tragedy 
will be met from funds that are being received by popular subscription in Clinton
and Ingham counties.  Clinton county's board of supervisors have appropriated 
$2,500 for immediate relief.  There are injured children who will require special
treatment for months; little legs and arms that were shattered and crushed; 
great jagged flesh wounds; little youngsters who suffered from the terrific 
blast "shell shock" the same that incapacitated so many World War veterans.

While some irresponsible newspapers have indicated that certain wealthy men 
had offered to rebuild the school house and assume the financial burden of the 
township, such is not the case.  It is true that wealthy men have wired their 
offers of help.  In this they are sincere.  It does not follow, however, 
that they will assume the entire cost.

What will it cost to give Bath Consolidated School District another school 
building and equipment similar to that which was destroyed?  There has been 
talk about $40,000 to $50,000.  Monday the Republican-News talked with the 
architect who planned the Bath school house.  He predicted that it would cost 
from $80,000 to $100,000 to replaced the building.

Can Bath township add a bonded debt of $80,000 to $100,000 to their already 
heavy burden?  With such a debt can they continue to pay the heavy operating 
expenses of such a school for the next quarter of a century?

The problem of Bath is a serious one.  Those of their citizens who have had 
time to study the problem are frightened by the prospect.  They hope for help.
The committee appointed by Gov. Fred W. Green is acquainted with the situation.
They too are studying the situation and trying to find some way of helping 
the citizens of Bath in their baffling problem.


CRANKS

Whether or not the Bath disaster has any bearing on the matter, there has been 
circulated this week in Clinton county anonymous letters, some by mail and 
some dropped on the streets.  The contents of these letters would indicate 
that they were written by a religious crank and someone who was more or less 
illiterate.  Obscene statements were mingled with quotations from the Scriptures.
In every community there are unbalanced minds which need only some spectacular 
disaster, such as occurred at Bath last week, to set their deficient minds 
in a turmoil.  It now develops that Keyhoe (sic) himself became first a crank 
and then a maniac.  People who show indications of even mild insanity should 
be reported to the proper authorities before some great damage is done.