Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-02-07
GEoReE B. GoopLANpER. Editor.
Thursday Morning, Feb. 7, 1867.
Proposed .fmendmenfs TO the
&rhnnI Enfr.

AtODDSg0 ~
school LatU.
AT the Convention ofCounty Super
intendents of the State, held at Har-
risburg, on the 4th of December last,
resolutions were passed recommending
that the School law be so amended as
to provide for the raising Of School
fund by general and equal taxation,
sufficient in amount to defray the ex-
penses of keeping the schools in oper-
alton for term of six months in each
year. This matter should now be
pressed upon the attention of the Leg
islature. Great inequalities have here
tofore existed in taxation and length
of school terms. The inequalities ex-
isting can in no way be better illus
trated than by quoting from the late
report of the State Superintendent.
He says:
The local taxation in several Of the counties Is
really oppressive while in Others II Is but triHing
In several districts the thirteen mills allowed by
law to be raised will not support the schools the
minimum term Of four months unless teachers
with the lowest grade Of certificates employed.
In such districts Of course taxation is the most OPP
pressive because the citizens the least able 10
pay heavy taxes. While this is the ease In some
counties In others the schools can be supported six
or more months by tax Of three or four mills ON
the dollar.
A few examples win show the irrcglarity Of the
taxation and is burdensomness upon the poorer
classes.
In Cambria the school tax was 1915 mills,
building i.96 mills, 1871
In Clearfeld the school tax was 1885 mills,
building 600 mills, 1895
In Jefferson the school tax was q.42 mills,
building s.s5 mills, 1877
In M'Kean the school tax was Q.54 mills,
building 1000 mills, 1854
In Potter the school tax was 1904 mills,
building us mills, 1884
Average l7.4l.
These are comparatively poor counties, where
citizens need help from the State to enable them to
give their children even fair common school cdu-
cation, and yet with this heavy local tax upon them
together with what the districts receive from the
State they can keep their schools open only few
days over the minimum term. The average In the
five counties Is four and eleven fifteenth months.
ahh wv hNtthEt NhBtr VI ttt1utir II 80 oAs
In Berks the school tax was % mills, building
600 mills, I'll
In Bucks the school tax was 800 mills, build
ing l.53 mills, 453
In Lebanon the school tax was 3 3.2S mills, build
ing 600 mills, 1923
In Cumberland the school tax was $40 mills,
building l.t7 mills, l.s7
In Lancaster the school tax was sos mills,
building OBS mills, 3.9s
Average, 3.T5 mills.
These counties are among our most wealthy, and
with this tax, the average term is six and seven
teen-twentieth momths-ayerage wages, $50 45.
Thus it will be discovered that the
citizens of the last named counties
have threefold advantage over their
less fortunate sisters, and that, too, as
we are told, in common system. This
burthen has been borne meekly for
thirty years. Ii is true we have none
to blame more than ourselves, because
until the present we have called upon
none to help us unload our cart
To illustrate this little further, we
will look at another feature of the case,
but by no means the most insignif-
cant thus, while the first above
named counties are compelled to as
sess eighteen mills to keep up their
schools to the standards, the others
collect less than fue, and keep their
schools open oRehdG longer. Thus
the latter counties gain fifty per cent
in time, and have three hundred per
cent. less tax, and pay their teachers
fifteen per cent. more wages. If there
is no remedy for these glaring wrongs,
the system had better be abrogated
In the late Convention the rcsolu-
tions above referred to were passed
by nearly unanimous vote. The
late State Superintendent, Hon. c. r.
Coburn, in his report to the Legisla-
ture, contends that something MUST
be done to aid the poorer counties.
The present, therefore, seems to be
the most favorable time to agitato this
question. The County Superintend-
ents from the richer counties, all but
two, voted for the resolutions above
referred to. 1t is our impression.
therefore, that we will not meet with
as much opposition from that quarter
as many anticipate. Let every friend
of the system, in the Northern and
Western counties, consider that the
duty of the present hour is to urge
upon the Legislature the necessity and
Importance of carrying out the recon.
mendations Of the late Superintend
ents report Let every county inter.
ested circulate petitions and send them
to the Legislature, and the result will
be in favor Of popular education. 1t.
can be done, ifthe friends of education
will make an earnest and determined
effort.
-<>-%-o-
Some loyalist, supposed to be the
sainted Lowry, has been putting our
member of Congress through the TEL
egrdPh, promising him a seat in the
Rump Senate when Mr.. Buckalew's
time expires. Lowry evidently is try
,no 20 ,,ot Cooeoll ,.-..-tt n