Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-05-10


school district therein. Ii is the de-
clared intent of the law that the
public schools shall be kept open for
at least five months in each year.
To make sure Of this, the thirty
ninth section was enacted, and it is
to this section the earnest attention,
of not only members of county
courts, but of all the friends of the
new system throughout the State,
is now specially called. 1t will be
observed that "When the money de-
rived from the school fund and the
taxes imposed by the State upon the
counties, shall not be sufficient to
keep up 4 public school for five
months in the year, in the school dis
trict in the county," the law is i'm
perative that the county court
"shall levy an additional tax for the
purpose" or submit the proposition
to vote of the people; and, fur
ther, that the court "may levya tax
to prOlong the schools beyond the
five months" Upon the cheerful
compliance with this requirement
of'-he law, the full success of our
public school system largely de-
pends. Less than five months in
each year will not suffice to satisfy
the intent of the law, nor afford suf-
fieient time for profitable instruc-
ton. Without awaiting the results
of an experiment, it may now be
satisfactorily demonstrated that the
money to be derived from the taxes
imposed by the State will not be
sufficient, at least for this and the
next two years, to sustain good
schools for five months in all the
counties. Or, at any rate, with the
most favorable returns of revenue
that can reasonably be anticipated,
there will be good reason to appre-
hend that the means will prove in
adequate to the purpose. 1t is
highly impOrtant,' and certainly
much to be desired, that ample pro-
vision be made by all
THE COUNTIES
to secure the execution and full
benefit of the law according to its
intent. 1t is not possible, at tbs
time, with the data in hand, to gzake
a precise calculation of resUIIs. A
satisfactory approximation, howey-
er, may be arrived at. The interest
upon the school fuEd will amount
annually to one Hundred and fifty
thousand seVe1l hundred and fifty
dollars. TIE amount that would be
derived from the State pOll-tax,
making allowance for exemptions,
noE-collections, etc, will amount to
about one hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars. So that, from these
two sources. there will be derived,
in round numbers, about three hum
dred thousand dollars for distribu-
ton during the year. The last gen
eral enumeration of the youth of
the State between the ages of six
and twenty Tor 1869, showed a
scholastic population of four hun
dred and ten thousand. 1t is quite
probable that this enumeration was
| inaccurate and excessive; but, ma
| king due allowance for general in
crease, and for the fact that, for
| three years, persons between the
| ages of eighteen and twenty-one are
to be admitted TO the public schools,
it is reasonable and safe TO assume
| that the next enumeration will ap-
proximate four hundred thousand
OF lawful scholastic age. Allow
ing an attendance of forty per cent,
we will have one hundred and sixty
thousand for whom tuition must be
provided. The sums for distribu-
tion derived from State sources will,
therefore, afford less than two dol
lars per scholar per annum, or, more
| accurately, upon the dAtA assumed,
one dollar and eighty-scVen and 8
half cents precisely. To what ex-
tent this individual allowance will
be increased by the one mill tax
upon property, to be collected and
distributed in the counties, will of
course depend upon
THE SCHOLASTIC POPULATION
and the property assessments of the
counties respectively. The average
may be approximatad, however, by
a calculation based upon the aggre-
gate State assessments. The tax
able property in this State amount
ed last year, according to the Comp
| troller's report, to $272, 900, 900. As
sumo now that the expectations Of
the friends of the new assessment
law will be realized, and that the
taxable property Of the State, in the
next returns, will reach $3.50, 900, 900.
This would yield, through a tax of
one mill, $3.50, 600. which, distribut-
ed, would afford 81 1S4 per scholar,
upen the above estimate. So that,
from all the sources provided by the
State, the amount yielded to each
scholar viii be about four dollars,
or, more accurately, 81 OCT, precise
ly. This calculation is believed to
be in excess of what win be realized,
but Is presented as showing what
will be required under the most IA
vorable results possible. In view of
the difficulties attending the organi-
zation and management of the
schools, for the first year or two
especially, the expense of school
houses and other incidental outlay,
one dollar per scholar per month
may be taken as a very low estimate
of the cost of the schools, and, there
fore, the funds provided cannot be
relied on to sustain the schools for
five months in the year, as required
by the law. The legislature seems
to have been doubtful of the suffi-
cheney of the taxes imposed, and
hence the enactment of the thirty
ninth section, requiring the county
courts to complete the necessary
provisions for the accomplishment
of the desired end. 1t might, with
propriety, be urged, were il deemed
necessary, that it is as much the
duty of the courts to obey the law
in its requirement of an additional
tax as in any other of its provisions
But, happily, we have
CHEERING EVIDENCES
that the courts will not need to Zee
the constraint of the law, before
taking such action as the public
welfare demands. So short a time
elapsed between the passage OF the
school law and the sessions of the
April courts, that but few of the
counties were prepared for action
in April. Nevertheless, fourteen o.
the counties, through their courts
took action in regard to the addi
tional tax. In almost every instanct
the responsibility was nObly met
, The average result has been to Sc
. cure schools in their counties fol-
six months in the year. In two ol
three Of the counties the action wa
but partial, owing 10 the fact tha
the requirements OF the law wert
but imperfectly known and under
stood. There is reason for belieV
. ing that these counties viii sufii