The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-10

above.
School Fees Better than Local Taxa
ton.
The Winnsboro Neps aud Herald criti-
clsed carefully and kindly the address re-
Gently delivered by w. c. Benet, Esq,
before the Abbeville Teachers Associa-
ton. We published this pleasant review
last week. While concurring "most
heartily" with most Of the ideas express:
ed in the address, our contemporary does
not "entirely agree" with Mr.. Benet in
all his positions. Especially does the
News and Herald differ from him con-
corning the superiority of school-fees as
compared with local taxation:
mi. Benet believes that private schools
should be aided in some cases by the pub
lie fund. We think investigation will
convince him that the mere mention Of a
free school these hard times kills out pay
rents generally to pay tuition fees.
He also prefers q fee bill toa local tax.
In theory his idea is admirable, but wedo
not believe that it will bear the test of ex-
pertinent. All parents will not pay up,
and many will withdraw their children
in the middle of the session, thus disor-
panizing classes and running the school.
While the local tax falls with weight on
the wealthy, very few of this class exist,
and 1t Is better for them to pay more than
to have half the children stopping school.
So soon as the country becomes more
]prosperous the fee bill will do well. Why
not let the Legislature provide for both
q local tax and a fee bill, SO a to give
each township its optionT
We do not purpose to discuss this i'm
portant subject farther than it was dis
cussed in the address under considera-
ton. We only desire to show by a living
example that the fee-bill system does
bear and twill bear the test of expert
ment." The example we offer is the Abb
beville Graded School. That institution
is supported partly by the public school
fund and partly by school-fees paid
monthly by the parents and other pat
rons. From the report Of the treasurer
for the session 1889 We learn that the to-
tai cost of the Graded School for the year
was Tin round uumbers) eighteen hum
dred dollars; in other words, $3.50 a
month for ten months. OF this sum the
public school fund contributed some $3.50.
The remainder, which is by far the larger
part,|l42O.-was paid by the parents in
the form Of school fees. There were
about lbs pupils on the roll and the fees
varied in amount according to the grade
OF the pupil. All the parents did not pay
up, Of course; just as all the people who
trade at q store do not pay up. And,
with the exception of a few families who
are really INDECENT poor, and whom the
board Of trustees did not look to for pay,
the parents who did not pay up are con
sidered to belong to that species which Is
not yet extinct whose members pay just
as few debts as possible, church dues and
school fees last of all. Had all paid the
moderate fees charged the board Of trus-
tees would have had a surplus Of income
over expenditure Of about four hundred
dollars.
The monthly fees charged in the three
departments amounted to the yearly sum
Of $40, S1s, and s24, the highest fee being
charged In the high school department.
So far as we know, the tuition fees were
much lower than what are charged at
similar Academies. Ofcourse the public
school fund was taken into accountin the
calculations Of the board Of trustees and
was a factor In reducing the rate of tut
ton. The public thus received the full
benefit Of the public school fund. The
Graded School was q success and the
school-fee system did bear the test Of ex-
pertinent, and next Monday the school
session will reopen under very much the
same plan.
Here Is q school combining in itself a
primary or elementary school and a high
school, costing $3.50 q month for ten
months. The public schools Of Able
vile County were open last year only
four and q half months. During those
four and q half months the public school
fund contributed for the services Of the
three teachers in the Graded School only
$s5 a month-not one-half their current
salary. The people of Abbeville by pay
ing up their school-fees kept open for ten
months q much better school than the
public fund could pay for. and yet obtain
cd to- greater than the full extent the
benefit of that public fund. What the
people Of Abbeville have done, the peo-
pie Of other towns and villages in South
Carolina will do. They will pay school
fees for good school. We believe that
the colored people are not averse to pay
ing school fees. Indeed we can point to
more than colored school in Able
vile County kept open longer than the
public school term by fees voluntarily
paid, one such coIored school being in
our town. No doubt there are difficult
les in the way Of q fee-Sill system /; but
we think they are not more numerous
than those attending local-tax system
and no n can complain of the hardship,
injustice and oppression Of school-fees,
while he can we'll and justly so complain
Of q local tax. Under q fee-bill system
those only who have children at school
ahve to pay: under a local-tax system all
owners Of property have to pay; and in
this State the class that has most proper
ty has fewest children.
We should like to see this voluntary
system Of Ab.eville made the compul-
sorry system for the whole State ; II not
compulsory, at lenst permissive to this
extent-that WHEN the majority Of the
school-patrons in any town or neighbor-
hood shall vote fer the establishment Of a
good school, to b. open for ten months
and to be supported in part by fees, those
school patrons shall have through trus-
tees by them appointed complete control
OF their due shaf q Of the nublir school