Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-06-14
PUBLIC EDUCATION.
Meeting of the Chatham County
Board of Teachers-An
Address from state school COm-
missioner Orr.


of Public Education for Chatham county
was held at the Chatham Academy last eve
ming, Captain George A. Mercer, Vice
President, in the chair, superintendent w.
II. Baker, Secretary, at his post.
After the transaction of routine business,
the election for teachers for the next
scholastic year took place, and resulted in
the reelection of the entire present corps.
After the business of the meeting had
been disposed of, Capt. Mercer introduced
Hon. Gustavus ]. Orr, State School Com
missioner, who was present, and who ad-
dressed the Board at some length.
He stated that during the past four years
he had visited 10 towns in the State,
and had made addresses at each in the in
terest of public education. His general re-
ception was especially encouraging within
the past few months, and he found that
people were awakening to the importance
Of this subject. His special mission now
was to call the attention of the grand ju-
ries and the Boards of Education to the
| in the interests of the State Edu-
cational Fund, and to ask their cooperation
and endorsement Of the same, with the view
of influencing the Representatives and
Senators of the various counties to secure
| their passage at the ensuing session of the
General Assembly. Owing to the admira-
bic local laws in reference to education,
| Chatham was not as personally interested in
these schemes possibly as some other coun-
ties, but their passage could do her some
| good, no harm, and would be of benefit to
the State generally. He had ON Saturday
| addressed meeting of the Board of Edu-
| cation OF Richmond county at Augusta and
q number OF prominent citizens, and was
| greatly encouraged by the results.
He had found the members of the Legis-
lature from that county always Ia favor of
| progress In education. The difficulty with
members from the city was that they had
| good systems at home, and did not feel the
necessity of doing much for the cause of
education. He recollected two of the former
/ membership Davidson and Major Cum
ming, of the Richmond county Board of Ed
| ucatlon-who had been especially active In
the cause. He knew that at least one of the
present members = Judge Twiggs - was
| strongly enlisted. and he presumed the 9th
| ers were also. What they wanted was per-
| feet system of schools in the State. He had
been through different parts of the State.
| He went first TO Oglethorpe, and be-
| lieved he had made Q favorable impress
sion there. He went next to Stewart
county and made a speech there. He went
next to jefferson and got an Endorsement
from the grand jury. He also got a pre-
| sentiment in Burke in favor of all the meas
ures proposed. And so in the county of
| Epson. In Terrell he did not succeed in
| getting before the jury, buthe went before
| the people, and he thought with favorable
results. He determined to go to the cities
| and ask the cooperation of the Boards.
| He addressed the Board in Columbus As
| he came down towards Augusta he sd-
L Il IL IN-N.-
| at Harlem. He was satisfied that one
hundred members OF the Legislature were
in favor Of increasing the school fund.
| The indications were very favorable
all over the State. The constitu-
ton of 1877 says there shall be
a good system Of common schools
in the State. The language is imperative.
| The great drawback is lack of funds. What
can be done with IS cents a head Some
people-and ignorant people they must be
said they had tried the puOlic school system
and it had been failure. Tried i. Tried
it on 66 cents a head They had tried to
starve 1t. The only trouble was that of
money. The present appropriation is So
cents head. We have good system as to
the machinery. What we need is money.
| That is what he was pleading for now. He
| was pleading in behalf of the rising genera
ton. There were measures now before the
Legislature which, if adopted would
increase the school fund to one
| million of dollars 1t was a wise
system of measures. The first was intro
duced by DR.. Perkins, of Burke. It pro-
poses to levy tax of one-tenth of one per
cent. upon properly, the money to be left in
the county in which 1t is raised. When he
| went over the State discussing this subie ct
of taxation, he found a great deal of oppo-
sition. He had long been conVi. cad that It
was equitable to tax property for he educa-
ton or the children. OF the rs In the
State of Georgia to day, forty p cent. of
| them are illiterate. Forty per cent. of
them go up to the ballot box and deposit
their ballots without knowing what was
| on them. Did they believe that our in
situations were safe with such a state
OF things? Jefferson and all the fathers of
the Republic bad taught differently. There
| were certain things that could not be
measured by money. Ignorance was a
fertile soil for Communism, for all sorts Of
isms. Every man who owned property was
interested in the rights of property Just ac-
| cOrdiDg to the amount of property he
owned. He had lived with the people of
Georgia from the cradle up. We were a con-
sentative, slow moving people, perhaps
| too conservative. Conservatism was a good
thing in its proper place. Wherever educa-
| ton was fostered the value of property in
| creased. What he observed in isolated com
munities would be the csse In the whole
State II the cause of educa ion was fostered.
Suppose the Legislature immortalized itself
| by adopting measure increasing our school
fund to 81, eco, 600, what would be the re-
suit? immigration would largely increase
/ Immigrants go where there are free schools
| Georgia can support ten times her popua-
ton, and do it better than now. He be-
| lieved that il the Legislature would make
the school fund 81 100000 the population
OF the State would be doubled, the re-
sources of the State would be more
than doubled, our taxes would be les
sened. He heard Mr.. Wadley say once
that If the people along the railroads would
| give two thirds of their lands to actual bona
ttde settlers, the remaining third would be
| worth more than all was before 1t was the
interests of the property holders to make
the very best citizens of the colored people.
They are citizens. They are here to stay.
| The best thing that can be done is to 90 for
| ward and do the best we can under the cir
cumstances-make good school system at
once. The constitution says 1t shall be done
| and he, for one, meant to stand by It,
| people should always stand by what is law.
| Mr.. Perkins bill, IL 1t passes, will raise
for Chatham county $17,672 One-half the
rental of the State Road goes into the
school fund. That is $3.50, 600 II you raise
| tax of l per cent. it aggregates 1928 900
/
| portioned to school population 1t would be
$1,000 The wire grass counties are rich
| in children but poor in material resources.
In some of the mountain counties the
| taxes do not pay the expenses Of their
members of the Legislature. Yet they
have a great many children. This was
| a somewhat selfish view, but this
element should enter into the discussion.
Mr.. Rice, one OF the members of Fulton
county, had offered bill providing for the
appropriation of the other half of the rental
of the State Road to the school frnd. Chat
ham would get from that $3,777. Mr..
Mitchell, of GWinnett county, had intro
duced bill looking to the more efficient
collection of the poll tax. From the last
report of the Comptroller General it would
be seen that that year we failed to collect
$50, 600 of the poll tax. The poll tax in
Chatham, it appeared, was third less than
It should be.
Mr.. Mitchell's bill provides that the poll
tax shall be lien upon a mans property
and upon his wages. 1t had been suggested
| that a provision be put in to notify en-
| ployers, and require them to hold back the
poll tax of their employees. He said it to
| the credit of Burke, that 1t paid up its poll
tax very closely. Mr.. Northern, of Han
cock, had introduced another bill In refer
enee to the liquor tax. Last year $50, 900
were added to the school fund from that
source, and this year it would be $50, 600
The United States officials collected Sll6,-
600 from liquor dealers in Georgia.
There is a big leak somewhere, IL these
| facts are true, or the tax is not properly
Il nhoh fha