Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-24
No,-ro schools and the School Tax.

Negro Schools and the School Tax
state school Commissioner Orr has pub
lisbed a circular on '.The Educational he
lations Of the Races in Georgia" His
aim Is 10 show that the negroes are not
entitled 10 any voice in the disposition Of
the public school fund, and that they VIII
consult their own interests by not insist
ing upon representation on school boards.
commissioner orr shows that in lss2
there was paid to teachers Of white schools
in the state the sum Of $3sl, $50 10, and to
the teachers Of cOlored schools Sl5l, 42S -.
A little more than fourth Of the entire
school fund. it will be seen, was palo 10
the teachers Of cOlored schools, and, tnere-
fore. for the support Of colored schools.
The number Of pupils enrolled in the
white schools was l6l,os4, ana
in the colored schools 95,055. From
tbls It appears that there was PAID
for teaching each white child g 30, ana
for each colored child 81 80. The fact
must not be overlooked. however, that
,colored teachers can be employed at much
smaller compensation than White teach
ers. Il is probable that the cOlored chill
dreu got about as much attention as the
white children, although that attention
did not cost as much.
1t appears from Commissioner Orr's
figures that the negroes contributed
toward the amount that was paid TO the
teachers Of coIored schools $144,S97 ga
sum only $500 81 less than the cost Of
their schools.
He reaches this result as follows;
The school fund is made up Of the poll
tax. liquor license. tax on shows, net hire
Of convicts. fees for inspecting fertilizers,
rental Of Western and Atlantic Railroad
and local taxes in counties and towns
The negroes paid in poll tax in 1852
( $50 400. Fleven-twelfths of the hire Of con-
/ victs comes out Of negroes. They pay
I part Of the fees for the inspection OF Ter
] tilizers. and as they attend shows and con-
sumo their share of whisky. they pay
] their share of these taxes. It is estimated,
I therefore. that in 1882 they paid into the
/ school fund through the above mentioned
I sources S59.J-4 20. If half the rental OF
the Western and Atlantic Railroad were
+ NOT turned into the school fund ii would
4 20 into the general fund, and would lessen
taxation to that extent. II is estimated
/ that il would lessen taxation on property
I returned by negroes TO the amount OF
I s3.6sf. This sum is. therefore, counted to
their credit in the school fund. The sum
+ Of s.. 49,. the amount Of school taxes they
paw in counties and towns, is placed to
their credit.
The aggregate of these sums is Sl25,-
/ l27 20. Now to this must be added Sl9,-
/ 769 62-the State tax on their property
and We have s144,87T %, the entire amount
I which the negroes contribute for schools
I and for all other purposes. They do not
; contribute a cent towards the expenses OF
\ the State Government-that IS, if we
/ count the SO, 769 81 as part Of what they
! paw to the school fund-and they fall over
4 $4,000 short Of paying the cost Of their
schools. The figures are interesting, and
/ the Commissioner believes that they are
about as near correct as can be obtained
4 He thinks. and very correctly, that the
negroes who are clamOring for representa-
ton on the school boards are making a
mistake.