Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-03-08
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
To the Chronicle

appeal be made to the County Cour
for a better school tax. Sec. 80, O
the School Laws is as follows:
| ssBe it further enacted, That wher
the money derived from the schoo
fund and taxes imposed by the STATE
on the counties, shall not be suffi
cient to keep up public school fol-
five months in the year inthe school
districts in the county, the County
j Court shall levy an additional tax
sufficient for this purpose, or shall
submit the proposition to vote Of
the people, and may levy tax to
prolong the schools beyond the five
months said tax to be levied on
all property, polls and privileges
liable to taxation, but shall not
exceed the entire State tax"
The County Court seeing the
money derived from the school
fund and taxes imposed by the
state on the county not sufficient to
keep up school for five months in
the year, has. heretofore levied 81 90
on polls and Ii mill on the dollars
worth of property to meet the re-
quirements of the laws imposing
such levy. Nothing has been lev
led on privileges heretofore. l
would suggest here, the require
ments of the law have not been
met. In a large majority of the
districts of the county the present
rate of taxation Is not sufficient to
run the schools more than four
months in the year, and in some of
the districts the schools do not run
more than three months.
Should the Court refuse to levy
an increased tax, it should certainly
submit the proposition to vote of
the people. The people are ready
for the proposition. They are de-
handing a better school tax. The
people of Montgomery County will,
when an opportunity is offered,
vote a tax of three mills on the
dollar, on property, and on polls
and privileges the same as the
State tax. We need not expect
great and deserved results from a
fund sufficient to run our schools
only about four months in the year.
We need money enough to draw
the best talent. Many of our teach
ers are poorly paid and are seeking
employment in better fields. We
can never elevate the standard of
teaching by driving our best teach
ers from the field and employing
cheap, "go-day, come-day, God
send payday" school-keepers. If
we wish a pair of boots made, we
would rather.payan expert $40, than
a cobler 81. If we wish the pros
ecution of an important lawsuit,
we would rather pay a first-class
lawyer $50, or even 500, than a
jack-leg, So. So it is with teaching
we would better pay teacher of
competency and experience a re-
munerative salary than employ
person of incompetency at any
price, however small. Is Montgom-
cry County to be left far behind
many of her sister counties on their
march of progress ? Is she not as
fully able to educate her sons and
daughters as other counties I? Our
rate of taxation for schools is far
behind the average county of our
State. I know occasionally we hear
a man say he has no children to ed
ucate and should not be taxed to ed
ucate others, and he wishes the
whole system of public schools abol-
sshed, etc. The good and upright
may as well say they have no need
of Court-houses, Coupty-jails and
State-prisons, and it is not right
that they should be taxed to build
and keep them up. A man that
would abolish our public schools
to-day has a heart so small and
hard that / could box up a dozen of
them in a mosquitoes bladder and
rattle them like beans in a gourd.
No man has right to enjoy life,
who is not willing to contribute
something of his means, time and
talent to the general welfare. And
in what way can we alleviate suff-
ering humanity better than in the
enlightenment of the masses I?
More money will give us longer
schools with better teachers. More
money will make our schools so
good that the blessings of untold
good will be conferred upon our
children.
Applicants for certificates are
hereby notified that they need not
apply at any time, except on the
regular examination days, which
will be as before, the LIST Saturday
in every month at GAINESVILLE.
Public examinations afford DIrec-
tors seeking good teachers an OPP
portunity to come and witness ex-
and select teachers for
themselves.
Teachers holding 3rd grade GER
tificates will, without improvement,
be rejected this year, where more
nearly competent teachers can be
secured. Directors are requested to
make a thorough Introduction of
the Eclectic Series of school books,
as the exchange rates will perhaps
not be continued longer than the
season. Directors should
act promptly and see that their |
schools get the benefit of the ex-
change rates. The new books have
gone into more than half of the
schools, and we are rapidly |
uniformity.
Our next annual report will show
a marked increase in the average |
daily attendance in our schools.
Let the friends of public school ed
ucation raise their voices in every |
part of the county and let the press