The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-04-12
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
A Great Loss of Money.

We ought to get much more money
from poll taxes than we do. During
1887 the school census showed that
the white children between 6 and II
years were GA per cent of the whole
cen: us, and the Colored children 37.6
Pr &C It, which is about tie r,ror-
ton that has existed between the chill
dren for four years, as far back as
have calculated it. But it isespecially
to be noted that the tax lists for the
year 1886 show I4I,I23 white polls
and only 64,6oS colored polls, which
make the white polls $50 per cent of
the whole number of polls and the
colored polls only 3I.4 per cent,
which is just about he proportion that
there has been between the listed
white and colored polls for four wears
also, as far back as | have calculated
it. The United States census of 1880
showed the number of white voters to
be IS9,732 and of colored los ,o18-
29475o voters of whom GA Per cent
were white and $50 per cent colored.
bring the figures together fer con-
trast:
White children &. GO / per cent.
hhlte voters GA per cent.
White polls listed =. Csc per cent.
HoiOfed children 81 q per cent.
Co!ored voters $50 per cent.
Colored polls listed 3l.4 per cent.
This evidently shows large failure
to list for taxation on the part-of the
negroes, for | feel sure that the col
ored people between 6 and 81 years
OF age are not more in number pro-
portionally to the whites than they are
beyond the age of FL years, at which
age the polls are required to be listed.
Even if it is commended that proper
tionally more colored children are
born than whites, it is certainly true
that from want of attention more of
them proportionally die before they
reach the school age. These figures
tend strongly to show that instead of
64,6oS colored polls listed for taxa
ton We should have S4,8oo-
2o,2oI more than we have,
if the negroes listed as we'll as
the whites.
And further: The property of the
State in 1886 was S2o2,752, 622. On
this the school tax is I21a cents on
SIoo, which would amount to S25,,-
44o.77, which is essentially all col
lected. The whole number of polls
listed was 2o5,75I. At $3.50 on
each, which is about the average APP
piled to schools, the polls would give
a revenue of S5oS,6o6.5o. Putting
these two items together, we have
$562,I37,77. But from these two
sources the returns show show receipts
to the school fund of only S497,3S7.-
81 which represents actual collections
of $53S,566.eI, the Sheriff's commits
sions Of 5 per cent being deducted be-
fore the revenues are placed to the
credit of the school fund. These
figures show 4 loss OF sSS,57I.o6,
almost all OF which is to be attributed
to failure to pay the listed poll tax.
Let US bring these figures together:
loss on polls that are listed SIS, 571 .OG
Loss on 20,20l colored polls
not listed SO ,30l 81
Total loss to school fund on
polls SbS, SI2 81
Total loss to poor fund Gas
much ......... 49,. 7.2lS.2-
Totals on polls .... $50. O9I. II
This is what it would bc il the ne
groes listed AS WELL AS THE WHITES
and all polls LISTED WERE PAID the
estimate does not take into consider.
alton the number of whites that fail &c
list and the proportional number Of
negroes, which would doubtless swell
the amount very considerably.
think it safe to estimate the loss &c
the school fund from failure to list and
pay poll tax at not less than SIS 900
and to the county poor fund at Ss5,-