The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-20
The Pubic SCHOOLS of Georgia,

The report of State School Commissioner
Hook, covering the educational operations
of this state for 1857 and lSSS, shows that
the enrolment Of pupils in the public
schools for 1887 was 342 294, of which POS,
S65 were white and lS3, i23 were co..
ored. This was an Increase over the previ-
Gus year of 22,570, hut the average regular
attendance showed decrease of III. The
attendance Of children and young people Of
school age was 7l.3 per cent. for the whites
and 494 per cent for the colored.
The fund for public school purposes is de-
rived from the following sources: Half
rental Of the state road, dividends on Geor-
gia railroad stock, tax on shows, liquor tax,
hire of convicts, fees for inspecting fertil-
izers, and poll tax The fund for 1887 was
$780, 0S 81, and it will be increased this
year by about s25, 600 From this, however.
are to be deducted the expenses OF printing,
and the salaries of state and county com
missioners, amounting TO about 800 900.
Dividing the fund for 1887 among those
composing the school population, each child
was entitled to 50 cents; dividing it among
the pupils enrolled, each was entitled to
81 35.
Commissioner Hook takes the post on
that the school term should be prolonged to
six months. He shows from report mode
by his predecessor, the late DR.. Orr, that to
do this the fund would have to be increased
10 more than 81, 100000. That is a consid-
cradle sum, but Georgia could afford to
pay it for the education Of her chill
dren. A special tax of a little more
than one-tenth of per cent. would raise
the required amount, and no one would
feel the burden very greatly. In fact, such
tax could not be regarded as burden.
1t would be an investment, on the
part of the people. that would bring
big returns to this and future generations.
What these returns would be was pointed
out by ex-Gov. Herschel V. johnson, one
of the greatest men Georgia has ever pro-
duced, in a message to the legislature
more than thirty-dve years ago.
The wisdom of what he said is as
apparent now as it was then.
Education" said he SIS a friend of the
state. 1t will elevate the people. 1t will
diminish crime, and the expense of execut-
ing the laws. 1t will prize out the poor
from the mire into which innocent poverty
has sunk them, and place them on an intel
lectual equality with the favored sons Of
fortune. 1t will dig from the miro many
an unpublished gem to glitter in the crown
of cultivated society 1t will stimulate
enterprise and direct its energies to profit
able objects. 1t will dignity labor and
open new channels for capital 1t viii dis
inter the mineral wealth Of the state,
and add millions to the produc-
tions of agriculture. 1t will bring
into the field Of science an array of mind
that will adorn our escutcheon and dazzle
the world by its achievements. In word,
Georgia must fail Of her great mission with
out the adoption Of wise and comprehen-
sive educational policy. Away, then, with
that narrow stinginess which begrudges a
dollar TO such a cause, while it is often
wasteful of thousands upon objects that
possess little or no merit"
These words are commended to the atten.
ton Of the legislature and the people Of
Georgia
The late Dr. Hostetter left no will thouCh