The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-27
The Great Need of the State.


The MORNING News has been calling
attention Of the legislature for years to the
necessity for providing better system OF
public schools There is no doubt that one
of the reasons. if not the chief reason, why
immigration TO this state is not larger is
the want Of good schools in the rural dis
tricts In all of the towns there are very
good schools. because the people of the
towns tax themselves to provide them; but
in the country the schools are in session
only two or three months In year, ana the
standard OF them is very low.
It's useless 10 expect that intelligent and
tsirftv farmers of the west will seek homes
in Georgia rs long as the public schools re-
main in their present condition. They
would Ia Their put up with the hardships OF
a cold climate, and pay high rents for COM
parativ ely poor land, than to come to
Georgia where they can by industry and
frugality soon make themselves comfort
able homes. than to deprive their children
Of educational advantages.
The MORNING News receives communi-
cations all the time relative to the condl-
tioa of tie public schools of the state. The
burden Of them all is that if the schools
were better, immigration would be far
greater. In communication received yes
teriav from farmer in Southern Georgia,
the writer. who Is from Illinois, says: THE
state is not vet ready for immigration in
the rural districts, where emigrants are
most needed The present state laws are
killing out the schools in the rural districts,
and driving the enterprising parents with
their children to the towns and cities. No
man Of enterprise wants to settle with his
children in the country where he will be
deprived of good school facilities He will
sooner risk the cold winter of the north
than run so great risk. Immigrants set
ting in the rural districts now, will soon
become discontinued and leave, and give
the state bad name"
The legislature might as well recognize at
once that the great need of the state is bet
er public schools school tax that would
meet the want of the people would cause
some dissatisfaction among a few, but the
great majority would approve it, and pay
it willingly.
Good schools would mean rapid increase
in the white population. The uuoccupied
lands of the state, Of which there are
millions of acres, would be put under Guilt
walton. There would be productive farms
where there are now only waste places The
taxable property would be double what it
is in a few years. aud Georgia would be as
attractive to immigrants as Florida.
Why is it that Florida has advanced so
marvelously within the last ten or fifteen
years? Has she better soil or climate than
Georgia, or better facilities for getting her
products to markets She has not, but she
has an excellent school system. She appro
PIRATES for each child of school age about
four times as much as Georgia, and the
consequence is that her lands are being
occupied rapidly, and her pine forests are
disappearing to make room for orange
groves and truck farms.
The legislature must take hold of this
school question earnestly and in a liberal
spirit Instead of wasting its time with
picayune measures which could be acted
upon more intelligently by county com mis-
sioners and municipal authorities, it should
devise ways aud means for giving every
school district in the state good school for
nine months each year. If it will do this,
it will win the approval Of this and coming
generations, and put Georgia on the road to
prosperity far greater than she has ever
yet experienced.