The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-05-23
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.

We have no sympathy with those per-
sons who decry the present public school
system of Texas as failure. The opin-
ion of the most competent experts, such
as DR.. A. d. Mayo, who has traversed the
entire south, and has recently visited
many cities and towns in the state, is that
the graded schools of our cities and towns
are superior to those of any other south
ern state. Our country school system in
Texas has never been better, or even so
good, as it is at the present, nor is it sur
passed in efficiency by that of any other
rata during the current year has been
somewhat less than in some past years,
the difference has been more than made
up by the increase in local taxation.
Never has better work been done in this
state, a. a rule, than in the country
schools for this current year, while our
CITY public schools have never been better
than at present.
But the public school system of Texas
is far from being as effective as it should
be and as it may easily be made. The
first requisite for accomplishing this end
is larger amount of school money. This
can only be secured at present by an in
crease in the number of taxing districts
| in the counties. There is no locality IN
the state which may not vote upon itself
now school tax to supplement the state
fund, and it is by this means, more than
any other, that the increase in school
funds should be made. The ne
cessity of this increase becomes OBJ
vious when we compare the average ex-
penditure per capita in the state with that
of the whole country, and especially that
of the northwestern states, which are rivals
of this state for the most desirable class
of emigrants, j. O., those who have some
means and who have sufficient character
to be unwilling to go into any couEtry
which does not afford adequate and GER
tain means for giving common school
education to the children. The average
per capita expended in Texas is between
five and elk dollars. The average in the
United States for the same scholastic age
is between eleven ard twelve dollars, while
in some of the states of the northwest, as
in Colorado, the average expenditure per
| 10 &c oh twa ptx,-c 1nllorc
The teachers of Texas have made
noble and gallant fight for the improve
ment of its public school system, but they
have little political influence, and little
substantial progress can be secured in our
school work if we are to depend on the
teachers alone. This is a matter which
must be taken in hand by the substantial
business interests of this state, by the men
who have a stake in the welfare of the
state, and by the men who have children
who must be educated in the public
schools or not educated at all.
No single factor in producing values is
greater than good public school system;
and no movement can be made in this
state which will enhance the value of land
and all other material interests of the state
SO much as the development of a public
school system worthy of the state. If it
be said that Texas cannot enter into COM
petition with the northwestern states in
this matter, on account of the large non
taxpaying population, the answer can
readily be made, that none of these states
have such advantages in the way of landed
endowment of the public school system
as Texas, and that this disadvantage of a
large non-taxpaying population is more
than counterbslsnced by the two dollars
per capita, which the school fund derives
from this source. Let the business men,
the press and all other progressive agen-
cies in this state turn their attention TO
this country school problem, for in it,
more than any other, is involved not only
the intellectual status of the state, but its
material prosperity.