The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-07-18
items they undoubtedly did very proflt.

Aeome lucy unuouDtediy OLD very pf0ut
able business.
Commissioner Foster yesterday received
the following reports:
AgriculturaI-Erath and Goliad.
Treasurers-Kerr.
County clerks-Oolorado
Colorado county clerk having repo ted
yesterday, this completes the list of coun
ty clerks in the state who have reported.
EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
Superintendent Cooper has Just issued
the following circular which was being
sent out yesterday:
To County Judges, County Superintend ents snt
Public School Trustees and Tea hers:
The average school term during the
scholastic year of 1889 has been the
longest yet attained in Texas, although
the state apportioument for the year was
the lowest since 1928.
This signal improvement is due to the
growth of self-help in large areas of the
state, leading the people to vote local
taxes in school districts, and to supple
ment, by close collection of the funds due
from lovers" and "unders" and by private
subscription, the state and county funds,
where the levy of loca taxes has not been
possible, as in school communities. But,
by an act of the Twenty-frst legislature,
provision was made for forming taking
districts" in community counties, so that
now local taxation for the support of the
schools Is practicable in any county in the
state.
You should advise and urge the levy of
local school taxes wherever it is practioa-
BILE for the following reasons:
1. Local taxation is cheaper than pri-
vate subscription. As rule it costs nine
tenths of the patrons of the schools only
ons-half as much to run the schools by To-
cal taxation as by subscription, with this
additional advantage, that provision ia
made in this way for the children of those
who are unable to pay tuition in subscrip-
ton schools.
2. Local taxation is surer than private
subscription. While teachers frequently sui
fer embarrassing delays in the payment of
school vouchers, yet these vouchers are
always paid, while the payment of private
tuition is subject to much longer delays
and not unfrequently to final loss.
3. The state school fund is not now, nor
will it ever be, sufficient without local aid
to maintain the schools as long as they
should be maintained. The common state
ment, that the income from the perms-
nent school fnnd will at soma future time
be sufficient to maintain the schools with
out taxation, is an illusion. 1t will never
do more than keep pace with the increase
in scholastic population. The state fund
should never be regarded az the sole, or
even the principal, support of the schools.
For, while this state distributes larger
amount per capita than any other state
except California, the per capita derived
from local school taxes is less than one
eighth of the average local tax in the
United States. Whatever weakness may
exist in our school system is due not to the
fact that the state school fund is not large
enough, but to the fact that local effort is
not strong enough.
4. Local taxation strengthens local in
terest in the schools. The people of a
locality who pay taxes directly for the sup
port of the schools of the loca ity feel a
keener interest in the schools to whose
support they thus contribute directly
than in schools which they feel are sup
ported altogether by some great, remote
institution called the state. Local tax
alton gets the children into the schools
better than any compulsory education
law.
5. The trustees of districts levying local
taxes have the legal right to extend the
scholastic age, both below eigth and above
sixteen years of age.
6. A local school tax is not burdensome,
even whom the maximum-20 cents on the
$100-is levied. The state and district
school tax, when the maximum 10 voted, is
only 3215 cents, while many of our cities
and towns vote 80 cents in addition to the
state school tax. In the state of Arkan-
eas, the state school tax ia 20 cents, and
four-fifths of the school districts of that
state have voted on themselves, in addi-
ton to the state school tax, the maximum
allowed them by law 80 cents on the 500
valuation. The average school tax in the
United States is 40 cents On the 800.
Texas is fortunate in having large per-
manent school fund, the income of which
yields about so per capita; but it will be
unfortunate for the children VINO need
schooling now, if the possession of this
advantage, prepared for them by the IA
theirs of 7 exas, shall deter those who have
succeeded these illustrious men from put
ting forth the additional effort which is
i'm peratively needed to make this advan-
tsge a real blessing. This income more
than counterbalanoes the disadvantages
under which we labor in some parts of the
state of large non-payiDg population,
and renders it easier to establish and main
tain first-olass system of public schools
in Texas than in any other western or
southern state.
7. The cities, towns, villages and school
districts of this state which levy local
taxes include nearly all the really good
public schools in the state. These schools
are not only the best schools 10 the state
now, but they are the best Texas has ever
had, and they compare favorably with the
best schools elsewhere.
In conclusion it gives me pleasure to
say that local taxation is gaining ground
in many parts of the state, thus giving I'M
questionable evidence that an important
q lvance is being m ade in public education.
Very respectfully,
O.oAR Fl. COOPER,
State Superintendent,