The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1891-02-25

| any defects. The amendment was lost.
| The bill Was then tabled, on motion Of
| Mr.. Holman. This action of the House
as greeted With applause.
| The School Tax Increase.
| The House took up as special order
| the bill TO increase the public school
TAX to 16 ? cents on property aud 90
| cents on poll.
/ Mr.. Alexander, ii support Of the bill,
said
This increase of tax viii raise the pub
| lie school fund Of this State from $40. .0n0
TO little over $50, 000 Il Will Iengthen
the school term from sixty to over sew
| enty davs, from three months to three
| and a half months on an average in the
| State eaca year. 1t viii increase the
amount per capita from 81 % to over
| 81 is cents This increases the levy on
| property about - per cent. for public
school purposes. While it does not in
crease the tax so much on the poll, be-
cause all the poll tax now collected is
set apart BY the constitution for school
purposes, and remaiQs in the several
| countieS for that purpose, with the
exception Of twenty five per cent.
that can be used for the
| four Of the counties, when the consti
tutional limit is reached. | introduced
this bill for the sole purpose Of lncreas
ing cur public school fund, so as to keep
face with the age. tho progress, ard
aspority of our State An educated peo
pie is a prosperous people, education
causes people to be prosperous and
civilized. Education, prosperity and
| civilization belong to go together,
but l aul sorry to say our State is a lag
gard in the way of education, although
we are now on the up grade, our educa
tional facilities are improving, our
standard Of education is slowly rising
| higher, ana new let Us improve it by
| passing this bill, which will put more
! money ia the public school fund Of the
State. This money will remain in the
several counties of the State, to help ed
| ucate our poor boys and girls, who are
not able to educate themselves.
| Education is the one thing needful iii
| North Carolina, and We cannot give it
| too much attention; and there Is no way
| to educate the masses of our people ex
cept by taxation, and as We grow III pros
perty and progress we should increase
our taxes for public schools, SO as
to keep pace with the age in which We
live so that our State will not be be-
hind our sister states in the education
| of her children; and now let US do our
duty-make more education and more
| efficient education III North Carolina
Now it is generally understood that |
| favor the cutting down all appropria-
| tions to as low figures as possible, to our
actual needs and no more, but have
favored au increase Of funds for educa-
tional purposes, because upon our edu
| cational advantages depend greatly the
future prosperity OF our State. So let
us, with pride, look after this great
interest OF the State, and increase her
public school fund
Mr.. Wood offered an ane en1ment pro
viding that in their discretion County
Boards of Magistrates and Com mission
ers may reduce the rate to as small a
sum as 12A cents. His county would he
benefited by such an amendment. He
asked Mr.. Alexander to accept the
| amendment hfr Alexander declined
Mr. Cof1ield said that Alliaucemen,
Democrats and Republicans were in
favor Of and III fact pledged to al in
crease of aid to the public schools, but
he must oppose Sc large an increase. 1t
would necessita;e the levy of a speci Il
tax in 95 per cent. of the counties, al
ready fading it hard to secure money
for running expenses.
Mr.. Alexander said the amendment
of Mr. Wood would ruin the bill. He
did not think the anount was excessive.
Under the law the county authorities
; had power. The people of his county
. (Tyrrel1 wanted the bill passed.
Mr. Pickett declared his belief that
this DILL would save the State 800, 900.
1t will not only reach the younger
classes. but it will equallze the
distribution of the school funds. He
urged the House to pass the bill.
Mr.. Henry said he was friend Of ell
, ucatlOn, but be saw some objection to
the bill. In many counties the consti-
tutional limitation is already reached.
He sent forward substitute providing
that the people of any town Or district
shall have power to vote on the question
, OF aid to any school This substitute
was ruled ont of order, as not applicable
to the bill in hand.
Mr.. Brinson said the State does not
educate her children for charity, but for
her own safety and preservation. If
ever there WAS time when there should
be made an increase Of the school fund
that time is at hand. The State cannot
well get along without an increase OF
, | taxation for the school fund. He assert
: ed that though there are allegati ons that
, tie school machinery was very costly
vet it is not near so costly as in other
, states. The cost is about or 7 per cent.
:. Mr. PEBBLES said be needed some edu-
cation to enable him to vote intelligent-
. ly on this bill. The educational fund is
, charity fund. He thought it ought to
go before the finance committee SO that
, it could be seen how much could be al.
lowed the schools.
Mr.. Gilmer cid the Committee on Ed
ucation had reported this bill and had
q done so after consultation with some
: ----rbvIS Of InO FiuauCe CUumittee
= The school taxation had to be known sc
as to give the Finance Committee an op
portunity to consider the matter Every
Alliance has called for an increase of the
. school fund. The people of the State
! | demand an increase. Mr.. PEBBLES asked
i Mr. Gllmer what rate of taxation it was
expected the Finance Committee would
recommend. Mr.. Gilmer said twenty
!, tive cents, 1t Was understood, would be
the rate.
Mr.. Pritchard spoke warmly in sup
port OF the bill. In the western part OF
} the State the people demand that there
be an improvement in the public schools
aud an increase of facilities How can
this b. done unless more money is pro
yided! There is now blot Cd the State
by reason of !Iliteracy. He wished the
amount OF tax was twenty i've cents in
stead OF Is ). He opposed Mr.. Woods
amendment. Such discretion should not
be given the county com mmissioners.
Mr.. Joues spoke~of the great import
, ance of the bill. He desired to go Just as
far along this line as the best thought of
the people would allow He wanted to
be at the head of the procession. The
east could not afford to let the west get
in the lead in the matter of public edu-
cation. The east really needs education
more than the west. He knew there was