The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-20
1T WON'T STOP THE SCHOOLS.
They VIII Keep Open Whether the
school Bill Is Vetoed or Not.


school Bill Is Vetoed or Not.
Supt. w. H. Baker said yesterday that HI
did not think the public schools of Chatham
county will suffer any by the veto which il
appears Gov. Northen will be compelled tC
place upon the public school bill, owing to
the bungled condition in which it was
passed b. the legislature.
Supt Baker says If the bill is vetoed, as
it doubtless will be, it will not materially
decrease the amou unit received by Chatham
| county from tLe public school fund, as the
! present law will continue in force and the
! school tax as provided for be collected as
usual. The increase in the value of taxable
property will doubtless cause considera-
bic Increase anyway in the amount of the
public school fund for next year.
Supt. Baker thinks the veto Of the bill
will be decided advantage TO Chatham
county in one respect, as the bill passed by
the legislature provided that the poll tax
from the different couEties should be paid
into the state treasury and added
to the general school fund. instead
of being held by two county
treasurers for payment to the public school
commissioner Of the county direct. The
poll tax of Chatham county amounts to
several thousand dollars annually, and Supt
Baker does not think the additional amount
that would be received from the public
school fund by the county, if the poll tax
were paid into the general fund, would
equal the amount OF poll tax paid by the
county, which is now received direct.
Mr.. Baker called attention TO another In
equality in the present school law which
operates dtssdvantageously to the cities.
The state license tax upon whisky which
goes into the school fund is paid chiefly by
the cities. The large number of prohibition
counties pay none OF this tax, but get their
pToportionate share Of it, nevertheless
There are over 300 saloons in
Chatham county. The state tax upon
saloons, fixed by the last legislature
is 800. and at this rate Chatham county
will pay over $50. 900 into the state school
fund from this source alone, which is sew
eral thousand dollars more than the county
received from the public school fund Of the
state this year.
The amount received by the county from
the state school fund is simply placed to the
credit of the general school fund Of the
county and used IN paying the salary OF the
teachers monthly. II amounts to the sane
thing whether received quarterly or
annually.
The quarterly payment of the public
school fund would be "A great help to the
county teachers, however, who now have to
wait until late in the fall before they receive
payment for their years work. Whether
the public school fund will be sufficient
under the present law to allow Of keeping
open the public schools throughout the state
for six months next year is
not yet known. The fund this year
was sufficient to keep the public schools
open five months. State School Commits
sioner Bradwell, when in Savannah re-
Gently at the opening of the colored college,
expressed himself as doubtful if the fund
which would be provided would be sufficient
to allow Of keeping open the public schools
for six months next year. though he was
very anxious that there should be six
months schools.