The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-04-20
NEW SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

NEW SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
The School Commissioner and the COun-
ty Board of Examiners are dividing the
townships into school districts. They are
proceeding under the net of the legislature
passed ut the last session which authorizes
them 'to divide into convenient school dis.
tricts' the present townships or school dis
tricts In pursuance Of this authority they
hayc employed Mr.. w. U. Hunt. q compc-
tent surveyor, and are to pay him Sc. for
every school district he establishes. bIr.
Hunt furnishes the hands to wait on him,
chaln carriers, cto., !, at his own expense, but
the Board pays his board bills when any is
charged. The pay for the surveying and
other necessary expenses comes out of the
school fund of each school district For
Instance: If Easlcy township should be
cut into ten school districts Mr.. Hunt would
receive 500. out Of the school funds of Fms.
ley township. The plan seems to be to tli-
vide each'towhship into school districts of
three miles square, locating the school
house in the centre. which will make the
distance mile and a'half for the children
to attend who live on the edge of
the district. In some instances however
1t is not practicable to make the districts
square, and in such cases they are laid off
70 the best advantage possible After these
districts arc made it is proposed to locate
a school house in the centre, or as near il
rs possible. The law permits the patrons
OF these school districts to increase the two
mill and poll tax by voting all additional tax
Oh themselves.
we 90 not know how tie new syatcm
will work, but think if it is properly man
aged much good will result from it. The
only objection we have to it is that it leaves
the towns out. 1t was argued by the school
commissioner when asked about the matter
That the towns were already incorporatcd
and could not he nlcrfcrcd with cxccri bv
their consent This is true, but it seems
to us that the Legislature should have made
some provisions for establishing ono OF
these school districts in every town when
majority OF the citizens wanted it. But
| the law is good one and we believe will
result III great good. 1t is conceded by
every body that the present school system
IS farce and the great need Of today is q
better school system. 1t is true the pcUplc
Will have to PVT their hands in their pock
cts, hut even then 1t would be better than
the p:cscn t;systcm. We hope that when
these districts arc located and completed
that the citizens Of each one will make n
careful calculation and vote sufficient fax
to run the schools at least six months in the
year. And we hope, too, that the next
legislature will pass law putting tax of
81 or 81. on every dog in the State and LET
that "" - the school fund. Dogs are get
ting to be great nuisance in this country,
lhcrr arc many poor people, and especially
Negroes. who have from one to- three and
four dogs and feed enough to them during
a.ycar to pay several dollars to the school
iund. Then again there arc so many WORTH
less dogs. If people were made to nav
taxes ON them as We havc suggested there
would DC better dogs and fewer dogs cspcc1
Tally with the class Of people VIC have men
toned.
We hope that our Senator and Rcprcscn-
,atlvcs will think ovcrthis matter and sny
something about il in tho neat legislature,
This would be ''rcform movement" and
ore winch would please every body, and
one which the writer thinks is greatly
needed.