The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-07-27
ARE WE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR
THE WHISTLER"

The suggestion is being INDUCED il
by some of the leading papers of tn,
state that the States present inan,
cIai condition is mainly due to the
fact OF the so-called increased expend.
ltures for public education, caused by
the requirements OF the new Consti.
tuition : and that the State is ''going
Wild on the subject of education :
that Il halt must be called, or hopeless
ruin entailed. W. do not belieyethis
to be true. nor do We believe that the
State is expanding more for public ed
ucation now than was expended by
State and county to maintain four
month schools under the old Consti-
tuition. The misleading feature is,
the State pays the whole amount now.
relieving the county and rendering a
State appropriation of 1925, 900 and a
tax levy of five or six mills necessary.
whereas under the old law the State
paid the smaller portion of the school
fund, and the rest came from the
counties, relieving the State, but en-
failing a county school tax. But il all
came from taxation under either sys.
TEN, and the amount paid for schools
is practically the same under the old
law and the new, allowing for the
loss " by reason of the prevalence of
local option. 1t makes no difference
whether it is called county or State
tax. To illustrate: The State tax in
this county for all purposes ought not
to be more than five mills tsame as
last year. which will make a total tax
upon the payer of eleven mills. 1t
was frequently twelvem mills under the
old law. So W see what is added to
the State is taken from the county
tax.
Surely no one will claim that we are
paying too much, considering the de-
sired efficiency. II not, then It Is only
necessary that a sufficient levy for
State purposes be made, including
schools, and the State will not fall
behind, neither will aggregate taxa.
ton be increased materially. We will
not contend, at present at least. that
this appoltlonmcnt of the burden as
between county and State is the
but we do say there is no
ground for the charge that Missis-
slppi is going wild on education, 1t
IS not justified, either by the obsery-
ance of results or by comparison with
Dther States.
Our young people are not more ed
Icated than they ought to be, MOI are
paying more than a reasonable sum
therefor as compared with other
Out Of thirteen strictly
southern States, according to the Blu
eau Of Education, Interior Depart
ncnt, seven pay more for public edu-
than Mississippi, three pay less
ma three pay about the same. So we
'ught not to be too arrogant in this
llfcction. Let us not cripple the
'ood work we have done. Let US also
if we can point out some of the
'auses of the States falling behind.
In the first place the defalcation in
he State Treasury cntailed a loss of
3l5,OOO, the annex for colOrcd persons
% the lunatic asylum cost 800, 900, the
e-building Of the main building of ,
lie same institution after it was
5000 more, the Constitution
Convention about $4,000, to which
after item should be added the ex.
enseo of a long and expensive legisla-
I've session to enact the Code, and
tensions for Confederate soldiers
Widows $1,000; these extraordinary
expenditures have more than absorbed
lie accumulation in the treasury.
Tue ihadequency of the levy for State
purposes for 1923, considering these {
expenditures and losses, and in view ,
+ the transfer Of the whole school
'urden to the State did the rest. We ,
cpeat, we are not PAYING TOO MUCH .
OR TIE WHISTLE"