Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-02-22
We want No Change.

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Two years ago q commission was an.
pointed TO investigate the present mode Of
apportioning the State school tax 10 the vari.
Gus counties. The claim has been made
for years that there were and are inequaii
ties In the distribution. The method pre-
vailing is 10 distribute the colored fund ac.
ss-ding TO the colored school populaticn in
the respective counties, and the white fund
according to the total Of both white and
colored school population. Thus, il ia
claimed, the white schools Of Southern
Maryland AID part Of the Eastern Shore,
having the colored element to increase their
share Of the funds under the present system
OF apportionment. get more for their white
schools proporticnaiely than northern and
western counties where the colored popula-
ton Is sparse. On the other hand Il Il
claimed that the burden Of large colored
population, largely non-tax paying; extra
local provisions and expense for this popu.
lstion; small bases Of taxaii0 rendering
high tax rates necessary, a.. entiile the
counties Of lower Maryland to al At present
received, and more.
The commission rs already stated, Il
composed Of John T. Morris, president;
Robert Schriver. secretary; q. c. Magruder,
r. @. Mackall and George M. Upshur.
Messrs. Morris, Schriver and Mackall, unite
in majority report suggesting changes In
the present law. Messrs. Upshur and
Magruder sign minority report opposing
any change In the present method of
distribution.
The changes recommended by the ma
jority are, mainly apportionment 10 white
schools according To white population only
and upon the basis Of an annual enumera-
ton of pupils in school; the making of
county school tax rates always at least as
great as the Safe school tax rate; the length
ening Of the school year "a seven and one
half months in the counties where schools
are kept open now for shorter period,
additional aid to be given by the State to
such counties as are unable to bear the
necessary expense; a fixed average ofteach-
ers' salaries for the State, approved by the
State Board of Education; the placing ofthe
expenses of building furnishing and re-
pairing school houses on the counties.
The dissenting minority claim injustice
to the poorer counties under the contem-
plated changes, and the fact that while
Baltimore city would be the greatest gamer
by the new plan she does not ask for il. but
on the contrary Mr.. Ell A. Wise. Superin-
tendent OF the public schools of that city, a
school man of national reputation, opposes
any change In the present system Of distri.
button and says: sit would be unwise, If
not unjust, to make the appointment on
the bases Of either enrolment or the average
attendance. In short, after making mum,
erous calculations upon different basis, we
are unable to suggest any plan for general
application better then The present plan"
This is the unbiased opinion of man who
has given much study to the problem which
a Legislative commission was asked to solve
and which they have failed to agree upon.
The Legislature will act wisely If it lets the
matter remain % IL ID.
To Messrs Upshur and Magruder, who
have so clearly shown in their minority
report that no changes are needed, is due
the thanks of the Eastern Shore and OF the
Southern Maryland counties for opposing
the preparation of an injustice which
would work such serious loss to their
public schools.-Nars6orough Gazette