The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-01-03

| "shall be levied"
Experience has proved that the pres
ent rate is not sufficient, and there can D
no reasonable hope that the increase II
| taxable values will so gain upon the III
| crease in population rs to render IT SUI
| fcient. Neither can we expect such al
| increase from the income from the per
petual fund as to render the present az
valorcm rate sufficient. In fact, ther
| has been during the last few years
material decrease in receipts from IN
perpetual fund. For the year endlni
August 81, sol. these receipts were 81,
| 2S2, 343 90; for the year ending Angus
81. 1892, they We're Sl,2GJ,3 iO.9Oi 10
the year ending August 81, 1893, the!
were S1,244. 10O.96: for the year endln!
August 81. 1894, they were SS3I 81. I
While it is believed that the cause of thi'
decrease is only temporary and that witt
the return of prosperous tunes the re
GENTS will increase to the former figures
il is plain that we cannot look 10 thl'
source for relief from present emDarrass
ment. as the scholastic population vii
increase more rapidly than will the funds
rbi, brings - TO consider the most Sc
rious feature Of the entire situation. II
will be noted that the receipts from the
source under discussion were S4O6,
iSS. 10 less for the year ending August
81. 1891 than for the previous year
This decrease, which is due mainly t(
he failure of the purchasers OF schoO
ands to pay the interest on their notes
Is the chief cause of the large deficit IN
he payment of the apportionment fol
he year ending August 81. 1874;
The deficit on August, 81, 1871, was
SG50. 4GS.50. This deficit cannot all
As a rule the schools for the
wear ending August 81, 1894, were taught
during the fall and winter, most OF then
ending not later than early in the sprlnt
If 1894. 1t thus results that many OF tht
teachers have been compelled to hOlC
their warrants nearly year, or, Whlcl
has often been the case, they have beer
.ompelled to sell them at large discounts
In the main, the teachers have endured
he delay and loss without much com
plaint, but it is nevertheless deplorabie
in view of their meager salaries ana tht
short term for which they are employed
hat it should have been necessary FOL
hem to make these sacrifices.
The prospects for the coming year, un
less the legislature takes some step look
ing to immediate relief, is not much bet
ter. The apportiOnment for 1881 was
So S36, 1863. 80; for 1S94-J, although the
per capita was reduced from S4.oO tC
$3.50, the appOrtionment is S2,42S, l32
or only 4OS, 231 80 less than for the pre-
yious year This is the smallest app0r,
tionment that has been made since lSS9-9o
and the smallest per capita since lSSz
Still unless the collections OF interest on
school land notes should greatly improve
land | can see no prospects of early I'M
provement, it is not apparent now the
state will he able to pay off the dehclt Tor
1884, ano ~ apportionment for lS94-J
by the end .. Nhe current school year,
August 81, 1895, with the funds available
under present laws. In 1883, when u SIM
liar condition confronted the legislature,
the difficulty was met by transferring to
the available school fund $504,O00 from
the general revenue fund, which was then
burdened with a large surplus. No such
method of relief is now available, since
there is at this time deficit in the general
revenue.
Under all the circumstances, there is
no reason why the legislature should hest
tate to raise the ad valorem school tax To
20 cents on the 500. The people of the
state, by the vote adopting the amended
section 3, article Z, of the Constitution,
have not only authorized it but required
it. That there is no plan by which efficient
schools can be maintained for six months
in the year without this increase seems
perfectly plain. The truth is that when
this is done, we shall not have suf-
fcient funds. 1t must be remem-
bered that our scholastic population
is rapidly increasing. The scholastic
population for each of the last five years
was as follows: For 1SS9-9O, 545.6l3;
$50; for 1929, 6OJ,4 for 1S93-94,
63O, BOB. This shows an increase of 81
6S7 in five years. The scholastic popula-
ton for 1S94-95 is G93, 752, and the appor-
Torment as has been noted, is S2,42S,-
49,. For 1SS6-S7 the scholastic popula-
ton was only 4S9, 100, or more than 100
100 less than for the current year, while
the apportionment was S2,303, 920 or
less than 100000 smaller than for the
current year, yet the school term for the
schools for 1SSG-SI was only
tS9 in community counties and o.29
months in district counties The per
capita for that year was the largest i'll
the history of our system, Yet it was IN
sufficient to run the schools for six
months.
With our greatly increased sholastic
if must he evident that the
school term cannot be extended without
Increased revenues. The only available
method of increasing our state fund
seems to be by raising the state tax to
the constitutional limit. This will in
'rpuSp our revenues uDOul POOO'NNO
ivr NC nrrrovimatclv g" nnn 600 wear
for tho education OF 100000 children,
, ABOUT @1.-J per caplta. AS already
indicated this will not be sufficient. Tex
rs ought to bring her fund up to the aver
age of the United States, that is, S2.3l
per capita of the entire population. Es-
our population at S2,0OO00O
this would require an annual available
fund of S5,1I5,0OO, nearly twice, as much
rs we can hope to have when the tax is
raised to the constitutional limit. But
while the increase Of the state tax VIII
not Immediately give us sufficient funds,
it will, after time, give some rellef, ana
by amending the revenue laws so as TO
secure more thoroughness i'll assessing
greater accuracy i'll hiking Its
taxable value, and increased efficiency
in collecting the taxes. it may be hoped
that if our school fund does not soon be-
come sufficient for the thorough educa-
ton of the children, it can ut least be
made sufficient to extend the school term
TO six months At all events, unless the
tax is raised, it seems clear that the aver
age term must decrease instead OF IN
crease. The amended constitution
plainly requires Il term of six months
The incoming governor is understood 10
favor a term of six months. The doml-
nant political party of the state has
promised n term of six months. To make
n term of six months at all possible, the
tax must be raised. and l appeal, with
confidence, to the legislature to take TINS
stan most SplnmnlV author