The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-29
GOVERNOR AND THE SCHOOLS.
UNIFORMITY IN TENT BOOKS NOT
MENTIONED IN HIS MESSAGE.

Supt. AshmOre Says the Committee
Appointed at the Last Session OF
the Legislature VIII Report Tn
favOrabIy to a Uniform System.
But That a Fight VIII Probably Re
Made For 1.-THE Bill to Reducc
the Public School Appropriation.
That part OF the governors message
bearing upon the public education of the
state was read with interest by Superin-
tendent Ashmore and the members of the
board of education. The message treated of
educational matters in about the way it is
customary for the chief executives to ex-
press themselves. Supt Ashmore COM
mended the recommendations of the gov
ernor for the state schools and his evil
dent desire for every aid to be given
them for the continuation of their useful
ness.
Nothing was said, in the message, of
the committee that has been at work upon
report regarding the advisability of es-
tablishing a uniform text book system.
This committee was appointed by the gov
ernor in pursuance of an act of the last
session of the legislature Its report is
Ashmore does not believe the report of the
committee will be favorable to the meas
ure, While in Atlanta some time ago, he
saw some of the members of the commit
tee OF five, who said that the report would
probably be unanimous against the adop-
ton of the uniform system.
Mr.. Ashmore does not believe that this
action of the committee will be the death
of the measure. 1t is his opinion that it
will be taken up and fight made for it.
There is said to be a strong element in
the legislature in favor of the uniformity
of text books. Among the friends of
the measure are to be found nearly all of
the members from the country districts.
The cities are, almost as unit, against
the plan. Mr.. Ashmore finds that there
are many arguments in favor of the es-
adjustment of uniformity, but careful
thought, he says, will discover many 9TH
ers that make much stronger showing
against the measure. The board of edu-
cation of Chatham county has passed res
olutons against the adoption of uniform
ity.
The bill to come before the legislature for
the reduction of the public school appro-
priation from 100000 to 5000 900, if car
ried, will cut off considerable from the
amount Chatham has been expecting to re-
ceive. At the last session an act was pass
ed providing that the appropriation should
be raised from 10000 to $1,OOOOOO 1t is
this action that a party in the legislature
is DESTROYS of resembling. If he is success
full in doing so, the schools will not re-
ceive anything from the original bill hav-
ing gotten through. Although this bill was
passed at the last session no means were
provided for the extra tax being levied. If
the act stands it will not be until next fall
that the schools will get the increased ap-
propriation.
The appropriation for Chatham would be
increased 1873 per cent. if the act is not an
nulled by the present session. Instead of
the amount now received as the yearly APP
preparation from the state which is nearly
$4,000, $4,000 will be turned over to the
school authorities.
Mr.. Ashmore does not think the bill TO
be introduced by the representative from
Richmond for the repeal of the act will
pass. If 1t does, the money that is now
counted upon will be sadly missed
In addition to the 100000 provided for
as the statutes now stand, enough special
taxes are levied for the support of the
schools to raise the entire appropriation
to $1,000, 900.