The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-08-05
LOCAL TAXATION Foe TINE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.

LOCAL TAXATION Foa TINE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
During the session Of the recen,
legislature = strong demand was
made for . direct appropriation Of
ore hundred thousand dollars to the
public schools. This demand e-r-
tainly carried with it the assent of 4
large number OF people. The appro-
priation WAS not made. Some have
thought that it should have been
made. Had it been made - q mat
ter of fact it would have come out Of
the general taxes. The people pay
the taxes. Now it would be hard to
reconcile opposition to local taxation
and favor of An appropriation ont
of the State Treasury to the public
schools. The case is Just this: man
refuses to vote for . measure that he
insists on the Legislature do,ng;
which he does by proxy. De asks
the legislature to force HIM to do
what he individually (f he votes
against local taxation) positively re-
fuses to do. In either case il he
pays his taxes te must pay his pro-
portional part. One is direct, the
othor indirect. Our public schools
are made equate. The terms are too
short. Teachers are not sufficiently
qualified.
There is too little money invested.
To make the schools efficient We
must have mere money invested.
Better buildings must be provided.
Teachers must be paid suffi cient
salaries to justify permanent work
in and for the schools. All admit
these statements. Reason, expert
ence and common sense endorses
them. In view of these facts how
shall it be donei
Under the constitution the State
must direct and control the public
school system. Sufficient funds
must be raised for it's support and
maintenance. This is to be done
either directly or Indirectly.
We may call the present system a
direct method, and local taxation an
indirect method. In both cases the
money comes from the people.
Very little results from other sources.
Profiting little by the experience
of the past, seeing the present de-
| plorable condition Of our schools,
the illlteracy of the people, the re-
turns for the investment, etc., the
legislature deemed it expedient to
submit to the people the question of
local taxation for public schools.
The schools of many of our sister
states have fourished and prospered,
supported by local taxation, while
ours, Notwithstanding we had a
larger state tax than any of those,
have became less efficient to meet
the increasing demand for the educa-
ton of the people.
Would we profit by the experience
of other states, we must admit that
we will ultimately fail to get the
best results from the money invested
should we persist in raising it all by
a state tax. But under the circum-
stances, what advantage will be
gained to the people to vote against
local taxation and then call upon
the next legislature to raise the
school tax, both on the poll and or
property Says one "the people
will not do that But many oi
the people will. Our public schools
must be made more adequate to the
needs of the people. Ninety five
out of every hundred children attenG
only the public schools. Thirty-siz
out of every hundred persons above
ten years old in the State can neither
read nor write. Twenty-three pei
cent of the white population above
ten years of age, totally illlterate
Should local taxation fail this tim.
the people will vote on it again.
| Very probably even before tina
second election the legislature viii
increase the tax for school purposes
and the citizens Of the State viii
pay it. The money will come out O
their pockets. Taking this view O
the question, what advantage will i
be to vote against local taxation
What consistency will there be il
voting against III How will tina
| save any money or better tn
|. schoolsf the one, need everybod,
recognizes, and nearly all want cor
rected. These are practical enes
tions and everybody before voting
should answer them, and answe
them intelIigently. Especially If b.
, thinks of voting against the tax. W.
must pay more money for schools
, This is absolutely certain. No On
hopes to develop a permanent eff
cient system with the amount o
money paid per capita to school pop
: ulation. To the question "wh
must pay the money!" there can b
but one answer, "the tax payin,
, citizens Of the State" Inasmuch a
/ it must be paid, practical questio
| naturally Is how can it be paid t
the very best advantagef
Again we must look to the yer
worthy example of some of our SIS
7 ter states. Perhaps without singl
b exception, local taxation has admit
e ably succeeded in all the State
: where adopted. In nearly twent
S townships in North Carolina the sui
cess has been most gratifying. d.
: cidedly the advantages must be o
: the side of a local tax. And the,
. are reasons for this, perfectly ra
= ural ones.
d Under our present system our pet
i pie are not in pterested. We need NJ
Y discuss the cause. We are col
3, fronted with certain conditions. On
; duty is to change and better the col
& ditions. How can this be donef I'll
+ people must be interested in then
"a selves and in their children. II
d average attendance on the publ
e schools is only little above or
n third of the school population
: Nearly one half last year were NJ
enrolled in school at all. Now or
q thing is evident, namely that if IL
school term could be heightened to
four or six months term by gener
d tax, and two thirds of the childre
d did not attend the schools. the sy