The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1897-06-03
ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Communicated:

ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Communicated:
AS one interested in the favorable
discussion throughout Ike State OF the
rural public schools,-the following Is
submitted for the consideration OF those
who may be like-minded.
By an act of the last Legislature
Halifax county, with all others, is en-
titled to the privilege of deciding by a
vote of its citizens and property holders,
on Tuesday after the End Monday in
August. whether Or not it is DESTROYS OF
increasing and elevating its public
school facilities by the levying OF
local tax on all taxable property. This
is a matter that should claim the at
tention of each and every one and Is
of imperative Importance to those by
whose will the public school system OF
the county shall be reconstructed so as
to most beneficially better survive, Or
remain in a state OF lethargy and most
surely gradually perish. With due re-
spect to the faithful few, who in the
past have made them what they were
with such scanty and paltry provision,
the writer thinks from the very nature
of their existence, that their influence
has been greatly curtailed, If not, feebly
felt. Under the old school law or prior
to the enactment of the new school law
by the last General Assembly, the pub
lie school system Of each county was
under the supervision of a county
Board Of Education aided in the per-
Torrance of it's duties by committees OF
three in each school district. All funds
for public schools were set apart from
general property tax, a school property
| tax,-lS cts. on the one hundred dollars
and about two-thirds of the poll tax
the apportionment being made to each
district on the basis OF It's school pop
ulation.
Under the new school law the ar
rangement is quite changed the town
I ship is the unit of the school system
and five men compose the auxiliary
committee, whose duty 1t is to establish
and supervise the management of these
schools in their several townships.
But what provision is made for the
funds? These are no longer taken
from the general property and poll tax,
but are obtained IN each and every
township separately by direct prop
erty tax. And any township voting
TO tax Itself $500 for the s,lstenance
of its schools will be supplemented in
it's action by $500 from the State Board
of Education,-thus, in reality, decreas-
ing by one-halt the amount of each in
dividual's tax. This then, is the we'll
concerted scheme of redemption of the
common schools of this county that
the lawmakers offer Tor your accept
ance Or rejection. But we are not all
of one mind as to spractical execution
or feasibility. To considerable mum
Der, in every county, town Or township
any tax however little Or much is con-
sldered an lntolerable burden-yea-an
unmitigated evil. Every letter in the
word ''tax" is to them as so many
notes in their -short-sighted eyes. To
that same class every letter in the word
, "vote" is as dear as the peace OF their
ransomed souls-it matters not il
their names have been on the delln-
quent tax list all their days.
And there are others, who while
| favoring and advocating all schools and
education, yet feel that by reason Of
scantv incomes growing scantier, they
cannot endure further tax on their
hard-earned holdings and hence their
silence and Indifference. But it is
among the former class largely that we
may expect to hear the voices of oppo.
sition raised against this vital ISSUE
II it were possible to collect an assess.
ed pole tax of every school district and
this amount converted into a school
; fund for that especial township-then
an approach to a sum adequate tc
conduct the public school on methods
most helpful and hopeful would be
nearer. But the number in almost
every township that pay poll-tax and
little more, tar axceeds that which paw
large property with the pole-tax and
the former class always pay smaller
proportion of the tax because least able
However that may be, nothing is gain
ed thereby for the taxpayers, because
the source of tex makes it none the
less tax, and the paying of it and not
the apportlonment afterwards concerns
mostly the average citizen.
At any rate plan has been Offered
whose aims are none other than pure
public aims and It's only object-the
2 highest public welfare. IT. behoove,