The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-02
THE LOCAL SCHOOL TAX
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PLAN
MING AN EARNEST CAMPAIGN.
The Craven County Action Receives
AAtrention and the Attorney General
is Asked For an Opinion as to
ConstitutionaIity of the Act,

The Executive committee appointed
by the State Teachers Assembly to con-
duct the campaign for the local tax cleo
ton to be held next August held a meet
ing yesterday at the office of the Super
intendent of Public Instruction. There
were present:
Chas. Iii. Mebane, Chairman; President
Chas. D. McIver, President Edwin A.
Alderman, Hon. John G. Scarborough,
Prof. Hugh Morson, Prof. D. H. Hill,
Editor j. William Bailey, Josephus
Daniels, Prof. J. 0. Atkinson, Secretary.
AT previous meeting, this committee
had selected a committee of one hundred
to assist in the work of education and
organization. Letters have been received
from thirty-nine expressing their faith in
the cause and their willingness to serve,
among them such men as Julian s. Carr,
Chas. B. Aycock, Thos. J. Jarvis, Eu-
gene Holton, Jeter G. Pritchard and 9TH
ers equally prominent, of all political par
ties. The correspondence indicated that
the sentiment of local taxation was
growing, and that the vote will be carried
in many townships in the State.
THE ATTORNEY GENERALS
OPlN1ON AShED.
The action of the Craven county COM
missioners in annulhng the order to hold
the election in that county because of
the alleged unconstitutionality of the law
was discussed by the committee, and the
following resolution with reference
thereto adopted:
Whereas, the action of the commits
sioners of Craven county, in revoking
the order for an election under the local
education act, calls in question the vail
dity of the act TO stimulate local taxa
ton in the rural districts" passed by the
General Assembly of 1897, therefore be
it
Resolved, That this committee request
the chairman to ask the opinion of the
Attorney General upon the constitution
atty of the act, and request that this
opinion be given as early as possible"
Chairman Mebane wired the Attorney
General to come to Raleigh and give an
opinion, il, possible, this week so that
it might be known by next Monday when
the Commissioners meet in every county
in the State. 1t is to be hoped that the
Attorney General will comply with the
request of the committee so that his
opinion may be known to the entire
ninety-six boards by next Monday.
The committee will meet again this
morning.
A MARES NEST.
1t was suggested yesterday morning
when the committee first met, that the
bill had not been properly passed, in that
it passed the House twice in one day
without the AYE and mo" vote. This
created great dismay among the friends
of the mea ASSURE, but after an examination
of the Journals it was found that this
report was based on another educational
bill that did not levy tax, and that did
not require a roll-call.
The history of the bill in the House
is that it passed its second reading ON
an aye and nay vote (see page S76 of
House Journal by rs to 81. On anoth-
er day, ftp assed the third reading (see
page 93S of House Journal by a vote of
70 to 10. The Senate record shows that
the bill was received from the House;
passed its second reading March 4th; it
was then tabled, then taken from the
table, and referred to a special commit
tee; and afterwards passed third reading,
on an aye and no vote, by Al to 8. The
report of engrossment and enrolment
are in regular order.
And that scare was ended