The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-23

anuI1m as MINIMUM VIII De colnplleu
with and we can then consistently and
perhaps indefinitely let the the question
for general taxation for schools rest at
that figure"
In 1893 our school tax was increased
to 16 cents on property and 4S cents on
polls, yet the length of our school term
remained practically the same.
In his report for 1S93'94 the State
Superintendent makes this statement:
1.-The school amount raised by taxation
for schools as shown by the reports of
the county superintendents, gives for the
year a fraction less than IL weeks. inns
falls short of four months by over SIX
teen days" He then recommends that the
tax be increased to % 80 cents, which
he calculates will give the required four
months.
In this attempt to reach the constitu-
tional requirements of a fOur-months
public school, nearly every Legislature
has increased the taxes, and so the Leg1s-
lature of 1895 increased the taxes to Is
cents on property and "a cents ON polls;
but when we see the statistics of 1S95-'96
we are astounded to find that the school
term over the State has not only not
increased but is only about II liz weeks
and one day shorter than 1t was IN
1S94-5. and two days shorter than 1t was
in 1888. And this is true with county
boards of education and the county su-
perintendents abolished and this alleged
expense removed.
In the light of these facts the State
Superintendent recommends to the Gen
eral Assembly, in his report for 1896,
that the school tax be increased, and
estimates that q Is cents is required to
give us the long-sough t-after four months
term. Endeavoring to comply as nearly
as it could, with the suggestions of the
State Superintendent, the Legislature OF
1897 increased the school tax to 70 cents
ON property and 60 cents ON polls. This
increase of tax, however, if it should have
become operative under the old law, L
do not believe would have increased our
school term in the State to any appre-
ciable extent.
From these statistics we observe that
since 1880 our tax for public schools has
increased nearly $50 per cent, yet our
school term has increased less than 30
per cent.
Since 1888 our tax has increased over
so per cent, yet our school term mas
positively decreased, and in 1896 was two
days shorter than i'll 1883.
The taxpayer has been patient under
the steady increase of taxes, but he had
become impatient as to the results. Like
the rainbow chaser, who fails to find the
coveted bag of gold-~the nearer he seems
to approach it, the further it seems to
advance before him.
When we seek an explanation for this
discouraging statement of facts we fnd
il difficult to obtain, 1t cannot be that
the increase Of tax on property and polls
has not increased the total receipts, for
the statistics show that since 1854 our
school tax has increased from SoS0,0O0
to SS24,OOO, an increase of $244,0 900.
1t cannot be that it is due to increased
salaries of teachers during this period,
for the reports show a contrary state
ment In 1886 the average salaries OF
white male teachers was $26.23 per
month. and in 1896 the average was
S24.75. There was a similar reduction
in the salaries of the white female
teachers. The salaries of the colored
teachers during this period remained
about the same.
1T cannot be that the failure was on ac-
count of the expense in the school ma
chinery, for the annual expense of the
county boards of education was less than
one per cent of the school fund, and the
county superintendent about Pig per
cent, making total expense for the en-
tire school machinery Of less than 49,
per cent. of the school fund.
Al, 1,a iaI 10 10
school fund the constitutional limit Of
$50 ON the poll during all these years
and that the increase in taxes has not
increased the receipts from polls only in
proportion to the increase in number of
polls does not explain the cause, in that
the increase of tax on property has caused
a similar increase in the total receipts
which amounted to S244,000 from 1884
to 1896 as we have shown above.
What then could have been the cause OF
this standstill of our public school term,
with a steady increase in taxes? When
this explanation is found we have made
progress, and until then we are hopeless
in our attempts to increase the school
term or to make further educational ad-
vancement.
The statistics shown above were suf-
fciently interesting to warrant investiga-
ton. A serious problem confronted us.
The necessity for a change in our school
machinery and the adoption of new
system was too patent to be questioned.
The township feature of the new school
law is the remedy offered for our failure
under the old system and we have abund-
ant faith in its success. We believe il
will mark a new era in our educational
growth in this State if all friends Of pop
ular education will cooperate to that
end.
Our first observation is that the mum
Der of school districts in the State has
increased more rapidly than has the
school population, for strange to say. tht
averag attendance in our public schools
in the State has not increased since
| 1883. but on the contrary, notwithstand
ing the increase in population, there were
4, ZOO fewer children in the public school.
in 1896 than in 1888. This being true
the number of school districts during
this period should not have increased
but we find the number OF school dis