The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-01-03

Ex-senator Olive Writes Wisely about
Them,


Mr.. Editer:--I read with interest all
Ehat is being said with view to improy.
ing the present system Of public schools
sand the better educational facilities to he
+: offered to the masses of our people. \
long Identification with the work rs com
mitteeman and as member Of or coun-
ty board while in existence, has impress
ed me with some reforms necessary. The
sources from which the public school
funds are derived are numerous. Poll
tax, property tax, fines. forfeitures ana
penalties Funds received from tstrays.
public lands, taxes imposed upon auc-
tioneers, dealers in spirituous and malt
liquors. SO numerous and extensive are
the sources, and so many are the c0lice-
tors, it is safe to say one-tflh Is lost.
This is not abuse or impeachment Of our
officials, but plain statement of facts.
The present levies and assessments are
amply sufficient to run our schools four
months in the year if collected and wisely
applied. Shall we increase the burden OF
those already burdened and those who
have long borne the heat and burden Of
the day, or shall we require laggards to
march up and do their duty? No less
than $4,000 are lost by failure TO list
poll-tax Some by failure to list property
txa. Sixty thousand dollars are lost to
this fund by failure to pay poll-tax by
those who do list. Many of such delin-
quents arc migrating in their habits, and
are quite distant in October and Noyem-
Der from the place of listing in June.
A large amount Of fines, forfeitures and
penalties are also lost each year. There
are often efforts to evade fines, etc, and
great delay in payment, so much so that
legal process is sometimes resorted to
and in the tumult the school fund is lost
sight Of We speak of what we know.
] think counties which take charge OF
criminals who have been fined do not, as
a rule pay anything to the school fund
sometimes collecting fines and turning
them into the county fund. County Com
missioners. are. often pressed to keep up
county matters, and are not always ex
act about school funds.
A close scrutiny Of the records and the
facts will sometimes show that dealers
in spirituous liquors are INDUCED and
fail or close business and never pay the
tax.
Do auctioneers pay their tax as re-
quired? The State Superintendent for
1895 reports $1,000 collected from this
source in the whole State, and in 1896
all had gone out Of business
Require each voter to present his tax
receipt for the previous year, and you
will increase the school fund in North
Carolina 5000 per annum.
The school tax is usually lost upon
lands sold for taxes, and sometimes for
those sold under mortgages, where such
taxes have been running for years.
Our board once saved to the school fund
of our county $412 in this one item alone.
l have written too long. The half is
not told. Our public school system is
lax, is loose, for the lack of proper super
vision. The school board and county
superintendent were a great aid. There
must be a system to itself. 1t is Of suf-5
fcient Importance. The saddest FEATURE
OF this subject is the lack of attendanceE
In my district we have averaged about
four months public schools for several
years We have had graduates Of our
irst colleges as teachers, and men OF
experience Good houses, well heated.
Our attendance has been less than 50
per cent. Of our enrolment Inquirs
proves this to be the case in many other
places. We shirk from compulsion, but
something is necessary to secure az
tendance.
AS ITO pay of teachers, / think it Is
true that many school committeeman age
not disposed to pay what they should.
Yet there are thousands Of young men
sand women who are out Of work and
anxious to teach at $25 to $40 per month,
where board with lodging, lights, etr.,
can he had for So to IS per month. SoIne
Of these are first class teachers.
1t is true that the grade Of scholarship
among public school teachers is too low,
and here we can improve as well as else
where. Let us have the taxes due. Letsus
have better supervision. Let us have
hetter teaching, better attendance, end
we will popularize the free public school !
III. G. OLIVE.