The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-02-04

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IL manages to have a school term over
a month longer than ours. The State
that has the heaviest tax for schools ia
Massachusetts,. 37.2 cents. This IL the
/ state that we have already seen, by
comparing the school term and per
cent. Of enrolment, is doing most TO
educate its children. There are twenty
three States which, in proportion TO
their means, are taxing themselves
more than twice as heavily for schools
n North Carolina. This includes
kentucky, whose school tax Is 27.7
cents; Arkansas, 2..G cents; and Mis-.
! sissippi, 2I.2 cents. Besides this tar,
all these States derive school funds
/ from rents and investments. Thirteen
/ per cent. OF Georgia. school funds
come from permanent Investments,
yet Georgia taxes itself l64 cents 10.
schools.
/ All OF the taxes referred to above
are for common schools, but the States
/ that support their common schools
most literally are also the ones that
expend the most for higher education.
And this is natural for the principle 10
| the same. North Carolina apprOpri-
ates $40, 600 for its University, which
ia equal to u tax OF about 81 cents on
every hundred dollars worth Of pro-
perty, true valuation. Georgia apprO-
/ PIRATES $4,000, equal to a tax Of IS
cents. besides receiving 81 900 in rents
! Alabama apprOpriates $4,000 tax of
- cents); Virginia. $4,000 (IG cents {:
Arkansas, S2i 800 (53 cents; Missis-
sippi, 32,GiS III cents South Carolina,
81 900 "a cents); while some of the
western states are more liberal still,
Michigan appr0priating for its Uni
versity Sl9i 600 "a tax of 81 cents):
North Dakota $4,000 (Sl.O9 cents.
Michigan's common school tax is "A
cents, North DakOta's is 1872 cents and
Wisconsin % 3 cents. Moreover, with
few exceptions, the States that are do
ing most to educate their children in
the common schools are Offering free
tuition in their Universities. These
are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Cali
fOrnia, Colorado, Delaware. Georgia,
Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana.
Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ore
gOn, Tennessee. Texas, Utah, Vir9inia.
Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming,
and eight other States give large State
scholarships.
TAXATION IN THE DIFFERENT STATES,
II is clear that we are not doing as
much as OtherStates even in prOportion
TO our means. Indeed, in every county
North Carolina ranks lowest, or among
the lowest. In UuiOn of 40 States
and Territories, seventh in percentage
OF illiteracy of whole population:
second percentage of illiteracy of
native white population; fOrty-ninth
in length of school term (63 days):
fOrty-eighth in the whole amount of
schooling received by its children
(23.9 days.; forty. eighth in amount
expended per pupil each year three
dollars and forty cents); forty-seyenth
in amount expended per capita each
year fOrty-six cents); fOrty-eighth in
amount of school tax raised for every
adult male citizen 1.-TWO dollars and
thirteen cents); the lowest, 80 far AZ
known, in the salary paid to teachers
(wOmen, twenty one dollars and sixty
eight cents; men, twenty-four dollars
and sixty cOnts); forty-third IN ra-
tito of school tax to wealth 01.3 cents).
Bnt If we examine the tax rate of
all the States, based upon true yalua-
ton, we shall find North Carolina oc-
cupying it's same relative position.
The average ad valOrem taxation per
capita in the United States in 1890
was seven dollars and fifty-three cents:
in North Carolina it was one dollar
and forty-eight cents. This was the
lowest per capita tax of all the States
and Territories; next was Alabama.
one dollar and ninety-six cents: Mis-
sissippi two dollars and seventeen
cents; South Carolina two dollars and
thirty eight cents.
For the same year the average tax
rate per hundred dollars of true yalua-
ton in the United States was 70 cents.
In North Carolina it was forty.three
cents. This was equal to Nevada's
TAX rate, and greater than Idaho's
alone which was 81 cents.
THE REMEDY FOR ILLITERACY.
We can no longer excuse ourselves
by saying that we are too poor to ed
ucate or that we are already taxed
all that we can stand. We shall al.
ways be poor as long as we are ipno-
rant. Massachusetts educates not
because she is wealthy: she
is wealthy because she educates, That
state Is by nature poor, while North
Carolina is by nature rich. Its schools
nave give Massachusetts wealth and
power and Importance. The same ia
true OF the ill favored countries of
Scotland and Switzerland.
we must have more money for our
public schools. But before we rush
the state Treasury, or call for an in.
crease OF State tax, let us see how the |
states hat have the most efficient |
school systems raise their funds. Mas
sachusetts has no general State tar
lor schools; each tOwn(Or township.
taxes itself for it's own schools. Also
Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, Montana.
wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico
Idaho, Washington and Oregon have
no general school tax. All their school
taxes are local and are spent in the
communities in which they are col.
lected. In North Carolina nearly all
the school tax is a general State tax
and is equal to about II cents for
every hundred dollars worth of pron-
erty, true valuation. Only SIX
states have a larger general
school tax than this: Mis-
slssipri, 20.3 cents; New JERSEY 117l
cents; Kentucky, 14.6 cents; Tennes-
see, al cents; Georgia, lis cents:
oklahoma, l1.6 cents. Rhode Island
whose school term is over nine months
mas a general State tax of only "a
cents; Connecticut has a school term
OF over nine months, and a general
state tax OF 81 cents; New York has a
school term of nearly nine months
and general State tax of "A cents.
II anything is to be learned by the
experience of others, there can he
no doubt that the system of local taxa.
tlon IS the most successful for provid-
ing efhcient public school. Our own
experience in the opposite
ulrectlon also teaches this. Our gen
eral state tax is sufficiently large.
our Iault Is not there, but in neglect
ing the more important matter Of 10.
cal tQNQfiOn Sol LoY