The Van Buren press., 1900-01-13

| total days attendance the long term.
of Little Rock, Fort Smith, Pine
Bluff, Hot Springs and other like
points, the figures would more ade
quately reveal the actual length Of
term offered for the bulk of the chill
dren of this state. For be it remem
bered that the population in cities OF
5000 and over is less than per cent
of our total population, whereas, it il
over 80 per cent for the country al
large. D
81 turn now from the consideration
of the element of population to the
financial factor as a determining
force in the educational problem.
"In 1890 the assessed valuation OF
real and personal property was, in
round numbers, 175,000,000; in 1891
it was 1S1,0o0,000, fuctuating from
3,50000 in 1893 to 179,000,000 in
1898. That is to say, while the pop
ulaton has increased nearly quar-
ter of million, while school enum-
Grafton has increased nearly 20 per
cent, enrolment SO per cent, daily at
tendance 80 per cent, our assessed
valuation has remained practically
unchanged. I do not deny there has
been great shrinkage of values in
the last decade, but think no sane
man will attempt to account for this
condition on such grounds alone. We
have built in recent years more miles
of railroad than any other state in
the Union save one; the output of
mine, mill and factory has more than
Offset losses incident TO the decline
of the cotton market. 1t is not fact
that we are poorer than we were ten
years ago. To tell the truth, fear
assessed Valuations rest under the
blight Of political mildew.
Comparisons that put us in an un-
pleasant light are, to say the least,
oftentmes unpalatable, and yet they
carry the best o. lessons if we will
but heed them.
AT the beginning of the present
decade we had practically the same
population and the same valuation Of
real and personal property as one of
the states of the western division
Yet the rate per 500 of assessed val
uation was for us S1.61 as against
S4.ol for them; the amount of tax
raised for us was $2,750,0OO; for them,
$780, 900.
THE estimated per capita valua-
ton was respectively s97 and 1899.
True, radical differences of social
and economical character exist be-
tween the two states; yet this fact ,s
nevertheless potent, tnat we do not
tax ourselves in proportion to our
valuation in anyOning Ike the meas
ure done Dy some of our sister states.
Herein lies the explanation of the re-
duction per capita enrolment from
$4.o5 in 1890 to $4.05 in 1898. We
spend annually $1,03 per capita Of
population for educational! purposes,
whereas, the expenditure for the
same purpose for the whole country
is $3.50. In 1894 the per capita expen-
diture, based on average daily at
tendance, was $73s against $40 for
the country at large. The total
amount of schooling received by each
man, woman and child in this state is
less than two years Of $50 days each,
against an average of over four years
per capita for the total population Of
the nat.Sn.
"Now, ask in all candor, in the
face of the facts advanced, are we
maintaining general suitable and
efficient system of free public
schools?'' We are not; and never can
under such restrictions and limita-
tions as are imposed under the pres
ent constitution and laws made In
pursuance Of its provisions, Under
them we are educating the people to
believe that serious consequences
may ensue when certain minimum
expenditures are exceeded in the
maintenance of their schools. In
stead, we should erect in our consti-
tuition and laws great idols of educa-
tonal policy, comprehensive and ade-
quate provisions for the largest pos
sible measure Of popular education
in order that intelligent and virtue
may become in truth and reality the
heritage of our people and "the bull
wark of free and good govern
ment,"
You ask the remedies for the ills
that arep The most potent to my
mind are:
81. A more liberal constitutional
provision for public education than
section of article IA gives.
"2. The abolition of the district
system and substitution therefor of
the township system.
"3, A general revision of our
school laws in conformity with the
foregoing changes, and In the light of
the highest wisdom and the richest
experience afforded by The country
ut large.
~ do not deem II expedient to en-
ter into lengthy discussion Of the
question pertaining to the relative
merits Of raising the bulk Of school
revenues from state or local taxation.
The difference in custom is well Illus
trated by the fact that North Caro-
lima raises SO per cent OF her school
tax by state levy, while Massachu.
sctts raises 9s per cent OF hers by
local levy. Social and economic con-
sideratlons are largely dete mining
elements as TO which is the better
plan. Where wealth is pretty evenly
distributed the local tax should con-
tribute the larger share Of the reve-
nues, and where such conditions do
not exist the state levy should con-
tribute relatively more. In either