The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1900-01-12

| cation, how long will il take one Of
fered only twenty-eight days a year?
something over 100 years, if l mis-
/ take not.
The average length of school term
Tor each child of school age in the
United States is sixty-eight days. But
lest the critic charge that enumera-
tion is an unjust unit, let us take as
our base the item of enrolment. The
length of term for each child enroll
ed last year was forty-one days, as
against ninety-seven for the whole
country. In this respect again, we
stand next to the last in the list of
states. IL we should deduct from the
total days attendance the long terms
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, il is
over 30 per cent for the country at
large.
Il turn now from the consideration
OF the element of population to the
nnanclal factor as a determining
force in the educational problem.
| I'm 1890 the assessed valuation of
real and personal property was, in
round numbers, 175,000,000; in 1891
1t was 1Sl,000,000, fiuctuating from
| 173,500,00 in 1898 to 179,O0OOOO in
1898. That is to say, while the pop
ulatlon has increased nearly a quar-
ter of million, while school enum-
Grafton has increased nearly 20 per
cent, enrolment 36 per cent, daily at
tendance 30 per cent, our assessed
valuation has remained practically
unchanged. l do not deny there has
been a 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 a fact
that we are poorer than we were ten
years ago. To tell the truth, l fear
assessed valuations rest under the
blight of political mildew
AT the beginning or 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 S100 of assessed val
uation was for us $1.61 as against
SAL for them; the amount of tax
$3.50, 900.
The estimated per capita valua-
tion was respectively $97 and $339.
True, radical differences of social
and economical character exist be-
tween the two states; yet this fact $
nevertheless potent, tnat we do not
tax ourselves in proportion to our
valuation in anyohing Ike the meas
ure done Dy some of our sister states.
Herein lies the explanation of the re-
duction per capita enrolment from
$4.95 in 1890 to $4.05 in 1898. We
spend annually S1.03 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
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 nation.
"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-
tional 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 1.-The bull
wark of a free and good govern
ment."
You ask the remedies for the ills
that are? The most potent to my
mind are:
81. A more liberal constitutional
provision for public education than
section of article ii gives
50. The abolition of the district
system and substitution therefor OF
the township system.
So. 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
at large.