The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-21
GOT ALL HE NEEDED.
Continued from Tenth Page.

ing that amount of bonds annually as
they mature. the state has in it's treas
ury, in round figures. 100000
Mr.. Park was asked what effect the re-
cent decision Of the Supreme Court would
really have upon the teachers of the state
and how the status thus created would be
affected by the loan he has recently made
The teachers in a majority of the
counties of the state, he said, have al
ready been paid the full amounts due
them for their services for the past two
months This has been made possible by
the prudent and sensible action of the
County School Commissioners, who, arm
ed with resolutions of their county
rds of education, can borrow all the
money they need to pay their teachers.
The school commissioners give their
notes, filing with the notes the authority
to borrow given in these resolutions of
their boards, and the local banks advance
the money at the rate of per cent. per
annum AS it is seldom necessary to let
these loans run for more than six months
at a time, money for the payment of
teachers is obtained for about Sls per
cent. The vast majority of these boards
require none of this interest to be paid
by their teachers, but pay it themselves
from the school funds, which they have
obtained from the State Treasury.
None of the counties of Georgia, so
far as 1 have been informed, pay to their
teachers in salaries the full amount
which they receive from the treasury,
but invariably reserve considerable per-
ceutage which, whether legally or other
wise, / am not prepared TO say, they use
towards experimenting funds raised by
localities, in many instances supplying
the entire amount required, to build pub
lie school houses and academies, in their
repair or improvement, or in the pur-
chase of desks, blackboards and other
school furniture, school books for the in
digent, coal or other fuel
Last week 1 found, while examining
a bank in Middle Georgia, that some of
the teachers had borrowed from it small
sums of money, giving their individual
notes secured by an order from the
county school commissioner, and that
the bank had on deposit at the same time
TO the credit of the county school board,
81, 800 Why this amount of money was
kept in bank and not used to pay the
accrued salaries of the teachers, cannot
explain.
ssOn., county n North Georgia reserved
from the proportion Of the school fund
paid 1t last year $500. which had been
used in the erection of country school
houses.
Friend TO the Ieacnerss
THE intelligent and faithful teachers
of Georgia" said the state treasurer,
of which body 1 am proud to say was
at one time an active member, in my ma
tive town of Lagrange, in Troupe county.
understand thoroughly the purpose l had
in mind in the discussed mandamus
suit, instituted in a friendly manner by
Gov Gambler, at my request. They are
aware that my purpose was to place
them and their noble avocation upon
higher nobler and safer financial plane
than they had ever occupied since the
public schools of Georgia were inaugu-
rated The teachers of Georgia are enti-
tied to have a school fund of their own,
amply large to pay their salaries With
prornptness and regularity. and it is not
fair 10 them for the treasurer to be
compelled to kite in order to pay them
their Just dues. AS honest citizens and
as the instructors and guides of the COM
ing generation they are not willing that
a sworn state officer should violate his
conscience and his oath by violating the
constitution Of their state, and illegally
obtaining funds with which to discharge
the obligations due them.
,"In the same way | might borrow from
the school fund, which receives from the
treasury s1,540.00O or nearly one-half Of
the entire Receipts Vi hAtiASs ohN AANAAA
all sources which enter the treasury each
year. and pay over that school fund to
the pension fund. which amounts 10
about $4,000 per annum.
This borrowing, or 'kiting.' from one
fund to another would have soon led TO
endless confusion and disorder, In the
MANAGEMENT of the treasury department.
GOV. Gambler was fully posted about the
entire matter. and has been in thorough
accord with me in our mutual effort to
obtain a complete decision. without any
dodpine. avoidance or evasion of the ques-
tions at issue. at the hands of the Su-
nrerne Court of the state. While l am
personally gratified at being sustained
in my position by Georgia's great court
of final resort. yet I am not vain enough
TO regard it as a personal victory. but
rather as a triumphant vindication of
the fundamental law of the state. as
plainly and unequivocally expressed in
the constitution"