The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-08
FOR LOCAL TAXATION
A PLAN TO LET EACH RACE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
 SCHOOL FUNDS.
Nr. Ashcraft of Lauderdale Proposes Scheme by Which the State Tax Shall Be Equally Divided,
 While Either Race May
 Tax Itself Locally.

The following Is a plan for recastins the provisions of the Constitution of the State in reference to education, so as to provide for the present equal divis- ion of the State fund between the two races, and to make it possible in addi- tion for the people of either race to provide special local taxation for their own benefit.
 The plan is submitted by Hon. John T. Ashcraft of Lauderdale. who is a member of the Conventions Committed on Education:
 First-The Legislature shall estab- fish. organize and maintain a liberal system of public schools throughout the State fer the benefit of the children thereof between the ages of z and q years. Such public schools shall be maintained for a period of not less than four scholastic months in each year. The public school funds shall be apportioned to the several counties In proportion to the number of children 4oi school age therein, and shall be so Zap. portioned to the school districts ~~or townships in the county as to provide. as nearly as practicable. sohooE tefme of equal duration in such school dis tricts or townships. Separate schools shall be provided for white and colored children.
 Second-The supervision of the public schools shall be vested in State Su- perintendent and County Superintend- ents of Education, whose powers, du- ties. term of office and compensation shall be fixed by law; and they shall be elected by the qualified voters of the State in such manner and at such times as shall be provided by law. No person shall be eligible to the office of State or County Superintendent of Education who does not possess the qualifications required by law of teachers holding first grade certificates in this State.
 Hereafter will follow the several sec- tions of the present Constitution not necessary to an understanding of this plan).
 Eighth-It shall be the duty of the County Superintendent of Education in each County. by and with the advice and consent of the Court of County Commissioners. or body of like juris- aiction. to organize the white people of the County into White School Dis tricts. and the colored people of the County into Colored School Districts, according to their respective needs and advantages and without reference to each other as to territorial boundaries.
 Ninth-A trustee, or trustees, or Board of Education, as may be pro- vided by law, shall be selected for white school districts from the white residents of such district, and for the lolored school districts from the color ed residents of such district; provided, no incorporated town or city main taining d system of public schools as provided by law, shall be separated into districts without the consent of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of such town or city.
 Tenth-For the purpose of building, charging. improving or furnishing school houses ,ip any district. or for the purpose of supplementing the general school funds received from Federal, State. County, municipal and other sources, the Court of County Commis- sioners, or body of like jurisdiction shall, upon request as hereinafter pro- vided, levy a special assessment of not more than one-fourth of one per cen tum in any one year upon the property of white persons situated in a white district. or. upon the property of colored persons situated in colored district; provided. no such levy shall be made except upon the request of a majority of the voters residing in the district expressed at an election held for that purpose. At such election in a white school district only qualified white electors shall be permitted to vote, and in colored school districts, only qualified eolofed electors snail be permitted to vote. It shall be the duty of the Probate Judge to order such election in any district upon the peti- ton of not less than one-fourrh of the voters who will be entitled to vote at such election.
 The order for such election shall state the purposes for which 1t is pro- posed to make the assessment. the rate of the proposed assessment and the number of years during which such as- sessment is proposed to be made. Mo- tice of such election shall be given and the election held in such manner as may be provided by law for such spe- cial elections. No proposition shall be made at any such election to levy such special assessment during a period Of more than four years.
 When any property belonging 70 a corporation is situated in white school district where a special assess ment is to be made as herein provided. such assessment shall be levied upon such proportion of the value Of such property as the number of white chill dren of school age in the County bears to the whole number of children of school age in the County. When such property is situated in a colored school district where such assessment is to he made. it shall be levied upon such proportion of the value thereof as the number of colored children of school age in the County bears to the whole number of children of school age in +ba COuntV