The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-24

in 1897 passed an act authorizing the
Treasurer TO advance to the school
fund out of the general fund in the
treasury on the first day OF April in
each wear, $500, 600 to be returned to
the general fund out of the school
taxes when collected during the fol-
lowing fall and winter. This he was
able to do, because there was always
in the treasury on the first day of
April the sinking-fund of 100000,
and the fund derived from the sale of
public property, approXimating $780,
600, both dedicated TO the payment
of the bonded debt, neither of which
would be needed for this purpose until
the amount loaned to the school fund
in the spring would be paid back. In
this way and by resorting in two in
tsances to temporary loans, the teach
ers were partially paid, burt for the
bulk of their earnings they had to
wait till the end of the year. At the
beginning of the present year the
amount available for the payment of
teachers, exclusive of these two funds,
was but little more than sufficient to
pay them for one months work, and
the State Treasurer, doubling the con-
stitutionality of the use for any pur-
pose, even temporarily, of funds set
apart for the payment of the principal
and interest of the bonded debt, de-
clined to advance to the school fund
any part of these funds and declined,
after he had exhausted the balance OF
the school fund remaining after pay
ing arrears due to teachers for last
years work, to pay my warrants
drawn on him to pay teachers.
To settle the question finally, ] di-
rected the Attorney General to bring
mandamus proceedings against the
treasurer, and let the Supreme Court
settle the question. This he did, and
the court sustained the position of the
treasurer. Up to this time the teachers
had been paid for only one months
work and there was in the treasury
available for the support of the schools
only $77 900. To supplement this sum
and pay the teachers for another
months work, or as much thereof as
possible, | borrowed 5000 000-all l was
permitted by the constitution to bor-
row, and paid them rs per cent. OF
their second months earnings. Thus
they have been paid about 1000, and
there will be due them at the end OF
the year about $4,000, to which must
be added the $780, 900 borrowed and paid
to them. When this is done the total
indebtedness of the state on account
of free schools will be about S1,040, 900,
which has to be provided for some how
or other, and this trouble will recur
year after year till the General AS
sembly applies a remedy. In another
part of this message l have suggested
what seems to me to be the only FEAST
BILE way of paying off and getting rid
of this annually recurring deficiency In
school revenues.
When this deficiency is made up and
teachers are paid all that is due them
legislation is necessary to put our
schools on a safe business footing
In a animal I cd
what I believe to be a solution of the
problem. l advised that a change be
made in the mode of raising revenue
for the support of our free schools so
as to divide the burthen between the
state and the counties. l said, and l
now repeat, that 'it Will be found up
on investigation, that Georgia pays a
larger percentage of her total revenue
to the support of her common school
than any other state in the Union,
while local communities, with the ex-
ception of our cities and some of the
larger towns, contribute nothing to
this purpose. Counties, with two or
three exceptions, and most of the
towns, pay nothing. but look to the
state for everything. This fosters a
spirit of paternalism utterly repugnant
to our theory of government and de-
structiVe of the self-reliance and indi-
viduality of the citizen. In New Eng
land the cradle of common school,
where they have reached their great
est perfection. the mudsill of the sys-
tenn is local taxation supplemented by
state aid. We should profit by the ex-
perience of these older states and
amend our system so as to conform to
that which experience has demonstrat-
ed to be best. Under the present
law counties may impose upon
themselves taxes to aid in the support
of schools, but they do not do it be-
cause the law is not compulsory, but
merely permissive. 1t is not right for
the state to bear all of this burthen,
neither is it expedient. The law should
require a part of it to be borne by the
counties. This would not only be more
equitable and just to the taxpayers, but
it would be to the best interest of the
schools and teachers, who are the chief
sufferers under the present unsatisfac-
tory system Under the proposed
change patrons would feel more re-
sponsibilty for and take more interest
in their school and in the selection OF
teachers, the standard or scholarship
in our country schools would be ele-
waited and the results would be salts
factory to both patrons and teachers,
that the amount of local taxation for
the support of schools would be in
term would be heightened, teachers
would be better paid. and the tax
payers would be better satisfied with
the burthen put upon them.
/ therefore recommend that the law
be so amended as to fix the state school
fund at 81, 200, 900 per annum, to be dis
tributed among the counties as now
provided by law, but that the amount
apportioned to no county shall be
available until that county shall have
raised by taxation upon the taxable
property within its own borders, an
amount not less than 40 per cent. of
it's share of the state school fund"
Since this recommendation to your
honorable bodies have seen no reason
to change or modify my views on this
subject. On the contrary, the expert
ences of the last year have confirmed
me in them, and 1 now think each
county should be required, before ii re-
ceives its share of the state school
| fund, to raise by local taxation for the
support of it's schools an amount not
| less than so per cent. of its state ap-
portionment. The present system will
never be satisfactory to either teachers
| or taxpayers, because it is unwise, un-
| fair, unjust and unheard of in any
other state in the Union. 1t is unwlse
| because il makes free schools unpopu-
| lar with taxpayers, and unfair and un-
! lust because il makes few counties
| bear all the burthens of the state gov
ernment, and after doing this contrib
! ute to the payment of pensions and the
support of schools in all the other
| counties This idea is more fully elab.
| GRATED in another part of this message.