The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-22
TAXES FOR SCHOOLS
COMMISSIONERS SAY THE COUNTIES
OUGHT TO HELP.
PRESENT LAWS DEFECTIVE.
LEGISLATURE URGED TO MAKE
CHANGES THAT ARE NEEDED.

Vent1On, discusses inns FeAture OF
It's SessiOn-Presemt Law Requires
Recommendation of Two Grand
Juries to Call Election for Local
Taxation for schools and at the
Election an Affirmative Vote OF
TwO-thirds of the Registration of
the COunty-By Practically Unnnl-
nous Vote Legislature Was Asked
to Change This Law.
Superintendent of Schools Otis Ash
more returned last night from Au-
gusta, where he had been attending
the annual meeting of the County
School Commissioners Association of
the state. In superintendent Ashmore's
opinion the principal result achieved
was the stand taken on the question
of local taxation for schools.
With but one dissenting vote the
commissioners adopted a resolution de-
upon the Legislature so to amend the
existing laws as to make this end pos
sible of attainment in the counties
that desire it. AS the laws now stand
it is scarcely possible for any county
to comply with the legal preliminaries
to local school taxation.
Taxation for the schools.
An interesting paper on the subject
was read before the convention by Mr..
NJ. L. Britain, school commissioner of
Fulton county. He addressed about
half of the 1877 school commissioners of
he taf IF
coming from those counties which re-
ceive from the state more than they
pay into it's treasury, were at first I'M
favorable to the propositions Mr.. Brit
tain advanced, they were won over by
the address and the short talks that
followed.
In the general discussion that ensued
Mr.. Ashmore bore a part. He told the
commissioners that some things had
become as automatic in education as
was any statement of a mathematical
fact; among these aXioms was the
principle that schools, to be successful
must be paid for, in whole or in part
by the people for whose benefit they
were operated.
The Trouble with the Law.
THE matter was referred to a com
mittee." said Mr.. Ashmore last night
with instructions to formulate a res
Olution for submission to the conven-
ton. The principal trouble with local
taxation has been that it is now nee
essary for it to receive the approving
recommendation of two successive
grand juries before an election can be
called, and at this election the PROPOSE
ton must secure the affirmative vote
of fNVn-fhirHC of the rpcrjctarad
of the county.
Such law makes local school tax
alton, in counties where it is not now
in existence, practically impossible. In
the first place grand juries
are composed in large part of men of
more than middle age, whose
children have passed the school age.
Unless they chance to be particularly
broad-minded they are opposed to in
creased taxation. This makes it diff
cult to secure the necessary approval
OF two grand juries.
TwO-thirds Vote Is Too Much.
In the second place, the exaction of
an affirmative vote of two-thirds of
the registered voters of the county is
unreasonable. Probably it rarely hap
pens that such a percentage of the vote
is polled at any election; certainly,
two-thirdS of the registration is the
average vote. The law means, practi-
cally and in effect, that about every
vote cast at an election shall be in ia
vor of local taxation.
THE result of all this has been that
even those counties where a maiority
of the people have desired to introduce
the reform they nave been prvented by
tn existing laws on the subject.
drew the resolution which was sub
mitted on behalf of the committee
After expressing the sense of the con-
vention that local taxation for schools
was a vital essential to their useful
ness and growth. the resolution called
upon the General Assembly to amend
the existing laws in such manner as
to make it possible for a county ia
adopt the system. if it so desired. The
resolution passed with but one mega
tive vote"
Majority Vote All That's Needed.
Mr. Ashmore said the changes in
the law that were needed were not
discussed at length i'm the convention,
but it was suggested that every nee
essary safeguard would be afforded by
a law that did away with the neces-
sity for the concurring recommends
ton of two grand juries and substi-
tuted majority of the votes cast for
the two-thirds of the total registra-
ion demanded by the present law. The
action of the convention will be COM
municated to the next session of the
General Assembly and it is probable
the school commissioners will begin,
in their respective counties, an agita-
ton in favor of changes in the present
law.