The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-24
WHAT THE NEGRO PAYS FOR
SCHOOLS.

Elsewhere we print an article from
the Outlook, in which. so far from ac-
knowicdging the gross errors contained
: in ., previous article on Negro Educat. "a
In tho South, IT attempts 10 bolster ZIP
its former statements and goes on to
other errors
The Outlook does confess that it was
i7s error in stating that the poll taxes
paid by negroes in Virginia amount 10
paid in 1900 was SG6 Geo. as pointed out by
The Times and as conceded by the Out
look.
The second error in the OutIook's for
ner article was the statement that in
Virginia the school taxes are reckoneu
at the minimum rate Of 80 cents per
hundred dollars: We have the state
ment of the Outlook before u.s. and it is
perfectly clear that it referred to State
taxes. and 1t is perfectly clear that We
referred to State taxes in our comment.
The Outlook tries TO get around that
point by saying that in the year 1880 the
State levy for schools was nearly 10
cents on the hundred dollars and an adj
iitional levy for schools in the county
and minor divisions was almost twice
as much again. 1t is true that the
amount raised by local taxation for
school purposes is about double that
raised by the State levy, but it is mis-
leading TO say that the negroes in the
State pay as much as 20 cents on the
hundred towards this fund. The Outlook
Should understand that The bulk of the
negro population is confined TO COM
paratvcly small section of the State
What part of the school money raised
by local taxation the negroes pay we do
not know But granting that they pay
for State and local purposes as much as
30 cents on the hundred dollars, the tot2i
would be not more than sl16,5l0 whereas
the Outlook went on TO show that it was
from 100000 10 S35e.0eo. We have no idea
what the negroes pay all told for educa-
iional purposes, yet the Superintendent
of Public instruction informs US that
the cost Of negro edcation in Virginia
foi, the past year was si55.00o.
But the most serious mistake of The
Times" says the Outlook, in conclu-
sion, lis in assuming that the negroes
pay no indirect taxes worth talking
about in dealing with school taxation
It then proceeds to show what is paid
In the country at large and in the State
of Virginia for license tax. and estimates
that the negroes OF. Virginia pay in this
Indirect way $4,000 TO support the pub
lie schools.
The editor of the Outlook manifestly
did not read carefully the article in The
Times in reply TO this erroneous state
nlent, in which we said as plainly as
rould be said in plain language. that 40
part worth taking into account Of the
license tax in Virginia goes 10 the school
specific levy upon real estate and per-
sona1 property and from the poll tax.
In addition to this there is a specia!
appropriation of $2Oooeo which comes
put of the general fund But the negro's
contribution direct and indirect to that
fund is tIiaing. amounting at most to a
few thousand dollars only.
Ii may cnlishten the editor Of the Out
look to show him by the record just how
Inc tax account between the whites and
negroes in this State stands. According
to statement prepared by the Auditor
of Public Accounts for the year 1889, it
was shown that the whites paid for
State purposes on real and personal prop
rrty a total tax of S.5l1,2Sl.I5; the negroes
paid on the same account total OF
s5o,l87.6S. This will give some idea of the
small portion of the special appropria-
ton of 100000 to schools that the negro
pays On the poll-tax account the whites
paid slsi, 46l and the blacks S65,741.
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