The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1903-01-30
GOV. FRAZIER'S
FIRST MESSAGE
Urges Strict Economy for Every Department
of the State Government.
Pleads for Better Public SchoolAdvocates the Building
Goods Roads, and Reduction of the Interest-Bearing
Indebtedness of the State and Careful Enforce
nlent Of the Assessment Laws

I have made commendable progress under
many and trying difficulties toward the
J education of all the people, unfortunately
| the recent census reports show degree
! of illiteracy in Tennessee which should not
! be allowed to exist in a State whose people
have always displayed the highest patriot
! ism. and whose natural wealth is unsur-
! passed by that of any State in the Union.
From these facts it must be clear to any
| thoughtful citizen that if the masses of our
people are to be properly educated If they
are to keep pace in intelligence and prog
ress with their neighbors in other States,
| If they are to be equipped to meet the de-
mands of good citizenship, and to develop
and utilize the natural wealth with which
our State is richly blessed, we must
broaden and extend our public school sys-
tenn, especially in the country districts.
| l do not agree with those who are dis
posed to criticse the efforts heretofore put
forth or the progress made toward univer-
sal education in Tennessee.
No Permanent School Fund.
In Tennessee we have no such fund. 1t
is true we have what is called a permanent
school fund, but in reality it is only GER
| tificate of indebtedness for $2,512, 800,
which the State has deposited in its treas
ury and upon which it has agreed to pay
6 per cent. interest annually, for the sup
port of the public schools So that the
only source of school revenues in Tennes-
see is taxation.
| In Tennessee our public school system is
a mixed one, partly State, partly county
| and partly district. That is, the State ex-
ercises a general supervision over the pub
lie schools and contributes annually to
their support the interest on the sO-called
school fund paid out of the general rev.
| enues of the State. 1t also levies a poll
fax of
500 for their support, but both the poll
tax and the property tax, while levied by
| the State, do not pass through the State
| treasury, but expended in the counties
| where collected.
| l am convinced that if the power could
be given to the districts to supplement the
State and county funds by district tax,
such as is allowed to municipalities under
the act of 1855, our system would be great
! ly strengthened where weakest, and that
| this would meet the pressing needs of our
, country schools.
| But after a careful study of the subject,
1 am of the opinion that there are insur-
mOuntable constitutional objections to the
vesting of this power in the school district.
The law providing for a uniform system
! of textbooks for the public schools of the
| State, passed in 1899, has, after more than
three years of trial, fully met the expecta-
tions of its friends.
1 am satisfied that it has saved to the
people of the State many hundreds of thou
sands of dollars in the cost of their school
books, and 1 respectfully urge you not to
allow it to be repealed its usefulness
crippled by unfriendly amendments.
Good Roads.
Closely associated with the subject of
rural public schools is the question of pub
lie roads. Good roads would enable coun-
try schools to be consolidated and strength
ened and at the time facilitate the
attendance of students. In the last few
years there has been a general awakening
throughout the country on the subject of
good roads.
Public highways are the arteries of local
commerce and trade, and when made per-
manent and substantial they facilitate trav-
el, cheaper transportation of farm and 9th
er products to market, stimulate business,
| attract desirable citizens and increase the
value of lands. They fill school houses
and churches, encourage social intercourse
and advance civilization.
| Reducing the question to q purely bust
ness basis, good roads pay.
| 1 trust that your honorable bodies will
| give this important subject the most care
| full study and amend the present law en-
act some new law that will insure the
people of Tennessee a better system Of
public highways.
| Election Laws.
Our election laws have grown up through
q series of enactments passed at different
times until they have become somewhat
! complicated and difficult to understand
| both by the voter and those charged with
| their execution. They should be codified
and all uncertainty removed and be made
as plain, simple and direct practicable.
1t should be the purpose of all election
| laws to aid in securing, far as possi-
| ble a true expression of the will of the
people at the ballot box. l therefore rec
ommend that you carefully investigate
| these laws and make such amendments if
any, as you may deem proper and neces-
sary to effect this purpose.
Revenue and Assessment Laws.
! 1 cannot too strongly impress upon you
| the impropriety of biennially enacting new
revenue and assessment laws. Such a
course results in confusion, uncertainty, lit
J igation and delay in the collection of taxes.
The present laws on this subject were
! carefully prepared and have been in opera
| tion long enough to be well understood
both by the people and those clothed with
the duty of enforcing them. Under them
the State has been nearer able to collect
all of its revenues than under any other
| system heretofore in force.
l therefore respectfully urge you not
/ to overturn the present system, but to leave
| it as a whole in operation, with only such
| Speclnc amendments as time ana experience
| has demonstrated a necessity for.
Personal Property.
While the present law has been a great
| improvement over its predecessors in the
assessment of personal property, 1 am
! convinced that under its most careful en-
| forcement a large amount of personal prop
| erty yet entirely escapes taxation.
That this is true there can be no serious
| question. Out of fourteen Southern States,
embracing Missouri and West Virginia
Tennessee is the lowest in the ratio of per-
sonal property taxed to the whole, and in
all but three the ratio is more than double
| that of Tennessee. Ours is one of the rich
| est States in the South, and it is difficult
to believe that such a small per cent of its
wealth consists of personal property.
If it is true that a large amount Of par
sonal property escapes taxation, it is an in
justice and a wrong to the other taxpayers
of the State, and some plan should be de-
Yised to remedy this injustice.
Bank Assessments.
Another question Of taxation to which /