The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1903-05-30
The Consultation Of Schools
and the Special Tax.


Editor of The Gazette.
AS there seems to be certain
designing persons in the eighth
and second wards who are try
ing to deceive the illiterate tax
payers of this parish, ! deem il
my solemn duty to call the at
tentiOn of the public to the cheap
stuff in the shape of arguments
the people in these comm unities
are being stuffed with These
arguments raised against the
proposed special school tax are
First. That if the tax is voted
all the country schools will be
closed.
Second. That after the closing
of the country schools mann
moth school house will be built
at Scott and all the children
transported there.
1t is, of course, unnecessary
to refute these arguments be-
cause they are absurd. But
nevertheless they are believed
by certain Taxpayers who are
not in Il position to get at the
truth and for this reason the
friends Of education should be
on their guards. The School
Board of this parish has never
considered the consolidation of
schools nor the transportation Of
children: and the only grounds
for the wild rumors are these:
1. Some months ago l re-
ceived 300 pamphlets from the
United States govern ment which
ri nn ~ " II + tod fhn Il
ages of consolidating schools
when too near each other. 1t
also showed cOnclusively that it
for the children to consolidate
teacher, into strong central
ers where the country children
could go and learn something
instead of losing their time as
they now do III the average coun- .
try school in Lafayette parish. +
Tho government pamphlet .
thinks it best t. transport tn"
children rv>r2 at an increased
cost t. 4 good strong; Sc;!UnI
rather than vast" the public:
money in al inefficient enc such
Is is found in til" South to-day !
L, HdIi;i ~ t, h.t;in*; freely di:,
triDut>I THU; rErril"nt pamphlet u
tn" farmers and repre- /.
-','n tHtiEH q; i::"n:S of the parish,
| have ii va " ;luVHcatCU cNDSOll- ,
Iatinn and tran>pUrtatiu ;tS the
'ni,' uiet.E i:i' our inefficient
country schools, and after an c&-
.,crlrncr OF twelve years with
country schools: in charge Of one
-HaCntr, | am convinced that as
| rui,'. they are. Il failure. As
III honest imam [ con slider it my
iutN to express my honest CON
'lctlunS on (, question so vital 70
he pu Bile school interests OF the
'hrl;h: but | am not the School
'niru. And the United States,
pamphlet is not the
Beard. The School Board
las never considered the 1urs-
ION OF ub,'liShiug the present
system of schools and hence it
) absurd to say they intend to {
bolish them.
,. Some months ago a tor
ladO blew down an old shack
which had been dignifed with
he high sounding name of the
Wilmington School. 1t was a 7
ecOnd rate barn and God in his
wisdom chose to smash it in the
light, thus sparing the lives
t some twenty five innocent
hildren. This left the children .
Nth life, but no SchOol-hOuse. .
so Mr.. Alcide JUDGE and DR..
loss, two men who have given
RELY of both their money and {
lme for the cause of education, I
aid to the School Board, these :
hildren are entitled to an edu- I
alton nOtWithstan ding the fact
hat their SchOOl-hOuSe has been
Town down. We will furnish I
ne hack if you pay Il man and +
is team $50 a month for the t
of the children to {
le nearest school. After a LONG
iscussion the Board finally CON
anted to pay for the transport |
alton Of these children until the
'Oard had funds sufficient to
uild Il decent SchOol-house to
eplacc the shanty that was
nown as the Wilmington
chOOl.' :
All of these rumors have been
rculated by a few teachers of 1
le first, second and eighth
ards who are deathly afraid Of
lything that smac1s of a re- :