The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1904-11-03

The Legislature OF 1897 did NOS
increase the rate Of taxation for
public schools, nor did IL borrow
money and issue bonds for that pur-
pose, but by aboliahing the old
Democrat school law, and enactiDg
q new one, they increased The school
term In North Carolina two and
one-third weeks, and this without
one cent of cost TO the taxpayers Of
the State. This law was passed. by
the Legislature Of 1897, but the
effect Of the law ON the schools Of
the State was not felt until the fol.
lowing year, 1898. Supt. Mebsne's
Report, on page l59, and Supt
JOyner's Report, on page 339, show
that the school term Of the state in
one year, from 1897 to 1898, made
this remarkable increase. To show
that this increase was entirely due
TO the repeal Of the old school la
and the enactment Of a new law the
above reports on the pages cited
show that the school term had moi
increased one day in this State dur.
ing the twelve years prior thereto
Notwithstanding the successive Leg
islatures during this period had In.
creased the rate of taxation for pub
lie schools from 123 10 Is cents OF
property, making about 81 per cent
increase In tax.
THE LEGISLATURE OF 1899 WAS DEM.
OCRATIC. NOW READ.
The Legislature OF 1899 Was 9
Democratic Legislature and they
amended the school law, appointed
their own Board Of Education and
School Committeeman, and made an
appropriation Of 500, 900 for public
schools, and promised the people to
thereby provide for them a four.
months school. What was the
result? The reports Of the State
Superintendent, on the pages cited
above, show that the white schools
OF the State did not increase a day
by this extra appropriation and the
colored schools increased only about
one hour. Think of it! The negro
schools apparently got all of this
500, 600 in 1899, and for that only
one hour extra school term for the
entire year. In 1899 it cost about
$4,000 to run the white and colored
schools in the State for one day, and
for this extra 100000 the school
term for both races should have
been increased one and one-half
weeks, but the reports show only
one hour increase for the negro
schools, and no increase whatever
for the white schools!
The same reports show that the
tax-pay ers Of the State were required
to pay $134,795.9S more for public
schools in 1900 than in the year
1899. See Mechanics Report. page
1877, and Joyner's Report, page a37;
and these same reports show on
pages 15s and $50 respectively, that
this enormous sum increased the
length of the white schools three
days and the colored schools about
one and One-fourth days, making
the average cost of one days school
for both races about 500, 1884. If
the money had been wisely and
judiciously expended, it should not
have cost cost more than $4,000
per day. What became of this
money, we are unable to explain.
Another strange fact shown in the
report of Supt. Joyner. on page 388,
is, that the average attendance of
the children in the public schools in
the State in 1898 was greater than
in 1900. The exact number is
6, 1872. Think of it-6,322 fewer
children in average attendance in
the public schools in the State in
1900 than in 1898, notwithstanding
the increase in population and with
the increase of 100000 in appro-
priation.
THE ENORMOUS INCREASE IN SCHOOL
FUND SHOULD HAVE GIVEN US
A SIX MONTH rRRM IN
STEAD OF FOUR.