The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1904-04-02

the method of distributing poll taxes
collected in the counties, between the
country districts and the separate
school districts. The purpose and in.
tention of the measure is to further
carry into effect the amendment to
section 206 of the constitution, which
provides that the poll taxes shall be
retained In the counties where collect.
ed, to supplement the common school
fund, and prescribes the basis for the
distribution of this supplemental fund.
Owing to a delay in the senate (the
facts of which all the world know.
this bill, with others of great i'm
portance to the State and of vital in
terest to various companies and indi-
viduals, failed to secure the signature
OF the presiding officer; hence must
lie in undisturbed repose for two
years.
| AS no basis of distribution exists,
owing to the failure of this bill, 1t Is
quite clear that no distribution can be
made, and 1t is equally clear that the
poll taxes collected cannot be sent to
the State treasury, for the constitu-
tional amendment is already in effect
declaring that the poll taxes must be
| retained in the counties. The Clarion
Ledger, referring to this, says: 1t
therefore seems that the common
schools will be deprived of about $780,
| 900 during the next biennial period,
| and this sum will be allowed to lie
idle in the county treasures until the
legislature meets two years hence and
the measure Is sent back by the gov.
ernor with his signature attached.
State Superintendent Whitfield
spent several days last week in East
Mississippi prosecuting the campaign
that he has so vigorously inaugurated,
for longer school terms, for better
schools and for teachers and superin.
tendents trained for the worthy dis
charge if their exalted duties. In For
est Mr. Whitfield addressed a splendid
audience, composed of the best ele-
ment of Scott county's splendid citi-
zenship, and his earnest plea, couched
in convincing English, made fine i'm
preston and, 1t is hoped and believed,
helped the good work of longer school
terms materially. To that class Ia
small one, l am glad to know of
our citizens with whom 1t is a re-
ligious duty to find all manner of fault
with the States servants, and to keep
up the endless cry of too much pay
(by the State) and too little work (by
the officer) it must be genuine griev-
ance to discover, in a State officer, so
much power for work as is in Mr.
Whitfield The man who leaves the
comforts Of his home and the quiet
OF his Office so often for long, weari-
some journeys into the very heart of
the rural districts; who travels by
night and by day, in car, buggy or on
horseback, over all sorts and condi-
lions of roads; who eats and drinks of
every variety of food and quality of
water known to mortal man, and
sleeps CD on beds that range from
downiest feathers to knobbiest cobs;
in heat and cold, rain, sleet and sun.
shine when sick or well-to address,
with carefully prepared arguments, the
people whose children are the bene-
ficiaries of the States liberality (but
who listen as though comforting there
by favor on the speaker this man,
| say, earns every dollar of his salary
and ought to have another goodly sum
thrown in, for ''lagniappe." In fact,
an intimate and long acquaintance |
with Mississippi's State officers war
rants the statement that most of them |
earn their salaries; and some of them |
earn theirs and that much more, in |
addition.