St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1906-06-30
Will MIR. Riggs Please
Explain.

.Ediror St. Tammany FARMER:
4: At meeting of citizens held at the pavilion
Cast Saturday evening for the purpose of dis
a;cussing the school proposition |, among others,
swas called upon to speak, and having under
s5tood that the purpose of the meeting was to
Apevolve plan If possible for raising the neccs-
sSary funds to build the house, spoke in favor
of bond issue and five mill tax for ten years.
Having given the matter good deal of thought
and equitable way to build, equip and maintain
school that will meet the present and future
needs of the town.
The next speaker was the Hon. Clay Riggs,
Of Covington and a recognized leader in finan-
cial and railroad circles. Mr.. Riggs is opposed
to bond issue and school tax and he has a
at some length upon the importance and value
of an education and the necessity of building
commodious school house in Covington. His
quent and in the midst OF his eloquence he
shouted shame, shame upon Mr.. Kent for
school tax in Covington," where
upon gently and gracefully wilted. ~
4. Now, had these remarks come from another
than Mr.. Riggs, might have thought but little
of them, but inzsmuch as he is just at this time
!, busily engaged in arguing the advantages to be
=, in favor of proposed line from Covngton to
the lake shore, must confess that am unable
to understand the logic Of his opposition,
puDiic SCnOOl Is PUBIC INSTITUTION belonging
to all the people and maintained for the gem
eral good. railroad is a semi-public institu-
tion belonging to private corporation and
operated for individual profit and am mentally
inczpacitated to understand just why shame and
Teproach should be heaped upon my humble
and all but hairless Uranium for favoring a
school tax. Perhaps would be wicked enough
to accuse Mr.. Riggs of incincerity in the posi-
tlon he has taken, were 1t not that he offered
to head subscription list with thousand dol
lars for new schoolhouse, and proposed to
give his note for ten thousand more If
Necessary, but ~? Well, lets see. If school
tax of five mills should be voted, it stands to
reason that 1t would be difficult to get the peo-
pie to Immediately, or any time in the very
near future, vote an additional five mills
for a railroad, but If through the generosity
and the eloauence of Mr.. Riggs, the school,
house can be built without any additional taxa
ton, and without bond issue, the chances are
that the railroad proposition would have
smooth sailing. Now does anybody know
just how much five mill tax for ten years on
the property of the Third Ward will amount to?
Where Is the man handy at figures? Let him
come forth. It strikes me that it is barely pos
sible that Mr.. Riggs can very well afford to give
z thousand dollars, and perhaps ten thousand
more, to Z schoolhouse, if by so doing he can
Stave of special school tax and thereby Sc
cure the endorsement of his railroad scheme.
While the figures are being made shall be
dee-lighted to have him explain just why It Is |
shameful and wicked on my part to favor tax |
for schools, while 1t Is altogether holy ard |
righteous ON his part to favar one for railroad
@Et JNO. B. KENT.