The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-05
LOCAL Z AK Z ION

N| Z. I c 1 Z. ~
/ 655 SSISs sss8S Bv 4. N. PAL
s51nSlarEo measure local taxation is the
solution of the educational iproble, l:ll s5 OF \
Virgifia @ Better school houses, longer
school terms, md more col111,cten teach ny
crs, Will 5dcpend, chiefly on local 81 -
fand local outlay. IN view 81 this TACT RAG
at may be fairly claimed that there err Is Is
no subject more worthy OF Afternoon . ~ -
$the t4of8thc friends OF educati q, M
the State tllnn the subject OF LOCAL ca tax-
htion lssii US II ~ Id II i3-3 Hi i$,
Bl SAt the same time 1t is well d 70 y re-
ccEnlxe The fact that local taxa Ion Eis - tlle
most drfieut phase Of the educh ti On ~
n problem. It calls for definite action ~
4, matter III, which most people lI, q \,
Sonly WITH Reluctance 1t Is not di I'M, ~
!, to point out numerous deficiencies N. OUT
h educa tional work; 1t Is not very marc 'i -
Stouch tho sensbillties OF parents u, III
patriotic citizens when appealln I, =
iii behalf OF the neglected {, chlluren 3. ~ =.
the state but to move the VII a''a ~.
the hand with liberal impulses 70 W Is
=
stnking, 3g But It can DO done IN. many, ,t1t
parts uf tho State All cducat onal nv
Ing Inns already come |; and as me mex le:4
EVirginin5 School Report Will sh ,o wy
amour1t8raised from county taxht. y. vs.
ses 900 moro n 1905 than In 10o3. the IN y
crease In dlutrict taxation for the satll T.
Hbfenrniu111 was $4,000 and IN
s64, COO This Is the good work We -
encourage untl3yirglnia regains IS horz vs.
sci N~s.L ..rttJ
5heraslstcr& States s "A n !, I, y
NJ Tho three rrent arguments to be used " ~
with our people to get them 70 i1's
j tain better schools, for longer ,s teIl na.
arc duty, patriotism and sclf-ln ! 9,
Fortunately, the matter Is 80 clear.i ~
each case that only obstinate
stion can resist their force. Al Tl l.l1sa
thinking parents naturaliy. 'e y, n.eo
their obi CATION to equip their children
! i we'll al possible for the struggless ana lrI
duties OF life. 5A worthy patriotisr n letlus
us to desire the highest welfare q, q our
Common veal th.j And 1t Is unq ues tloha ma
2demonstrnble that educat on pays ~ 9 IN
$dvidual \ ana the community ~ dollars g! Ct g
and cents. Though this Is not the no plest
consderationit Is not without Weish =
{ this commercial nge. These trtit MS ~ p
their vida scope and manifold FORMS.
must he brought home to the minds ana
hearts Of our people. ~.
S In the United States there Are y three
general sources Of support for the upilc
schools "A Ia rge 1ority OF the 9 9 lll "a tes
have permanent literary or educatlonsali5
fund, the income Of which IS a 2 ~
the schools. The income from this sourc
wherever 1t exists, varies from SIS wv. n
New FIampshire,s to sl,6s5, 000 in Texas IS IN,
the North Central division Q t our country,
which includes, 4 among other States On fllI,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota anu
Missouri this permanent fund yields an
average income Of about hal { million
dollars. In othor parts OF the Union tho !,
Income from this source Is generally
much smaller, and In Virginia 1t amounts
to only s., 900. %. $$H5t /. \.
me principal q support OF the public
schools comes from direct taxa ion. hero
is q noteworthy in the a47ao,l1lts3
raised by State and by local taxation. Y n
a few States, as North Carolina, the prtn-s
fcipnl support OF the schools Is derived
from State taxation. North Carolina has
no permanent literary fund. It expends
annually on Its schools about $1.152, 900, Of
which only 1874 900 are derived from local
taxation is3} u. 8a3 5s U af
$I7ut this light local taxation Is alto
gether exceptional in our country AS
/. rule, 1.-THE various States rely chiefly on
local taxation. IN Virginia the sums obs
tanned from both sources are about equal
From the report Of the 4 United Stat
Commissioner of Education for 1903. from
which tho foregoing figures arc taken
we learn that the total amounts are as
follows: .5s5 .835
State taxes ...a..l.,.$ 64O 4bS, wy $sl.' ~
S56f,g Local taxes ....E.i... P 3,IS0 wv .ssa
1t is thus seen that, taking the United
States as a WHOLE more than four times
as much money IS raised by local taxa
ton for the public schools than Is raised
by State taxation And 1t should be OBJ
served that In those parts OF our coun-s
5try-the North Atlantic and North Cen
trail divislons--whero5 the public school
system has received It's highest develop
ment, the principle Of local taxation In
largo measure prevails. VI s4
III 1t throws light on; our educational
status to note tho sums raised annually
our country The wide d. ffererce is TO
be explained. In part at least by differ
ences in wealth. In Massachusetts the
sum raised for each person from flyo to
eighteen years OF age Sis <s22.o8, while In
Alabama the figures fall d to sl.B0. In !
Virginia the sum raised for each person
OF the school population Is about $3.50
An examination OF the stattstlcs.t as fllr-
nlshed In the United States Il commits
sioner's report shows that. In the North
Atlantic and North Central divisions y
from three to five times as much money
is raised for each child as In the South
Atlantic and South Central divisions, v ftl5 4,
The report Of the Commissioners Of Edu-
cation for 1901 has an interesting table
showing the school expend tture per cap-6
ita OF population In the several parts OF
our country. 1t shows OF "a glance what
Is being done for popular education. and
also the steady advancement that is be-
Ing made:
General average .,......$ 1.63 1921 $2,93
North Atlantic divisions 2,08 Il 27a a54.TS
South Atlantic division, "a l.06 l,28
South Central divlsion.,t.8iS, bS I 20 l'0o
North Central diyision.,. 400 28b s,36
It VIII DO noted that Virginia, which be-