The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1906-09-05
CAMPAIGN FOR EDUCATION
QUESTION OF LOCAL TAXATION
no RE SUBMITTED TO PEOPLE.
county Board of Education Has TIA
ken Up Matter. Signatures Asking
for Election Will BE Solicited.


for Election Will BE Solicited.
The hoard of education of Terrell
oonnty has taken the initiative in a
,,ovement looking to the calling of an
lection on local taxation for public
scbools for the county. Petitions are
,ow being circulated to the end that
an election be called later in the year.
The county and district local tax
oct was amended at the recent session
If the legislature, and by its terms
nrorides for taxation for school pur-
noses in the county or district, as
tbe case may be, upon the adoption of
the system by vote of the people.
The act provides, first, for the adop-
ton of this plan by counties. This
excludes incorporated towns like Daw-
sor, within which there is already a
local system supported by taxation.
Second. by districts. The act re-
onires within thirty days after the
massage thereof the county to be laid
off into districts of not more than six
teen square miles in area, within which
districts three trustees are to be elect
ed by the people within forty days
thereafter.
Third, for elections. The vote may
he taken for taxation by the whole
county at once or by districts sepa-
rateIy. These elections are ordered
BY the ordinary upon receipt by him
of a petition therefor signed by one
fourth of the qualified voters of the
county or of a district, as the case
may be. All qualified voters are en-
titled to vote in the election, and it
requires two-thirds of the vote actual
" cast to carry the election. Elec-
tons for this purpose may not be held
Oftener than once a year.
Fourth, the rate of tax for the coun-
ty, or any district thereof, for educa-
tional purposes shall not exceed one
half of one per cent, and shall be col
ected by the tax collector of the cOun-
tY,
OF the two methods the preferable
one is the adoption of local taxation
for educational purposes by the cOun-
ty as a whole. This insures uniform
taxation. uniform administration and
uniform benefit from the taxes paid.
Should the district system be necesSl-
tated by reason of the failure of the
county to adopt taxation for school
purposes the county would have to be
Subdivided into not less than twenty
districts, three of which would be pop
ulated entirely by negroes, and two
more of which contain not more than
half dozen white families. Our peo-
pie are not yet prepared to turn over
any part Of this county to be taxed by
negroes exclusively for negro educa-
ton.
Again, if adopted by districts one
district might see fit to levy tax OF
five mills, another tax of three mills
and still another tax of one mill.
Lack of uniformity in this matter
would engender dissatisfaction.
Again, the whole county would be en-
titled to the taxes received for educa-
tlonal purposes from such corpora
lions as railroads, franchises, tele-
phone and telegraph lines, but under
the district system only those districts
"AlE4 ouCu pLOPOA U'OS or
Gated would be benefited by taxes lev
leo on these corporations for the pur-
pose named.
:, IN discussing this matter with The
news the county school commissioner,
MT d. A. Wilkinson, said: The
schools of Terrell county now run for
period OF six months under the SUI
lpDervlslOn of the board of education.
Inc Inc amount paid teachers for the year
5SO9 was $l0,2l2,80, other expenses
@S!!oZ8,O5, a total expenditure of SILL
$3.50 For the period named the
@hlte teachers were paid about 81, 800
per month, and the colored teachers
So0lt 1910 per month. For the sum
Vi Sl'oW per month every white school
~ Inc county may be run for period
Vi nine months, the salaries ranging