The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-07
FIVE BIG SCHOOL HELPS IN
EASYREACH OF FARMERS
tFrom The Progressive Farmer3

& (Trom The Progressive Farmer.) /
Messrs ditors,-1t Is hardly too
much TO shy that the most prominent
and vitality interested portion Of our
population, SO far as present school
problems are concerned, are tho
farmers OF Virginia, and II one knew
In advance exactly what they are
going to do for themselves and get
Tor themselves during the coming de-
'cade. he could write the next five
biennial reports of the State Board
Of Education and publish them in
one volume.
School problems are comparatively
easy Of solution In a city or large
town. Corporation fiourishcs amid
such surroundings; but out in the
wide open country, where the spiriG
of Independence and individual SELF
reliance blooms perennially, the plan
Of joining together for the public veal
best educational thinkers have de-
sired. United effort. Therefore VIII
| be the keynote of what l shall
| have to say In discussing in a
simple, practical way, I trust. how
our farmers in. any community may
| % get local taxation; (2) get a bet.
ter school building;R (3> get school
library; (4) get q rural high school;
| (5) get better teachers and better
equipment.
I-Locnl Taxation md How to Get 1t.
In Virginia there are three school
/ unds--Stute, county and district.
| Tic first two are set apart for paying
4 teachers, ard the last for current ex-
\ penscs, though 1T may be. and Is fre-
[quentty, used for paying teachers
l also. Our state school fund amounts
to more than sl,soo.ooo annually. or
about s2.26 per capita Of school
j ment among our legislators to In
crease this amount to s2.oo0.ooo per
annum, which would give $3.50 for
| each child Of school age.
The county and district funds
however. are what is usually styled
local taxation and these are the
key to the situation. The Legislature
/ difference which distinguisheS q
good school from one that is Nnly
Ipassable or endurable. that difference
! which makes the work in any county
4 or district truly great and Inspiring,
that difference which lies between
stupid nlediocrity on the one side
E. and real SUCCESS on the other. Is
i found somewhere between the mini
mum and the maximnm OF local tax
latlon. between fifteen and fifty cents
! on the hundred dollars.
Il How to Obtain Local Tax Election.
Il Our statutes provide that the board
& of supervisors shall lay a levy of not
I less than seven and a half nor more
4 than twenty cents county School tax.
and not less than seven and a half
ror more than twenty cents district
school atax,-provided. that should
4 the board of supervisors fail5 to make
levy sufficient to raise the amounts
estimated by the county school
board, praying reference Of the
.l'question OF such increased levy to the
qualified voters Of the county or of
the district, as the case may be-, sub
NIT the question and the amount OF
, the increase in the county levy, or to
i the qualified yoters5of the said dis.
!. trict as to the increase in the district
! levy; provided. however. that the. to-
J. tai levy for county and district schoo
y purposes shall not exceed fifty cent:
on the hundred dollars of the assess
4, ed value Of the taxable property IL
both the county and the district: pro
I vided, further that no such increased
levy shall be made unless q majority
Of the qualified voters voting at the
$ election shall vote in the Affirmative
: (Code. Sec. 1860
3 The farmers constitute an over
9 whelmtng majority in every rura
: school district in Virginia. = If the,
: will simply speak to their servants
t the board of supervisors. or take
: few hours off should atyote be neces
: sary. they can get sufficient loca
0 taxation beyond the peradventure o
+ a doubt.
: II.--Ho,v Can We Get BETTER schoo
r Duildingsf
n SO far, ! have not known singh
: community which desired bette
: school building to fail in .the accom-
Z plishment of that purpose. Increase,
h district taxes are frequently resorte,
: to as @ means to this end Usual,
Z the people are willing to contribute t
: the schoolhouse and grounds b.
= private donations In some Instance
e they have raised as much as tire
f thousand dollars In this way.
Q A Farmers Law Gets Schoolho,Is
& Monty ut 4 Per Cent.
9 The last Legislature enacted a lay
g (Acts Of 1906, page 446) authorizin
II the several school boards OF this Stat
: to borrow money belonging to tn
,b literary fund. 1t is provided tina
y the loan shall not exceed so pc