The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-10-12

Sof',oo-, ana there was expended on
9lelf schools S506.170. A like ratio
IS Sa1d to exist in the other States
Mr.. Eggleston is we'll known to the
people Of North Carolina, having been
Tor several years superintendent Of
the Public Schools of Asheyille. He
IS one OF the aplest and most brilliant
OF the public school leaders in the
South, fully abreast with school con
d1tlons and leading for real progress
ana justice and kindness to the negro.
lie took time to answer Commissioner
BroWn's letter, and his answer is as
follows:
State Superintendent EggIeston's An
suer.
Richmond, Va. Oct. I. 1909.
Hon. Elmer E. Brown.
United States Commissioner of
Education,
Washington, D. c.
My dear Sir:
Your letter of the 18th ult, enclos-
ing a clipping from the Los Angeles
Times IN reference to the amount
of money spent III Virginia on the
education Of negroes, came duly to
hand. In order that l might be able
to give a clear and proper answer
to this inquiry I have been obliged to
undertake some special investiga-
ton in a field which has not been
covered in the past, so FAR as | am
aware. I refer to the local taxes
raised by counties and cities for roads,
streets, and other general expenses.
The figures given in the Los Angeles
Times are taken from a paper read
by superintendent Charles l.. Coon, of
Wilson, North Carolina, before the
Twelfth Annual Conference for Edu-
cation in the South. l quote from this
pamphlet:
summarizing, the Negroes part of
the school fund raised in 1907 Gin Vir-
ginia) Will stand as follows:
From poll tax ............$120,0 coo
literary fund .......... 2l,649
State corporation tax -. 80, 900
tax on Negro prop
ertN ........-... 22,oOO
local tax on negro prop
erty $685.
" local tax on corporations 1925
SO per cent. direct State
appropriations >. 16, 200
" So per cent. direct State
appropriation (cOr-
porations) 35.S02
Total due to Negroes ....$507,305
4 have shown before that Viz
ginia is spending only about S489,22S
are correct, then $1S.077 of the
amount which should be devoted to
their schools, if we assume the race
division of the funds. does not reach
the Negro schools of Virginia.
The most astonishing part of this
statement is the utter ignorance it
betrays concerning fiscal matters in
Virginia. The poll tax paid by Ne
grOeS in 1907 was not $120,0G0, but
only $~75.1O5.21. The State school
taxes collected on Negro property, in
Guiding corporations, amounted to
about 2-7 of S75,152.94 and not s72,-
500, ($50.O0O plus $22,5OO.) The 10
cal school tax on Negro property, in
Guiding corporations, was apparently
less than $4,000, instead of the esti-
mated $221,154. ($68,S95 plus S152,-
|259.) The figures given foot up only
$4S7,305 instead Of S5O7.305.
I quote again from the pamphlet:
Now, we must consider the $780,
76O raised by Virginia cities, counties,
and DISTRICTS
AS a matter of fact, Virginia cities,
counties, and districts lack at least
100000 of raising this amount for
schools by taxation, if that is meant,
and the do raise over 100000 for
all if that is what tut
is driving at.
1t is perfectly idle to speak of
$4,000 and $35,SO2 (corporations)
"as direct State appropriations going
into the School tuna on account OF
Negro taxes, as these
amounts are derived through the
regular channels of taxation and it
is necessary to go back to the sources
from which they come in order to
determine what part of the money
is paid by our Negro population.
None of the railroad propert in
Virginia is owned by Negroes, and
whatever may be the method of tax
alton in any other State, property is
taxed in Virginia according to owner
shin. The idea of dividing the Liter
arv Fund and the taxes on railroads