Milford chronicle., 1910-01-28

the accident of a child's birth shall
determine the kind Of an education
he shall receive. The good of the
State requires that every child, no
matter where it is born, shall have
an opportunity far better than some
of the districts of the State afford
for at least a common school educa-
tion,"
In New Castle county we have
no school districts, single or incor-
porated. each single district with its
local governing body of three com
missioners. :Does multiplicity OF
numbers make for efficiency, for
1 economy and for progress ?" This
question was asked by Hon. L. A..
Fell in an address before the AssO-
ciated school boards Of South Dako-
ia Continuing he asked, "Do you
not see in it the causes for cheap
teachers, rendering cheap service,
a teaching body lacking sufficient
professional training, school houses
little more than detention halls
while both teachers and school
buildings are, alas, too often secur-
ed with view of saving a penny to
the taxpayer? Are the schools to
be run for the benefit of the children
or for the saving of dollars to the
taxpayer? If the latter then why
not abolish the schools and save all
the expense
To change from our present dis
trict unit to the county unit would
necessitate the changing of the pres
ent system of school taxation and
this i'm itself would be a reform of
vital interest to the schools of the
State. 1t would place them upon
a more equitable, more just and
more sensible basis. "Such discrep-
ancies as one small district Rvving
the limit. and receiving an INSULT
cient amount of funds for pressing
needs. while another neighboring
district may levy half the amount
and have an abundance, would dis
appear with conditions which would
permit one body TO levy the same
rate of taxation over its entire terri
tory. Our present system which
has been in vogue for over three
quarters Of a century, permitting
Que rate for landlords and another
for tenants, is an abomination. 1t
cannot bo abolished too soon.
Personally l am in favor Of a poll .
Dr. capitation tax for school purpos-
IS because | believe that every per
;on should help support the public
schools; but there seems to be a
loubt in the minds Of some As to
such tax is Of much (
'alue.
Under the present system the tax
ng of the personal property of rail-
Dads, and telegraph and telephone .
does not seem fair.
,chool committees may tax these
properties in their own districts for /
rhool purposes But these proper
les are really non-local There are ]
re running down through New Cas-
e county a railroad, and telephone {
nd telegraph lines. They pass {
trough certain school districts; at /
lteryals the railroad has stations i
nd other buildings. Wherever /
new are located these buildings are f
.xed by the local school commits S
oners; but on either side Of these d
,rtunate districts are others fur t
ishing to the railroad just rs uu'h a
eight and jrst as "a y a~-pr gers, e
some cases more, vet they receive $
1thing to help support their schools
ON these sources. A county sys- fl
m would annul this injustice. c,
With the county as the unit many t.
her important Improvements n
1uld naturally follow. There ic
'uld be closer supervision. Some le
stricts would Of necessity be con a
lidated. School buildings would Il
built according to improved plans h'
lding to develope a school archi- m
,ture and school equipment ap- 81
the ideal 1t would m
ing about greater uniformity and II
iciency. ca
School books and supplies adopt r.
by the State Board of Education S .e
now ordered by the teacher ei ell
'ough the clerk of the district and 0O
in turn at his pleasure sends his 70 70
Ter to the State Treasurer who or III
$ the books from the publishers. se'
many cases instead Of ordering ''u
books promptly the clerk delays
much time is lost. As the State ~,
,asurer does not know the wants scl
each county or individual district le'
s quite evident that the teachers an
,uld send the books to the county ;"