The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-11-12
THE SCHOOLS MAY
LOSE FULL MONTH
DURING THE Term
Scnool Trustees Warn Tax PAYERS
That They Must Act Promptly to
Meet Present Situation.

10 the people of Hattiesburg want
want nine months school term, or
90 they want the term to last only
seven and half months?"
Thls is question which must be
answered by the tax payers between
now and next Tuesday night, and in
order to answer it intelligently some
thought must be given to the subject.
On November ., The News an
nounced that the city tax levy for
the year 1911 would not be fixed by
the city council until November Is,
for the reason that the school board
had asked for an increased appropria-
tlon for the city schools; the coun-
Gil had no authority to increase the
appropriation without submitting the
question to the tax payers, and in
erder to get an expression from them
it was determined to postpone action
for two weeks.
Slow to Sign Petition.
During this time several petitions
asking the city council to increase the
appropriation have been circulated,
bu', in a large number of instances
it was found that the people were
under the impression that in order to
do this it would be necessary to in
crease the tax levy. This, however,
is not the case. 1t simply means that
the council will set aside - mills
out of the - mill levy for school pur-
poses and leave the balance for other
purposes. Taxes will not be increased
even a fraction of a cent,
Schools Must Have It.
The schools cannot be operated for
a full nine-months' session unless the
appropriation shall be increased. This
is due to the fact that next year the
interest ON school bonds must be paid
out Of the school funds; heretofore
this item OF expense has been taken
care of without interfering with the
school appropriation.
Strong Reasons Why.
IN order that the public may be
correctly informed on the subject, Mr..
T. A. Hightower president of the
Board of Trustees, and Prof. F. B.
Woodley, superintendent of the city
schools, has addressed the following
card:
ITO the Tax Payers Of Hattiesburg;
"In order to run the City Public
Schools nine months and to pay in
terest on school bonds it becomes
necessary to levy tax of IL mills
for school purposes for the fiscal year,
beginning Oct. l, 1910 and ending
Sept. 30, 1911. Why?
Il. Because, the assessed valuation
of property, real and personal in Hat
tiesburg, Nov. 1, 1910, is $1SO,OOO less
than on Nov. /, 1909.
"2. Because, on Oct. 1, 1909, there
was a bash balance in the school fund
of S2.51451, while on Oct. l. 1910,
there was balance of S15S.64.
"3 Because. the interest on school
bonds viz: S3,375 has heretofore been
paid out Of other funds, but the city
attorney insists that this sum must
be paid from the school fund to com
ply with the law,
"a. Because, the schools are grow
ing in numbers and efficiency and
naturally call for more money annual
ly.
"To levy a IL mill tax for schools
does not mean to increase anybody
taxes one cent, but simply to set aside
10 mills out of the - mill levy for
school purposes and leave s IL mills
for other purposes.
"The City Council can not levy 81. 3 IL
mills for schools without a petition
signed by a majority of the people
who nav taxes on property, real or
personal, in the city
May Lose One Month
,,,,,-- o,.o ohout twenty petitions
IN circulation now and about 30 per
cent of the tax payers to whom they
are presented sign them but It is d
aifficult task to get fifteen or sixteen
hundred signatures to anything now,
ever worthy. If these petitions iall
TO get the requisite number OF slsnerS
It means the city schools VIII De cu'
,oo,+ oro month or that session