The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-12-29


cial problem of education that the
county superintendent faces, viz: the
insufnciency Of funds with which to
supply the ever growing demand of
progressive modern education, in the
way Of providing well equipped mod
ern school buildings, frightening the
school term. securing efhcient teach
ers, and paying them salaries common
! surate with the valuable services rem
dered. Several other states levy
much higher m1llage for educational
purposes. Are their children better
than ours? Alexander the Great wept
because there we're no more worlds to
conquer. I dare say that the superin-
tendents where the maximum levy
does not supply sufficient funds -
meet the need Of education, have a
much better cause for weeping.
II It Is fact that education better
hts boy OF girl to meet the problems
OF life; If it gives them greater earn
| ing capacity, or better prepares them
to meet the duties of CITIZENSHIP. then
| 1t is crime to deprive them OF ally
needed opportunity.
| The tact that he is deprived and
| that the constitutional Limitation Is
responsible for 1t puts higher value
on the dollar than on the child.
| Slogan Of Aiachua County.
The best In modern education for
the child and the child above the dol
lar is the slogan Of Alachua county
We believe the elements OF Wort are
in tho individual, that education will
develop them, and that an educated
mind il fully awakened to all the
sights and scenes and forces in the
world through which 1t moves. We
deny that the primary fountains Of
wealth are In our fields. forests and
mines, but In the schools, churches
and printing presses. Neither Ia
wealth in wood, iron or stone, but in
the brain that organizes the metal. l
Will illustrate: A ton Of pig iron is
worth $40; made into horse shoes,
watch springs, $1,000. That is raw
material 90, brain power $50. Miliet
\ bought yard of canvas, a hair brush
ana some coolrs for which he paid
sixty cents. Upon this canvas he
spread his genius, giving us the An.
gelus. The raw material cost sixty
cents: his intelligence gave that raw
material q value Of 100000. II this
much and more is made possible by
education, why is IL that the sovereign
people DO not. remove the barrier fixed
by the constitution and see to it that
the maximum - made sufficiently high
to enable the boards Of public instruc-
ton to realize sufncient revenue, thus
making it impossible, for the problem
OF tnsufaciency 10 longer blight hope
ard opportunity.
When this Is done We will give our
boys and girls the best in the land
and the investment will yield to the
l-%o 6.,~, L...l II
terment IN society and government
Our constitution denies public school
education a squafe deal. It bears the
imprint Of Compromise on the part Of
the friends Of education and a fearful
distrust on the part Of those opposed
to public schools. Did its creators
have lingering recollection OF the
pauper school Of ante-bellum days as
sociating it with the public school Of
l1S85?
Liberal levles are allowed for jalls,
lcourt houses, and other county pur.
poses. Special school tax districts
are restricted to three mills levy,
while special road tax districts are
permitted Ave Counties are allowed
to bond for roads and jails but not ior
school houses and other educational
purposes. Some counties have bonded
for roads varying from $4,000 to ST..
100000. These bonds will be paid in
fifteen to twenty years by the ooys
now in the school rooms Of Florida
Is 1t not reasonable demand that
these boys be given an education 70
, prepare them to meet the tremendous
obligations saddled on them without
their consent:
Child Above Dollar. -.-,-
| n ny 70
done. favor good roads and prog rass
in any, form. but I. would rejoice to
: see the friends Of education arouse
J from their slunber and defeat all
bond issues Tor other purposes until
. education is given an even chance
J until boards Of education are consid
cred as trustworthy as county com
I. mtssioners and the child is ackno,;l
edged TO be above the dollar.
Just here we will notice the stat
school fund. 1t is made up FROM he
, sales Of all public school lands aud -
per cent Of the sales OF the state
, lands, from donations to the state
when the purpose is not specified, ap
J preparations from the state and the
proceeds OF escheated propertv
, The constitution states that the
State Board OF Education shall have
| tLAS IidldSoAlCll A1u L1SSSt"SuJ Oh ii
the state funds under such regulations
as may be prescribed by law Tha;
the principal shall remain sacred ano
invioiate. and the interest On the STAG
school fund shall be apportioned anc
distributed among the several ccunrie:
OF the state In proportion to the aver
age attendance upon schools in sale
counties respectively a-..S
| The principal at this time is 81, 1853.
! 1910. Of which $97,12s.75 was Re
ceived from the trustees Of the int
nal Improvement fund in the as
three years, the same being Is Dc,
cent Of the sale OF state lands. IS,
2c4.94 was received in 1908. S3l 500 s.
| in 1909, and 5000 in 1910 TT.
state school fund is invested as FOL
lows: $694, 900 in Tennessee anc
Virginia 3 per cent bonds $4,000 NJ
in Alabama 3 IL bonds; $132,S00.Oo il
North Carolina and Louisiana 4 pei
cent bonds. making a total of ss72.
10000 invested out OF Florida. s3es,
1900 is invested in Florida pc
lev, nu