St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1912-12-14
SCHOOL TAX
|NTE[[|GENT[Y.
DISCUSSED
Decreased Taxation By Alb.
rogating Old Tax
And Substituting New Tax
Three and a Half Mills.

Covington, La, Dec. Is. 1912.
Mr.. D. H. Mason, Editor, st. Tam
many Farmer, City.
Dear Mr.. Mason:-1n compliance
with q suggestion contained in a
recent issue of the Farmer, that per
sons interested in the question OF
the erection of school house in
Covington, use the Farmer as We.
hicle of expressing their views as te
the best manner in which the cree
ton Of school house can be brought
about, l am writing you herewith
In doing SO l of course realize that
there has been so much in the way
of baked atmosphere ana so litti'
in the way Of producing the goods
about this whole school house prop
osition that when one attempts tt
discuss the matter seriously he is
either apt to be met with the shrug
of Indifference or the merry and
accumulated "ha-ha" of ridicule.
Without attempting to review the
past in minute detail or to offer
apologies for conditions that exist,
l take it that the situation as it ex-
lists at present, and which must be
faced. is as follows: The taxpayers
Of the town Of Covington are paying
seven and one-half mills as tax for
school purposes. Now let us an
alyze this tax. Four mills thereof
are applied, when collected, towards
the liquidation of the Indebtedness
Incurred six years ago and which, in
debtedness is evidenced by certifi-
Gates held by various creditors
These certificates will be retired
when the taxes of 1912 shall have
been collected. Despite the fact that
the community has nothing to show
for the monies thus far collected and
expended under this four mill tax
III one except as fine ruin as one
could find in days journey through
either Greece or ltaly)-still, this
tax will, continue to run for four
years more and no monies realized
Hereunder will be susceptible of use
for any purpose other than that for
which 1t was especially voted, namely.
for the erection Of public school
house. So it appears to the writer
be done is to legally abrogate furthe Ell
payment of this particular tax. Last
year an attempt to solve this problem
of how to build a school house with
out having the price, was again made
These attempts seem to be as much
m annual event as is the parish fair
The authorities found last year that
under the law they could legally in
crease the rate of taxation two mills
and dedicate any amount raised un-
der this tax to q fund for the erec-
ton Of school house, and having
found that this could be done. the
town council promptly increased the
rate of taxation two mills; said tas
to run for five years, and the monies
Hereunder realized was to supple
ment> the residue of the four mill
tax-and Presto! we are to have the
school house. However, it now ap-
pears that this plan was faulty, fol
the reason that it was not broad
enough in its scope, so for the pres
emit the two mill tax, while running
merrily on, is not being used fol-
erecting a school house, but merely
to draw interest in bank-a worthy
purpose withal-but in no wise edu
cational. Think for one moment Mr
Editor, and you will see that under
the present conditions, four years
must yet elapse in which the tai
payers of Covington must pay the
four and the two mill tax. and a
the end of that time there will be
only enough on hand to build {
school house insufficient for ou
needs. Now, there Is yet one. ane
one-haIf mills to be accounted for
this item is made up in the form @
an appropriation which the tow
council has been called upon to MAX
annually that the teachers salarie
may be paid for the eighth and mint
month OF each term-and this apprs
priatiOn will, under present condl
tions. have to be continued annual
or II II is abandoned we must sac
riflce all grades beyond the sevent
and entail the loss Of our high schoo
The seven and One-half mills aboV
accounted for is at this time pal
exclusively by the taxpayers wltnl
the corporate limits OF the munlc
pality Of Covington.
So when q proposition is maa
tending to relieve this body OF Tn
taxpayers of a portion OF their ou1
den-and tending to re-apportlo
tho snDport of the school so that a
those beneiting by its use sha
share the cost of maintenance.
naturally feel that such propositlo
Il deserving of support. Furtne,
more. it strikes me as being no NOR
than fair that those citizens OF tn
vard. residing on Military Road lie
Road, Claiborne, RAMSEY M
throughout the surrounding couna -
whose children come to school l.el
e. Cnvington should bear portlo
~ the cost of maintaining the sshas
IN Coyineton, for at present they ~
nothinr but their pol! and parish q
The relief referred to can DC Iea
;,ad Nv legally abrogating the pre-
ant tax and in its stead votlns . ,,S
ward tax OF three and one-naiI lnn,
c.ch \ tax on the estimated asses
ment OF $4,000 (this BENG :! !.
a.t;mafed assessment q the TN III
ward since the tenth ward mas az. ~
carved out) will realize IN nl e.',
49,. 49, tho ann OF sos, $50; an amour
.n1icient to build, equip ana .rs;,
+sir fourteen rooms-m anual :, -.
TO- .nd domestic science departure
'ns a. ~ we'll de thoroughly equlp pta
.has,csl7 and chemical laboratoll 5,
LIZ ns : .chool house built ana H'A.'
ssH JNSn IN SnS61s Chi ward 70 9