St. Tammany farmer., 1912-12-07
C0v|NGT0N
PUB. SCHOOL.
QUESTION
Editorial in Farmer Brings
Comment from Citizens.
Superintendent Lyon Gives
Details as to Funds.
Strongly in Favor of a Ward
Tax for School Purposes.
Robt. l.. Aubert Writes the
People Should Support.
Covington, La. Dec. 2. 1912.

C0vtngton, La, Dec. 2, 1912.
Editor St. Tammany Farmer:
notice in your issue of last week
N editorial regarding the Covingtor
school building, and l am pleased to
note that you will support special
third ward tax to provide funds for
the erection of this building.
While l do not care to criticise
any one who, in the past, has tried
his hand at the school house business,
still I have never believed that it
was right for the town of Covingtop
to shoulder the entire burden of
building a school house to be used
by Ill children Of the third ward who
desire = high school education.
We are paying the original four
mill tax voted by the town some Sly
years ago. We are also paying the
two mill tax levied by the town coun-
ell. This is not all; the town must
also provide the money with which
the C0vington teachers are paid for
at least two or three months each
year or lose our high school. In
other words, the tax payers of the
town of Covington are now paying
not less than seven and e-half
mills for school purposes, and this Is
In excess of the regular parish school
tax.
BY a recent decision of the State
Supreme Court we cannot sell bonds
based upon the two mill tax levied
by the council. That leaves only
the original four will tax to fall back
- al or 000
before we deduct $4,000 and interest
now due Mr.. l. c. CARRIER. To put
It In round numbers $12,500 plus
what material there is now on the
ground. In short, we do not have
available over $4,000.
Architects and school authorities
who have had experience in such mat
ters tell us that we need school
house of at least fourteen rooms.
and that such building costs il
other places not less than $4,000
It will readily be seen that the six
mills now being collected cannot he
used for any purpose. Not for
school house, because only the four
mill tan can be bonded and that il
Insufficient. Not for anything else.
because it wsS voted for building and
not for maintaining.
Now. II the money cannot be used.
Why ray the tax, after all claims
against it have been settled. The
claim of Mr.. l. c. CARRIER will be can
celled with the 1912 taxes and our
best attorneys tell me that they see
no legal reason why the town can
not vote to abrogate the special
school tex and at the same time le'
the third ward vote three and one
<half mill tax for school purposes.
As you say in your editorial, such
q tax wouO yield US sSS,25o en- ar
assessment OF 81 800, ,00o, if voted fo,,
Is years. We could then sell bonds
to the amount of $4,000 wita which
We could build modern. up to-date
high school building, with domestic
science and manual training depart
ments. With the balance of this in
come we could easily equip the build
Ing and guarantee a nine months
term each year without calling upon
the town council for any special do
nation.
Should we do this our school would
be in q position to merit the $500
given by the State each year to all
approved high schools. We could
also deserve the State aid given
schools offering approved domestic
science courses. All of this would
come with a tax of four mills les
than VIC are now paying. Therefore
Mr. Editor, l am with you and le;
us worl: for q new :'Lool building
and Let US work nal
Yours very lt,ly,
ELMER E. LYON.