The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-05-29
THE LOCAL TAX FOR SCHOOLS
PROF LAND HAS SOMETHING TO
SAY ON THE SUBJECT.

Should Have Serious Thought
Editor Dawson News: The prop
osi+ion 70 be submitted at the polls
on lime 18th to abolish the local
school tax in Terrell county should
enlist the most serious thought on
the part of every voter in the coun-
~ before he decides to strike blow
Of the progress of his county by Vot-
ing to abolish.
To abolish local tax is to go bacK
to the tuition plan for raising schooI
funds or to a six months school WIN
no school in the fall. 1t means poor
" Maid teachers and consequently
moor class of teachers, because OF the
short term and poor pay. Consoh-
datjon and transportation of pupils
will be out of the question, because
of lack of finds. 1t will not be
possible to establish new schools, be-
cause the state funds will be more
than consumed in the payment OF
teachers for the schools already es-
tablished.
1t will be backward step that
no other county in the state mas
taken and will be blow to the coun-
TVS progress from which she Will
not recover in ten years.
Tuition VS.. the Taxation Plan.
%. Tuition is uncertain. There
is no way TO MAKE a man pay: tie
amount is us Iully too small 10 make
a suit profitable.
(2). Tuition is uneconomicaI and
often personal.
(a). The teacher, instead Of de-
voting all of his time and thought
to the school, wastes much time, en-
ergy and worry in making collec-
tfons CD. Furthermore, a man
who wants to avoid paying tuition
and at the same time hide his own
dishonesty will often pick fault
with the teacher and charge to this
fault his refusal to pay. contln-
ual disturbance or school row is the
result. The school is thereby injur-
ed and the whole community some
times split to pieces-all because OF
the tuition business.
(3). Tuition is not effective. 1t
debars from school the children who
usually most need to go; that is,
those who are unable to pay.
(a). Taxation is certain. 1t can
be foretold with perfect defniteness
how much will be available to run
the schools each year. (b). Taxa
ton is impersonal Everybody in
the community fares alike. There
is nobody asking subscriptions;
there is nobody starting COMPARE
sons; there is no motive for the tut
ton dodger. (c). Taxation is eco
nomical and business-like. The
money is easy to collect-being SIM
ply collected by the tax collector
along with other taxes. The board
of education knowing just what its
resources are can plan in advance
and use it's resources to the best ad-
vantage.
Taxation Is just.
~. 1t is just to the whole COM
munity The community more than
the parent gains or loses by train
ing of the child. If the child makes
a good man he is a benefit to the
whole community; if he makes bad
man the community not the parent
suffers the injuries of his crimes and
has the expense of his trial and pun
ishment.
1t is just to rich citizens who have
no children.
We are not a society of money
alone. The property owner can hold
his property only as he is enabled
to do so by his fellow men. The
value of his property depends entire
ly upon the intelligence and civiliza-
ton of his neighbor. An acre of
land in Georgia is worth more than
a dozen square miles of better land
in savage Africa.
Taxation is efficient. 1t gets re-
suits. Our cities tax themselves for
good schools; they have them.
Counties in other states have long
taxed themselves for good schools;
they have long had them.
Conclusion.
Since local tax for schools is a
sure means of support, is imper-
sonal, is economical and business
like, is American and democratic, is
just to all concerned and, finally,
since it gets results, the wise thing
to do is to continue the local tax in
this county. F. E. LAND.