The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1913-01-30
New County Superintendent
Outlines His School
Policies.
LETTER FROM McMAHAN
Says That the Children of Cooke
County Are Deserving of Bet
ter Treatment Than They Are
Now Receiving and He Asks
That the People and the Court
to Lend Aid.

Superintendent Oscar McMahan OF
the county's public schools believes
that there are better days in store for
the schools of the county. He issues a
letter this week asking for the cooper
alton of not only the county court but
of the people as we'll. His letter is as
follows:
"Owing to the fact that several pub
| lie school teachers and Others interest
ed in better progress in common schools
have made frequent inquiries as TO the
attitude of the new Superintendent
along this line. take this method Of
setting forth my views, which are as
follows:
81 expect to do everything in my
power, during my administration,
whether il be two, four, or six years,
to build up to a more adequate state,
the public school system Of Cooke
county. Mydistinguished predecessor,
who has given six of his best years in
the cause of common schools in this
county has laid good ioundatfon,up-
on which fervently ho )e to build
good work. To do this must ask the
cooperation of the county courI, the
County Board Of Educrtion, the Dis
trict Advisory Board and the educas
tional progressive citizenship of Cooke
county. cannot accomplish much
myself, nor can the Board of Education,
nor the people alone, but we must all
get together in real spirit of business.
| like cooperation. The time has come
when we must consider, seriously, the
educational propositions; there is no
other of greaterimportance tocOnsider;
there never has been. But prior to this
time, we have agitated, fought for and
at last succeeded in getting good pike
roads extended into every leading sec
tion of the county. Sufficient bridge
taxes have been levied to place excel
lent bridges at practically every river
road crossing. progress after progress
has been made rapidly along dozen
different lines, until to-day Cooke
County Is considered a county of
| wealth.. But, educationally, we are in
the rut of twenty years ago. How do
| x.,, .ocD,,,,t fn this ny. nm Ilal FOR Sfata
of iethargy? Who is responsible? The
County Superintendents for their pro-
portionate share the County Courts for
their proportionate share, which is by
for the greatest, and the people of the
county for the rest. In fact, there
! should have been deeper and more
wide-a-wake interest taken along this
line, years ago, by the people, who
through their uperintendent should
have gotten behind the County Court
for better tax levy for schools; then
to-day, in connection with the good
road system we have, and excellent
bridges we afford, we would have had
a better educated citizenship. "More
than fifteen years ago. when was a
student in the pnblic schools, the
length Of term was frequently only
four months. More than fifteen years
later, In 1911 and 1912 the length.of
term is still only four months. Whr
so: Because of a lack OF money. The
same fyecent school tax levy of twenty
years ago, is the school tax levy of to-
day. This is the only needed explain
alton of the slow educational progress
of twenty years. Now l appeal 10
thinking citizens, and to the public
leadership of Cooke County that this
state of affairs has been In existence
long enough. Then let US getour heads
together, comparatively in behalf Of a
real, and earnest intellectual progress.
sour magistrates, | have been as
sured, are friendly toward better tax
levy. Let usget behind them with a
boost to make ii as much as possible
We need double the amount we have
and can easily afford it. We aye all
able to pay more than double the
amount Of school tax we paid, even
ten years ago. ,AN EXCESSIVE TAX
SCARE is only booger-boo, anyway,
Why do say this? Because the aver
age taxpayer spends ten times as
much money each year for foolish and
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