The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1913-08-09
MIR. Hart Favors the School T. x.
Bentley, La, July 81,


Bentley, La, July 81, 1913.
Editor Collar Chronicle:
/ am glad to find you favor the five
mills school tax to be voted on Aug ust
19. This is a move in the right dii &C.
ton. | wish to mention a few facts,
as follows: First Half of the tax: BILE
values as shown by the tax rolls is TIM
Der and saw mill property. This tim
Der is being taken away at the rate Of
fifteen thousand acres each year. We
have remaining at this time less ths n
eighty-five thousand acres of timber.
At the present rate of cutting the TIM
Der will all be cut and shipped out OF
the parish in five and half years, and
half of our taxable values will be gone.
How are we going to provide school
funds for the maintaining of our schools
with this reduction in our revenues?
How will the tax affect the various
lumber companies of the parish? Ans.
wer-They will have to pay half the
amount paid into the school fund. Why
should they oppose it? Answer Be
cause it affects their pocket book and
they have very few children in the par
ish to be educated here. Their chill
drenN live as a rule in some city, and
for that reason the mill people as q
rule will oppose any tax we might vote.
Who blames them? Not 1; but how
about you, Mr.. Citizen, permanently
located here? Does the school tax at
feet you? Let's see? You have on an
average three children that will need
an education. This would cost you not
less than ST. so each month for each
child, or $50. 90 for eight months. Five
mills on the dollar will amount to less
than 81. 90 to the average citizen tai
paper in Grant parish, and IS per cent
of the special tax will be paid by non
residents. So it stands tn reason that
a man will vote for his own interest if
he knows what his interest really is.
Now, Mr. Voter examine your tax
receipt and see how much you have
been paying for school purposes. Rea-
son that if you did not pay any tax for
that purpose you would have to dig up
the money, or your children could mol
go to school at all. ask that you vote
according to your interest, considering
the advantage of education, and that
the parish will be elevated and our
children will have advantages that they
cannot have unless we vote the tax.
One more little matter that almost
forgot is that the l.. r. & N. railroad
passes through our parish. They have
never paid any school tax, and have
been exempt from all taxes for ten
years. Ii you vote to save that 80
cents to yourself, you lose the school,
Tax of more than one hundred thousand
dollars value in this one item. How
can you afford to oppose this opportu-
nifty you now have to secure for your
children a chance for an education?
Remember how we kicked when the
tax amendment was before us. We
wanted the railroads and the banks to
remain subject to special taxes. Now
we have the chance to vote the very
tax we fought for the right to vote.
Let us be consistent and vote the tax
now while it will mean funds for the
opening of every school in Grant par
ish. 1t will give us not less than
months for all schools. and allow the
adding of more teachers where they
are needed, and thus place within the
reach of our school children a good
education.
| shall not fall out with my friends
who oppose me in this matter, but |
ask that they give me the right to say
what | think in regard to it. | believe
in education, and will always be found
| fighting for what believe to be best
for our people. Those of you who OPP
pose the tax, if | am not very badly
mistaken, will see your error when it
is too late and the timber has been
taken away, the money taken out of
the State. and your taxes will have to
be raised on your homes because there
will not be funds to run your schools
Let's take it while it is here. So come
on. boys, let's vote the tax.
Very truly yours,