The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-01-14

According to the last report of the
state treasurer the appropriations
from the State treasury exceed h
revenues annually several hundred
thousand dollars. Therefore if we
increase the annual Expenditures from
the State treasury s~47s.620.69 to pro
vide a six months schooi term. We
must. of necessity. also increase the
revenues by at least that amount and
provide the machinery for such in
crease. or We must reduce the expend-
lures from the State treasury fer 9TH
er purposes sufficiently to provide the
funds needed for a six-months school
term. / do not believe that the ex-
penditures from the State treasury for
other purposes, and especially for 9TH
er educational have been
e~xtravagant. or that these expendi-
lures could be materially decreased
without materially decreasing in eff
cheney other important and necessary
parts OF our educational system and
other governmental machinery. We
can not afford to stop or arrest prog
reSs in n important n necessary
direction to promote it in another d.
%rection, however important that may
be. Every we'll informed citizen OF
the State must realize that the state
was never in its history SO prosperous.
n that 1t is amply able to make
reasonable provision for reasonable
development in all directions.
beg to suggest the following meth
Cd for providing annually the addi-
tional funds needed for eQualizing the
school term and bringing it In every
school district to six months: Set aside
annually five cents Of the State tax
levy on property to provide a perna-
nent equalizing State school fund in
addition to all the funds now levied
and collected for the elementary
schools to be appOrtiOned from the
State treasury by the State Board OF
Education In such a way as to bring
the minimum school term in every dis
trict to six months. or as near thereto
as the funds make possible. BY q
prOper revision Of our present system
of assessment n taxation, and Of gu
methods of raising revenue in accord
ance with the modern, scientific. uni
form. complete systems and method!
OF many other states and OF man,
, European countries. it ought to b.
, possible to increase the o
the State sufficiently to set aside an
nually at least five cents Of the Stat,
levy for the elementary schools an
still have enough left for meeting al
: the other reasonable needs Of tn
State government without increasing
the present State levy of forty-fv
cents On the hundred dollars. If thi
is not done. however, then, if tn
money needed for a s~ix-months terri
is provided. the State levy on propert
I must be sufficiently increased to pro
vide it. Only by one or the other 0
these two ways can the funds needle
: for this purpOs be permanently leo
vided annually. The people WOul
understand when they paid their Stat
S taxes that they were paying five cent
on the hundred dollars for this pur
t pose. This fun would be a separat
fund raised by separate tax ach yea
for this specific purpose like the Stat
t pension tax and fund. 1t would cor
stantly increase with increasing wealt
, Of the State from year to year to mee
: the increasing demands for the II
creaSing school population. and Woul
be entirely removed from the bienni<
scramble for increased appropriation
by public institutions OF al! sorts OF
r Of a treasury usually depleted.
Fiv cents property tax on $T40, 113
e 962, the assessed valuation of all tao
= able property OF the State in 191
- would provide an additional annu,
it fund Of $~37O,356.98 for lengthenin
and eQualizing the school term to s.
t months. AS will be seer from the ca
culations above this would almo
bring the term to six months in ~
II district the nrSt year, ana with II
constantly increasing wealth Of u
e State would unQuestiOnably be 3ufi
cient to provide for a full six-mOnti
term in every district In a few years
1t As l see the situation. then. we mu
). look to increase Of revenues by prop
~ revision Of our tax system or by tt
70 increase OF the state levy so as to wa
ran levying and setting aside ann!
to ally at least five cents or the hundrs
= dollars Of the total State levy to pr
q vide a permanent and specific sta
he fund to be apportioned from the Sta
treasury to secure a minimum SchO
a term of six months We can not HOY
T. to secure the funds needed for III
n purpose by the reduction Of State a.
preparations for necessary purpOS
that now seem to be hardly adeUua
for reasonable maintenance and d
1T velopment, for, in most instance
!, such reductions would mean arrest