The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-01-21

stitutions Of learning from $4,000 a
year IN 1897 to more than a quarter
Of million dollars year in 1911
q think these are the correct figures),
and why money has been found for
erecting costly buildings and for in
creasing salaries, if it cannot also be
IOund for giving decent chance to the
country boys and ~irls of the State.
With proper assessment Of prop
erty in the State and suitable inheri-
tance and income taxes, the school tax
can be inrcased from 20 to % cents
on the 500 without increasing the
States general tax levy
ia Modern and Flexible Compul-
sorry Attendance Law.
Along With an increased school term
must come compulsory attendance
law. 1t is amazing how rapidly the
sentiment in favor of this advanced
step has grown. In the recent North
Carolina Farmers Union the issue was
squarely put and won not only by an
overwhelming and tremendous ma
jority-by vote of nearly one hun
! dred to one-but also with great en-
thusiaSm. Everywhere one hears the
statement, IF it is right to compel me
to pay taxes to provide school advant-
ages for the children, it is right to
compel the children to take advantage
of these school facilities after the
| taxpayers provide them.' The logic
is unanSwerable.
Most Of the objections to a com
pulsory attendance law heretofore
have been based on the absurd idea
that it would be an absolutely tyran-
meal measure, knowing no bowels Of
mercy and making no provision fol
Of oh
in circumstances Of genuine necessity
On the contrary, in a proper compul
sorry attendance law provision will b
! made for exempting children il
cases OF sickness or dire poverty
ETC., and good deal of latitude will
be given the county boards of educa
ton.
The fear that such law will in
terfere with farm work also strike
me as unwarranted. In the first plac
lii would apply only to children o
13 years Or under and their part il
farm work is, fortunately, not i'm
portant. MOrever, the school tern
may be adjusted in each section t.
suit the prevailing farming conditions
Ir six-mOnths' term through the lat
fall, winter and early spring month
cannot be provided without interfer
: ence with farm work, portion of tn
term can be given after the crops ar
laid by in summer The negro ques
; ton can also be adjusted in this mat
ter just as it has been adjusted i
r many forms more puzzling than thl:
> The present North Carolina law give
the county board of education con
, siderable authority in this respect
} III-A Better System of Taxation.
+ repeat that the problem Q
raising money for the schools in Mort
e Carolina can be solved. Some sue
f methods as have succeeded in Wis
e cOnsin, Ohio and West Virginia wi
: succeed in North Carolina
The justest Of all forms of taxatio
/. is the inheritance tax. We have no ir
D heritance tax law worthy the nam
;, whereas we ought to get several hur
e dred thousand dollars a year from ir
: heritances. A law somewhat les
e stringent than -Oklahoma's but NOR
Y stringent than that of Kansas or
j California. rigidly enforced, wouI
greatly increase our revenues and r.
Il duce the burden of taxation on tn
g pOOr-wOuld tax the gains of chant
t Or inheritance more. the gains of thri
a and industry less. A stricter incOn
r tax, with provisions for publishing tn
t income tax list, would also prObabl
d double receipts from this source
r plan for requiring all solvent credi
r to be listed or registered, in order
e be cOllectible. should also be provide
= No honest man will complain
d paying his share of taxes provided +
e be sure he is not paying more tina
d his share. The trouble is that OF
e ments is an utterly unscientific, hit-o
! miss. hodge podge-a vast patchwor