The farmer and mechanic., 1913-01-14

themselves for the constantly increas-
ing competition with trained minds in
an age OF universal education and for
the battle OF life that is growing
hercer and keener every year than
tho country boys ana girls OF any 9th
er portion OF the United states. with
the possible exception OF ono or two
states. Eighty-tWo per cent OF tha
children Of the state are country boys
and girls. The average of intelligence
and efficiency, the power and the gen.
eral prosperity OF the State must be
determined BY the education and
training OF the eighty-two per cent
dwelling in the country and villages
tas Of the eighteen per cent dwelling
G-s titles and towns. The progress
pro s,kfs and safety Of the minority
residing 'Sthe towns and cities must
be. in the last analysis, determined bv
the strength, virtue. intelligence. and
efficiency Of this large country popu-
tatiOn.
l appeal to the parents OF these
country boys and girls. to all broad
minded and rar-sighted citizens of the
towns and cities, to every citizen OF
| North Carolina that loves his state
and his people, that believes in the
right Of every child IN D democracy TO
| have an equal chance with every other
child TO make the most OF himself
! through equality OF educational op-
portunity, to join in an insistent and
! persistent demand upon the members
of the General Assembly Of 1913 TO
make adequate provision for at least
q SlX-monthS school term for every
country boy and girl. The State is
! able to provide il, the children need il
and are entitled - It. the demands Of
the age require it. the results in in
creased Intelligence and efficiency will
Justify It, the people want 1t and will
approve il. Gentlemen Of the General
Assembly, whatever else you do. your
hrst duty for the development Of the
educational system OF your State is to
! provide at least "a Six-months school
term for every child in the State.
What 1t Will Cost
| According to estimates based upon
the returns Of 1912, s47S,620.6a. in ad-
dltion to all funds now received for
public rchool purposes from all
sources except local taxation in special
school districts, will be required to
bring the school term in every dis
trict III every county Of the State to
a minimum OF six months or one hun
dred and twenty days This total
amount Was obtained by calculating
the expenditures per day for teachers
salaries and incidental expenses, in
Guiding the appOrtionment from the
county fund to the city schools. for
each county having less than the av-
erage school term of six months and
multiplying the expenses for running
the schools one day III each county by
the number OF days necessary to bring
, the term OF every school III that coun
| ty TO six months
How Can the Money BE PrOvidedr
carefully made for each county, IL we
iengthen the school term TO six months
. We must increase the State and county
, school fund s478620.63. or course
, no special taxes levied and raised b.
: special districts, urban OF rural, have
been or should be considered in these
, calculations, as such taxes must il,
, equity continue to be used by the spe
, cial districts levying them to supple
ment the apportionment received from
, the State and county fund, to lengther
the school term and 70 strengthen and
: Improve the schools in these particu
lar districts. Some Of these districts
, however, might desire to reduce theil
r special levles if they received Sufh
q cient apportionncnt for six month";
) term from the Increased state ant
a comfy fund. and IS most OF then
! have voted Il special tax not TO exceed
q x IlKed MAXIMUM Wlttc1i TAlftg Il den
), aite amount they could iegany reduc'
their annual Itvies IN proportion t,
p the increased apI,"i tionrent from th'
i state and county fund II the maxi
: mum levy should n"t Oe found neces
: Sary. Much ii the special tax in spe
: cial districts that ms.si nov be uses
4 Tor iengthening the term could am
r would then ha ssed for increasing IT,
q deficiency Of the school a.d irnprovin,
: its equipment. thus enc pnragine In
CONTINUED nn t'tcc f'iyA,