Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-03-07
Mr.. sWEARINeEN is PLEASED.
State Superintendent Thinks General
Assembly ls Educational.


Discussing the, work Of the recent
general assembly from an educational
standpoint, State Superintendent OF
education Swearingen has gwen oul
the following: .. .;.
1.-THE history of public school finance
in South Carolina falls naturally into
three periods. The first embraces the
ten years between 1868 and 1873,
when the idea of free public educa-
ton was establishing itself, and when
the support of the public school de-
pended on annual appropriations by
the legislature. The uncertainty Of
this policy led to the constitutional
amendment imposing a two-mill tax
for schools. The adoption Of this
amendment by popular vote In 1875
and its ratification in 1878 laid the
foundation of all the subsequent devel-
opment. In 1895 the constitutional
convention of that year raised the
county school tax from two to three
mills thus closing the second period
Of seventeen years and ushering in a
new era Of public school growth.
1T Is interesting to note that the
two-mill tax imposed by the constitu-
tional amendment of 1878 raised less
than $25O,Q0O for free schools. Edu-
cational expenditures for the scholas-
tic year, July /, 1911, to June 80, 1912,
amounted to nearly $4,000, 0,000-an
increase of 1000 per cent in thirty-five
years.
The friends Of public education
have advocated state appropriations TO
the common schools for many years,
but the signal advance made by the
general assembly in levying a one
mill state tax for schools, marks the
third great step in the financial devel-
opmenr of the public school system.
nearly 100000, and raises school rev.
enues nearly 12a per cent in one year.
1t was naturally to be expected that so
important a measure would arouse
strenuous opposition. The law Is not
all that Is needed, but the establish
ment Of the principle Of statewide
taxation for statewide support of uni
versal education has heretofore been
impossible. The constitutional poll
lax is a district tax. The three-mill
constitutional tax Is a county tax. The
capitation dog tax and all special
levies for current expenses or for
bonds are also district taxes. In COM
munities where railroads, factories
and banks create high district valu-
alton and assessment of property, an
additional mill in local school taxa
ton will raise a fair sum for school
purposes. In rural districts, with a
sparse population and small tax values
the maximum eight-mill levy not in
frequently fails TO produce enough
revenue to run the schools seven
months. If the state Is to provide
equal facilities for all the children, the
state must levy a school tax in order
to equalize the wide disparities in dis
trict and in county assessments.
1.-The text Of the law follows:
"An act to levy and collect one
mill state tax for the free public
schools and provide for the distribu-
ton Of the same.
"'Section 1. Be it enacted by the
general assembly Of the state Of South
Carolina, That a tax Of one mill Is
hereby levied on all the real and per-
sonal property of the state, the pro-
ceeds Of which shall be used exclusive
ly for the free public schools and ex-
pended as hereafter stated.
"'Sec. 2. OF the proceeds Of this
one mill tax levy SO per cent shall be
retained in the county in which col
lected to be known as the county
board fund" and shall. be used by the
several county boards Of education for
the aid of the free schools in the re-
spective counties in the discretion Of
the said boards; so per cent Of the
proceeds shall be deposited with the
state treasurer and disbursed by him
on the warrant of the chairman and
secretary Of the state board Of educa-
ton as other state funds are disburs-
ed, to be used by the said state board,
as follows: For high schools under
sections 1S25-1S35 Of code of 1912,
$50, 900; for extension Of public schools
under the act Of 1910, 100000; for
consolidated graded schools under act
1912, No. 497, $4,000; for rural IL
braries, $4,000. Any additional funds
at the disposal Of the state board Of
education under the provision of this
act shall be used for the lengthening
of the school term under sections
17S3-17S0 of code, 1912.
"Forty-one Of the 257 acts Of the
recent legislature relate to education.
This act is not only the greatest Of
them all. but 1t is by far the most
constructive and patriotic school leg
islation of the past eighteen years.
This fourth mill should have been al
together a state tax for schools. and 1t
is to be hoped that the legislative ses-
sion of 1914 will not only continue this
levy but will do so for the specific
purposes of high schools, rural grad
ed schools, term extension, school
buildings. libraries and for agricultu-
raj, industrial, textile and teacher
training courses in suitable localities
These specific activities have already
been established. Their development
is essential to an efficient system of
schools, and this development for the
state at large can not be left to the
narrow limits of school districts or of
counties themselves. A complete sys-
tenn Of public education must rest on
the three units of district, county and
state taxation"