The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-10-12
STATE IS YET UNABLE
TOPAY The TEACHERS
LAWS AIMED TO REMEDY THE
SITUATION HAVE PROVED TO
BE OF NO VALUE.
WAS PREDICTED BY GOV. BROWN

The Problem Has Long Been Agitated
by the Politicians. Expense of the
Extra Session viii Not Help Mat
ters Any.
1t is rather a remarkable fact that
after all the laws which were enacted
with view to providing means for
the more prompt payment of school
teachers of Georgia the state is get
ting further behind than ever in TAX
ing care of these faithful and hard
working public servants.
Several years ago this problem was
agitated from one end of the state
to the other, and it finally led to the
enactment of two laws which some
professed to believe would remedy
the situation. One of these laws
amended the state constitution so as
to increase the governors borrowing
power. Under the old provision of
the constitution the governor was al
lowed to borrow as much as $780,
600 to take care of Deficiencies in
state revenue. The amendment in
creased this amount to $500, 600.
Since it's adoption it has been used
almost every year for the purpose Of
getting money to pay the school
teachers in advance of the collection
of taxes in December.
Railroad Taxes.
Another law, enacted with the
same object in view, was that requir-
ing railroads and other public utility
corporations of the state to pay their
taxes in September. This amounted
somewhere around 100000 and the
purpose was to apply this amount
upon the salaries of the Georgia
teachers.
Notwithstanding the enactment of
these laws comparatively little has
been done for the teachers of the
state this year. Up to date they have
been paid a total Of only S250,00O on
the amount due them for 1915, al
though the total appropriation is ST.
$50, 900. They have received less than
10 per cent of the amount due them
for the year.
No More This YeOr.
In the preent conditi II of the state
treasury it will be practically impos-
sible to pay them any more money
this year except such amount as the
governor may borrow under the au-
thority given him by the constitution.
He can borrow and pay them as much
as half a million dollars, which would
leave a total of $500, 900 due them
on their 1915 salaries at the begin
ming of 1916.
Some of the money collected as
corporation taxes in September was
included in the ten per cent payment
that has been made. The balance of
that tax money will have to be re-
tanned in the treasury to meet state
expenses of maintenance accruing
from day to day, as there are now no
other funds for this purpose.
May Float Loan.
Gov Harris has had the matter up
with State Treasurer Speer and State
Superintendent of Schools Britain,
and it is entirely probable that he
will negotiate loan under his con-
stitutional authority in order to give
them this additional half million.
Brown Was Right.
Former Gov. Jos. NJ. Brown, speak
ing of the two enactments in ques-
ton, predicted that they would not
solve the problem. The facts prove
that Gov. Brown was right about it.
The situation is just as bad today as
it was before these two laws were
passed, if not just little bit worse.
Nor is the additional expense of some
$40, 900 put upon the state as the
result of the extraordinary session of
the Legislature going to assist in any
way in remedying the situation.
DUTCH STEAMSHIP BRINGS