Bogalusa enterprise. [volume] (Bogalusa, La.) 1914-1918, 1915-05-27
SCH00LS-M0NEY
BY PROF. PETERS


TEN would languish and die. The
health and efficiency Of any school
system depends upon its being ade-
quatelY financed and its finances
being administered on economic
principles. A smaller sum, properly
and skillfully expended will often
secure better results than a larger
sum injudiciously expended.
The first and main question is
how and from what sources are the
main necessary funds for financing
a school system to be obtained.
The second is how and in what
proportion shall they be expended.
1t is the financing of the schools in
which we are directly interested
Now it is true, education is not
purely a local matter like maintain
ing pavements or street lights, edu-
cation is of great concern to the
state as nothing more fundamental
ly influences the future welfare of
the state than the maintaining of
good schools; therefore the State as
a whole contributes toward the
maintenance of the schools, since
the future prosperity, yes and wealth
of the state depends upon the
educational advantages afforded tie
children of the state. But the state
for reasons, that need not be dis.
cussed here. can only aid the COM
munities within its confines, it can
not bear and it does not bear the
whole expense Local taxation is
n ;cessary in order to have thorough
ly equipped and we'll taught schools
for the larger part of a year.
Some people regard schools as a
tax, as a burden. These people
must learn that ignorance is a tax
and that the school is an invest
ment that pays two dividends. one
in more life and one in more pro-
perty. Any man who advocates
the curtallins OF lesitimately,
economically and efficiently ad-
mlnistered material support to
education, and to the work of max
ing productive citizens, proceeds on
the theory that the way to meet a
deficit and to stop leak is to make
tn leak larger. He proceeds en-
the theory that the way to be res
cued from leaking boat, is to en-
large the leak. He proceeds on the
theory that the way to live is to
cut off the current of life.
It's from local aid, supplemented
by state aid, that we must depend
upon for the financing of our schools
We must add the community's shar.
to that of the state and that of the
local community should be large
and generous, for the benefit to be
derived by the community is larger
than that by the state, even from
the pecuniary point Of view. 1t is
the ignorant, the unmeducated,' the
untausht that fill our jails and poor
houses and crowd cur dispensaries
and hospitals, and we are taxed for
their support for more than we are
or will be taxed for the support of
the schools, and with what return :?
Practically nothing
Money paid for the support of the
schools is like bread cast upon the
waters, which, the Bible tells us,
will be returned after many days,
richly increased in quantity, while
the money spent for jails, poor
houses and other charitable and
penal institutions is practically
money thrown away, but ignorance
demands its tax and like the daught-
ers of the horse-leech, is continually
crying more more"
A community cannot lift itself
by pulling upon its own bootstraps
any more than an individual can do
so. The community must find the
load to be moved, locate the prob