Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1916-03-15
TAXATION AND
EDUCATION
Proposed Methds Discussed
Subject Interests Farmers

Friday night. The conference,
which was called by the state
Board of Education, is reported
as the first of series of meetings
to be held throughout the State.
The idea is to get the taxpayers
acquainted with the details of the
present system and get them to
think of ways and means of i'm
provement. Expense of collection,
unequal results in different dis
tricts, law owner versus tenant
tax all have a very material bear
ing on the subject.
The meeting Friday evening
was attended by the Governor,
Professor Hayward of Newark.
DR.. Wagner, State Commissioner
Of Education, Board of Education
of Milford and prominent citizens
of Milford and surrounding rural
districts. In order that our farm
err friends may become acquainted
with his coming subject we print
full account as given in The Even
ing Journal of Wilmington:
The subject of pupils from rural
districts entering the high schools
received some consideration, but
following an address by Col. Theo-
dore Townsend, member of the
Kent County School Commission,
who stated that he believed that it
is impossible to get better results
from public school work as the
system is now organized, and that
in his opinion further patching of
the school laws would not make
the necessary remedy, the whole
trend of the talk was changed. He
said that the present system Of as
sessing and collecting the school
moneys was too expensive, and
that a new method should be tried.
Professor Carroll superintendent
of Kent County Schools, also said
the present system worked against
the best interests of the schools.
Following a lengthy discussion
of the proposed changes in the
school laws, the vote on the ques-
ton Shall the legislature be ask
ed to change the method of raising
school taxes from rental, to assess
ed valuation, the same as other
taxes are raised" Every person
present voted in the affirmative.
The outline of the proposed
laws to be presented to the coming
legislature, subject to changes as
the various meetings throughout
the State may see fit to suggest,
was handed to the men present,
and they favored them.
Under the proposed plan an eff
ficiency commissioner of education
with assistants, is provided for.
Some of the suggestions are:
Current publicity work, supply
the public press with news and in
formation about the schools, re-
presentating the schools in public
meetings, institutions, etc.
Directing club work m 0 n g
schools to serve the same office
for rural children, as are served
by vocational training and manual
training for city children.
Fix a maximum Of the State ap-
preparation per child, say fifty
cents per year that district may
spend out of State funds for text
books; this maximum. if not spent
for textbooks in any year, shall be
Used to purchase books for school
library under the direction of the
county superintendent and COM
missioner of education.
Of the residue of the State d.
vidend, after the allowance for
textbooks has been subtracted,
allow any school district only
such percentage to its portion, as
its entire attendance by the child
rem was Of the entire school term
Cor a graded scale of percentage
of funds on basis of percentage
of attendance). This is just and
equitable since it is insisting that
State funds shall be used econo,
mically and frugally.
Balance of State funds thus re,
naming unapplied to constitute
a fund out of which bonuses be
paid to standard and superior
schools by the State Board of
Education.
Equity: All high School child.
rem, within the State, have a right
to expect similar treatment from
the State.
Present policy helps few, and
hurts as many, or more, by reason
of discontinuance of hi e h e +
grades in rural schools near the
towns.
This policy will encourage and