Milford chronicle., 1916-03-17
GOVERNOR MILLER MEETS
SCHOOL FOLKS IN MILFORD
Unanimous in Milford for Change in
Method of Raising School Money
FROM RENTAL TO ACTUAL VALUE
Il is the Purpose to Get the People Inter
ested and Plans Made for Legislation
Next Winter for An Entire
CHANGE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM
Believe Money is Now Wasted in Assess
ing and Collecting School Taxes.

The meeting held on Friday evening
March 10th, in the high school audi
torium in the town of Milford. when
the State Board of Education met
twenty and more of the men and wo-
men OF Milford and vicinity, who are
leaders in thought along the lines Of
public school education, for the pur-
pose of interchanging ideas, and dis
cussiOn of the best methods to be ap-
piled so as to get better results from
money expended for education and a
more economical means of getting
that result, will be one Of the many
which will be held in all parts of Del
aware from time to time.
In addition to the State Board of
Education and the Commissioner of
Education, DR.. Charles A. Wagner,
Governor Charles r Miller was pres
ent for part of the time, and made a
brief talk on the subject under dis
cussiOn.
Prof. Harry Hayward, of the State
Board, acted as chairman of the meet
ing and briefly stated the purpose,
which was to get an expression of the
people, as to what would be most
acceptable in the way Of a new sys-
tenn Of school laws.
The subject of pupils from rural
districts entering the high schools,
was taken up and received some con-
sideratiOy when the whole line was
changed by some remarks from Col.
TheO. Townsend, who believed that 1t
is impossible to get any better results
from the public school system as now
organized, than 1t Is now affording,
and that any further patching up Of
the laws would not relieve the people
Of the waste, of the unfair bearing OF
expenditure of the public school mon
ey now appropriated by the state. In
his argument he clearly brought out
the fact that the whole trouble lay in
the system of raising the money for
the public schools. That 1t Is costing
too much to assess and have money
collected under a system which is top
heavy, unfair, and works to permit
those entitled to pay their rightful
part OF school expenses, to escape
with a minimum tax. not equal to the
amount paid by his neighbor
This brought discussions from
George B. Hynson, Benz. F. B. Wood |
all, A. B. Peet, DR.. Wagner and others. |
Prof. Carroll of Kent County stated |
that the present system worked |
against the best interests of the school |
and told how the results were brought |
about.
The meeting took up and discussed |
the following different points which |
should be kept in view, In the pre- |
paration of new laws.
Colonel Townsend stated that the
is general that these
are for the purpose Of get
ting the ideas Of the people so that
a bill can be formed, and then be sub
mitted to the people either through |
public meetings or through the papers
Of Delaware, for discussion and crit
icism, and then revision before pre-
senting the bill to the legislature at
it's next session to be enacted into
law.
The important feature of the meet
ing last Friday night was the putting |
of the question for an expression OF
opinion, viz: Shall the legislature
be asked to change the method of rails
ing school taxes from rental, to as
sessed valuation the same as other
taxes are assessed and raised?" Ev-
cry vote in the room was cast for the
and indicates that at least
the men who are familiar with the
true situation are favorable to the go
ing to the very root of all the trouble
with our school system.
Among those present besides Gov
ernor Miller, Prof. Hayward, DR.. Wag-
ler and Prof. Carroll, were, George
B. Hynson, George F. Pierce, VIM. V.
Sipple, Colonel Theo. Townsend, John
W. Herring, George H. Hall, A. B. Peet,
B. F. B. Woodall, Frank Reedy, w. A.
Truitt, Prof. Varney, VIM. G. Abbott,
and the entire local board of educa-
ion.
The discussion briefly was along
he various lines, under head Of the
various subjects, as follows, viz:
Continued on Page Five)