Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-06-30

AS a record of what has been accomplished
through Georgia's school system in the year 1915
and as guide to what should be undertaken for
the seasons ahead, Superintendent Brittains an
nual report of the State Department of Education
is a book Ito be chewed and digested." Some per-
sons are woefully discouraged common
school problems; others content for matters
to jog as they are; still others, while recogniz-
ing the evils to be remedied and the difficulties to
be overcome believe that the States moral re-
sources, if duly aroused and directed, will place
Georgia where she ought to be in educational serv-
ice and achievement
1t is this latter spirit of sober optimism which
marks the report recently submitted by Superin-
tendent Britain. He feels that the trend is up
ward, though it may be slow. Looked at through
five or ten-year periods the advance is plain de-
spite the encouragement we feel at times over
certain stationary and almost backward sections"
Further:
Progress was made with the Legislature at
its last session to the prompt payment of teach
ers. Through the Walker bill each county and local
system is now able to secure each month that part
of the school funds appropriated by the State.
During the last few years have improved our
educational legislation a dozen different points
The only retrogressive measure passed was that of
1909 making the county superintendent position
subject to political chance
creased by more than twenty-one thousand; the
total value of school property and equipment in
creased from $13,036,547 to STA, 691213; two
hundred and twelve school houses were built in
the course of the twelvemonth; the number of
teachers increased from 1927 to 1882; and
the amount of school money raised by local taxa
ton increased from s2,O76,346 to S2,387,729.
These figures all bear witness to substantial pro-
gress The only regret is that they reflect the
thar
the counties as a whole.
In the matter of local school taxation, for ex-
ample, only forty counties are doing anything
like their duty The others depend entirely
the State school fund. That policy is unjust to
themselves and to the Commonwealth. dollar
raised for schools through local taxation counts
for more than two dollars handed out from the
State treasury, because the home dollar carries
with it home interest and patriotism and strict
insistence that it be spent to the highes possible
advantage Professor Britain we'll says in this
connection:
Nearly all States permit and most require
local communities to do something or else
forego the aid of the State funds intended to
equalize conditions. Our Constitution not only
does not do this, but penalties progress in this
direction by not permitting the counties
to tax themselves unless they secure two
thirds majority of their voters for this pur-
pose. The States Immediately about illustrate
clearly the result of such legislation. Alabama
has laws similar to ours, making taxation diff
ficult instead of encouraging it. We surpass
that State both with regard to literacy and
other points connected with educational eff
cheney. Tennessee and Florida however, re-
quire their counties to levy at least or
two mills in addition to the State funds. They
have done this for years, having wisely written
it into their Constitutions, and a result
they are ahead not only of Georgia in this
particular, but of any other Southern State
hampered by like legislation"
Not until Georgia revises her law to
pedite instead of retarding local school taxation
can the individual counties the State as a whole
adequately meet their educational needs. The
penalty of the present system is strkngly attested
by the fact that only three States give smaller
per capa fund for school purposes than does Geor-
gia. North Dakota spends 1892 per capita for
common schools; Minnesota, $3.50; Nebraska,
$50; Oregon. $3.50; Georgia, S1.9S Our States
dscreditable showing in this respect is due largely
to the fact that most of its counties depend the
school appropriation from the Legislature, without
raising supplementary funds of their own The
Legislative appropriation amounting to upwards
of two and a half million dollars a year, is very
liberal compared with that of other States, but
the failure of so many counties to meet their in
dividual responsibilities brings down Georgia's
per capita expenditure for schools to a dsgraceful
figure. To remedy this condition the General AS
sembly should open the way for Constitutional
amendment whereby simple majority of the vot-
ers in any county could authorize local school
tax 1t might be well, indeed, to go further and
make State aid conditional upon local sef-help.
Professor Brittain's recommendations concern
ing compulsory school attendance and a commission
to deal with the problem of adult illiteracy are
well advised. Measures to this end should be
adopted the present session of the Legislature.
Compulsory education, with an accompanying pro-
vision for free text books in the primary grades
at least, is a matter of practical wisdom and jus
tice which the State no longer should ignore