The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1917-06-27

county pay. Cordele pays taxes on one
and one-half millions more than the
people of the county. These figures
are from our own tax digest in the
office of our tax receiver.
Now take note of the fact that the
last census gave the city of Cordele
$3.50 people. The same United States
census report this county 1923
people. That was the report of
1910, six years ago, but the proper
ton in population could not have
changed very great deal The point
is this: While the city only has one
third Of the entire population, it has
nearly twothirds of the property on
which taxes are paid in the county.
Our school boss, the head of both
the city and the county systems, has
told the rural citizens that should
they join single system for all the
county, they would have to pay taxes
to help maintain the schools of Cor
dele. What cheap appeal! What
false appeal! He is now asking the
rural citizens Of this county to sign
and return card to him. That card
ton just ahead Of that shameful mis-.
was put out to- the rural popuIa-
representation in time to catch quick
answer, one that might be had before
the country people could be shown
that the whole thing is false.
one-third of the school children in
Crisp county live within the city limits
OF Cordele. Two-thirds live in the
country The reverse is true with re-
gard to the taxes. Cordele pays an.
proximately two-thirds of the taxes
of the entire county, the rural sections
one third.
The initiative for good schools prop.
erly belongs to the largest communi-
ties and it is reasonable that the peo.
pie of Cordele might be expected to
move first. They are moving, always
ready for advancement, but this is
the largest community of well.to-do
wide awake people in Georgia to have
as poor schools as we now have, both
city and county. The troubles that
are low besetting us should be remov-
ed. They must be removed.
1t is not the fault of the people.
One of the best evidences OF their love
of advancement is measured in the
way they use the library of Cordele.
The people of Cordele have given
many times more to founding and
maintaining this institution than the
other residents of the county and they
have been eager to share its use with
the rural residents. They have sue
ceeded so well in their efforts that it
may be said there is not another libra
ry in this state serving so representa-.
tive a patronage. The Cordele library
is distinctly Crisp county institution
if we must Judge from the use made of
it.
The Dispatch believes the people of
Cordele have that same desire to make
the good schools serve all the people
OF the county. There is not a good
citizen here who fails to see the great
good that is possible when the walls
OF the city are thrown down and the
good schools are carried to the rural
districts. The people out there want
the good schools. The people in Cor.
dele would never tire in working for
the good of such system. No one to
this good hour has interposed an OBJ.
lection in the hearing of the Dispatch
except the man who heads our two
school systems. He ought to be the
last man to do it,
We have no special reason for try
ing to duplicate the Bibb system in
Crisp. We simply knew of some of
the advantages. We see some of the
failings of the schools in Crisp
cannot help it,. We only thought of
suggesting them for the accomplish
ment of good Bibb pays her teach
ers better salaries. maintains nine
mcnth term in city and country.
builds her own school houses out of
the tax fund, makes every other i'm.
prns' ont of; Il l,ao,,, rool 400.