The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-09-07

now have sufficient money to educate
the children if the school boards did
not insist on their being taught so
much that is of little or no use.
The public is sorrowfully aware
that Mr.. Crimson is correct when he
says there is no place in the world to
get public funds except from the pub
lie. Public officials are getting money
from the public. They are getting it
in gobs and stacks, and they are
spending more than they get, as will
be seen by the constantly increasing
public debts. Our officials have very
little idea of government except to
tax the people and spend the money.
In this state and county the people
are already heavily taxed. and the
schools are receiving their full share
of the proceeds. We have 20-mill
tax, in the county of which the schools
receive seven. We have 9-mill state
tax, of which considerable portion,
we don't know how much. goes to the
university and other higher schools.
The poll taxes go to the schools and
in addition almost every school dis
trict in the county has its special tax
from one to three mills, almost all
of them the latter two figures The
Ocala, Citra and some other districts
are bonded for new school houses. The
average taxpayer is paying from ten
to fifteen mills for education.
So far as our own county is con-
cerned, we have no kick to make. We
have always had competent and
honest school board and board of
commissioners. They have handled
school funds very well, and we do not
think our present school taxes are
higher than they have to be. Our
school board, of course, is not re-
sponsible for the price of books nor
the course of study which is fixed by
the state. Unfortunately, we have to
help pay for delinquencies of other
counties and errors committed or al
lowed by the legislature and state of
ficials.
We are opposed to adopting any
amendment to the constitution that is
not absolutely necessary, particularly
at this time. Nobody knows how a
constitutional amendment will work
until it is tried, and it is harder to
get rid of than the seven-year itch.
The Florida legislature is very reck-
less with the peoples money. and is
very near-sighted about public af-
fairs, nevertheless, we do not think it
would have presented this amend
ment to the people if it had foreseen
present conditions. At present, prices
are high, work abundant and money
plentiful, except in rural Florida In
two years or less. the war is going to
end. The soldiers will come back
home. A lot Of people who are now
getting big pay will have to give up
their situations and jobs to the sol
diers. The country, speeded up to
production, will have supplies in
plenty instead of scarcity. Prices
will drop. The teachers who left
their profession to make big money
will be mighty glad to return to it,
for the same or lower salaries than
they receive now. But, if we vote
this amendment, our taxes and other
high taxes, will be fastened on US. We
have so far no conception of the taxes
we are going to have to pay in conse-
quence of the war. IL the average
man has to pay no more than twenty
five dollars on every hundred he has,
he will be lucky.
The trouble about Mr.. Brinson and
the other members of the teacher
class is that they are working simply
and solely for present conditions.
They are not thinking of what will
happen after the war. They want to
keep the schools speeded up. when
they ought to know they can be and
must be slowed down for a year or
two. Like other public officials, they
have no remedy for anything but
more money!" and as Mr.. Brinson
truly says, there is no way to get pub
lie money except to tax the people.