The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-10-03


ment, how near is he in the rest of it !?
Mr.. Brinson says, LET the voter
remember that the adoption of the
amendment does not make the levy"
He is right. The school board will
make the levy. And it will make it
every mill. You needn't doubt that.
If you vote an amendment giving it
la right to make a twenty-mill levy,
it win make that, too You know that
without our telling you.
Mr. Brinson tells you how for
twenty -five years the teachers of the
state have met and discussed matters
of public interest. They have. Some
of their discussions have been very
Interesting. There is one thing. how
ever, they never discussed, and that
was how to save the people money.
Win the constitutional convention
of 1886 restricted the school tax to
seven mills, it thought it was being
generous and preventing extrav-
agance. In the first instance. it was
right. Seven mills is big tax. And
when you add to it two or three mills
for your school district, and two or
three more to pay interest and prin-
cipal on bonds for your schoolhouse,
the tax is progressing from big to
awful.
How many of you common, tax
paying people asked your representa-
tivess in the legislature to help the
teachers impose this additional three
mill tax? How many of you heard
Of it? How many of you would have
heard of it if the Star hadn't made
a kick? Doesn't it bear every evil
dence of being gumshoed? Why didn't
the legislature instead pass bill CIV
| ing each county the right by the vote
of it's people to levy more taxes?
That's what Alabama did.
Well tell you. It's because the
members of the educational autocra-
cy" didn't want the matter discussed.
They couldn't induce county to
vote more taxes on itself without
discussion, and they don't want dis
cussion. They want to keep the thing
quiet. They know most of the people
are careless about amendments
some mark them without reading
them, and some don't mark them at
all. They counted on pushing it thru
by the votes Of the wise ones. The
teachers turnout the state are not
talking about the amendment. Only
| a few papers have referred to it.. If
the teachers can poll a dozen votes
in each county and the, other side
doesn't vote, the amendment will car
ry.
The principal argument for this
amendment is to pay better salaries
to the teachers. We think the teach
ers should be better paid, but an
honest and economical state govern
ment could pay them more without
saddling an amendment on the people.
Our state government is careless and
extravagant, and some Of its officials
are dishonest. The people had better
turn their attention to electing an
honest and capable legislature instead
of voting more taxes on themselves.
The teachers are not SO badly off
in comparison with other people. We
saw in another paper, the other day a
statement that they only received an
average Of $685. a year. That is bad,
but the author of the statement didn't
add, as he should. that a majority of
the teachers are young women, out Of
school from one to half dozen years,
and only teach five or six months in
the year. They have the rest Of the
year to obtain other employment;
also, the state, does, for. them what it
does for no one else; it gives them
free schooling to, advance themselves
i in their work. No teacher in the state
! puts in more than eight months in the
year teaching, and they can all find
work the rest of the time if they want
to. We notice that a good many OF
them somehow find time and money
for a much better vacation than is
obtained by, a majority Of the people
who pay taxes. Taxes, by the way
lis something comparatively few
teachers have to. worry about. The
leverage man teacher seldom pay,
J anything but his poll tax. The womer
i don't pay that.
! When the war is over, and the gov
eminent and the war industries d.
not have to pay Impractical girls
. who don't even know how to run {
Z typewriter, more than a mans wage.
J in ordinary times, hundreds of teach
Iers will be- mighty glad to get $50:
ia year. No teacher is bound to $3l
Tor $40 a month. That is only for be
ginners, and it's good pay for begin
liners.
Any man or woman who has tai
) ent for teaching and will stick to it
t trying to advance him or herself, will
( climb in, the educational profession
as men and women do in other profes
sions, make more money and have al
Influence that is better than money
: We have examples here in Ocala.
i We did not intend to go into thes
r matters We objected to the amend
Iment on the sound business and lega
: principle that it is. very bad polio,
, I'm incroo CO fovoc hu rrncf;&u%snv,o