The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-12-20
THE EDUCATIONAL BILL, S. 1887
NOW BEFORE CONGEss.
Federal Assistance To Education In
The Several States.

Federal Assistance To Education In
The Several States.
The series of seven articles. mt-
LEGATION of which was begun in these
columns December 6, were prepared
by the National Education Associ-
alton of the United States to show
how the provisions of the bill apply
to Maryland. The matter is OF
enough Importance to cause the AS
ISOLATION to prepare explanatory
statements for each. State, and is
given space with the hope that it
will receive the careful reading it
merits.
The Equalization of Educational
Opportunities Within the
States.
The per capita wealth is very un
even in the different states. In
North Carolina it is $726.35. In
Nevada it is $4,135.35. For the
country asa whole, it is $1,712.77.
The population back of each
teacher employed in the public
schools is also uneven. In Iowa.
there is one teacher for a population
OF 1882 persons. In Louisiana,
there is one teacher for a population
OF 24O.01. In the country as
whole, there is one teacher for
population of 1891.
The wealth back of each teacher
also varies in the different states
In Mississippi, there is wealth OF
$119,271.88 for each teacher. In
Illinois, there is a wealth of $437,-
491.52 for each teacher. In Nevada
it is $671, 815.56 For the United
States as whole, the figure is $3.50.
754.08 per teacher
A tax of two mills on each dollar
of wealth in the United States would
equal the salaries paid to all public
school teachers of the country. To
equal the salaries of teachers in
Idaho, "A mill tax is required. In
Pennsylvania, "a tax of 1.42 mills
would pay the salaries of all public
school teachers.
Similar computations may be made
for the taxing units within any given
state, be they county or school dis
trict. Consequently, the schools
within given state vary almost az
much as do schools of different
states. More must be done to-
equalize taxation within the states
to insure equally efficient schools in
all districts. The movement mus,
be toward larger distributable
fund raised by statewide taxation
and distributed in proportion to-
economic and educational need.
Compare Lancaster and Tioga Coun-
ties in Pennsylvania, the Missouri
River Valley and the Ozark region
of Missouri, Southern and Northern
Illinois, or the fertile belt along
Lake Michigan with the Sand Belt
of Adams and Marquette Counties in
Wisconsin to sense the differences in
ability to pay for good schools.
The Bill before Congress provides
$5O,0O0,000 annually "for the I'M
provement of public schools of les
than college grade, with the definite
aim of extending school terms and of
stimulating state and local interest
in improving, through better instruc-
ton and graduation and through con-
solidation and supervision, the rural
schools and the schools in sparsely
settled localities. An equal amount
by the states would provide $780,
100000 annually. The fund is to-
be distributed on the per teacher
basis, and amounts to $80.34 fol-
each public school teacher employed.
Maryland has 6,460 teachers and
would receive from Congress $518,-
996.40. An equal amount by tn,
state for these purposes would make
available $1,O37,992SO for the pur-
poses mentioned in the Bill.
The Bill provides that no State
shall share in this fund unless it has
at least twenty-four weeks of school
in each district, unless it enforces an
adequate compulsory school attend
ance law, and unless it provides tina,
"the basis language of instruction in
the common, school branches in ali
schools, public and private, shall be
the English language only"