The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-09-23
THE TEN-MILL AMENDMENT

school officers and friends of educa>
ton in Florida have met annually in
open session for the discussion of
means of promoting the educational
interests of the state and lettering
the qualities of the teachers of the
state, and, in fact, all matters per.
tanning to the development of the
school system of the state. Not one
secret session has ben held and these
conventions have been held by invi-
tation in every corner of the state, in
cry community has felt itself honored
in entertaining these people and the
next meeting place has always been
selected in the midst of the warmest
friendly rivalry among competing Sis
| ter cities
| At these meetings the many prob
lens of financing the schools are dis
board members and others. Every
effort was being made to improve the
school conditions in the state and the
people were insistent upon having the
best that could be furnished in teach
ers, buildings, equipment, libraries
and apparatus.
| The problem was how to meet the
demands of the people with the funds
] at command.
| These demands were made by the
| people of the state in the interest of
the children of Florida and not pri-
marily for the benefit of the teachers.
In many instances school boards in
trying to meet the demands of the
people for educational advantages
found themselves very badly involved
| in debt and the whole problem of
financing the schools was threshed out
from every angle by the people that
were having to carry the responsible
| ity of administration.
The people of the state were say
ing to these superintendent and
boards: give us the best teachers;
give us better buildings; give us bet
ter equipment in the way of furni-
ture, water. apparatus. toilet facili-
ties, heating, libraries, and many
other things.
| The funds at the command of the
boards were found to be inadequate to
meet the demands of the people.
Various plans for the relief of the
situation were proposed and discuss
ed.
/ said in discussing the question on
several occasions in open convention
that if we had an equitable or ade-
quate system of tax assessment / did
not believe the ten-mill amendment
would be necessary. / know full well
| that we needed more money and as
there seemed to be no other means in
sight it was agreed by the very
best thought in the state that an
amendment of the constitution re-
moving the seven-mill limitation on
the taxing power of boards and the
placing of it at ten mills was the
most feasible plan that had been sug-
gested.
You will bear in mind that the leg
islature has no power to appropriate
a dollar to the public school system
and that the constitution provides the
sources from which the public schools
may be supported, therefore, any
change in the sources of schaol rev.
enues must come through the consti-
tuition.
You will also bear in mind that the
adoption of this amendment does not
levy tax of ten mills but simply
limits the taxing power of school
boards to ten-mill maximum instead
of seven-mill maximum.
The matter was presented to the
legislature of 1917 for consideration
and resolution was passed to sub
nit the proposed amendment to the
people at the general election in
November of 1918 for adoption or re-
lection.
The people will have had nearly
eighteen months in which to consider
and discuss it and, very different
from most amendments, the people
who proposed it and who advocate it
have given it as much publicity as
possible and have invited the fullest
discussion. You will remember my
calling especial attention to it on
numbers of occasions during the pri-
mary campaign last June.
/ ~ 10 SIMPLY q 1uSSSAoA VI WuCtuCi
you think school boards should have
the authority to levy eight, nine or
ten mills for county general school
purposes or that they should be tied
to seven mills no matter what the re-
Guirements may be.
As rule school boards are compos-
ed of reliable and conservative men
/ apd fbox ORC olocfod hu tho roon1o
every two years.
| 1t would not increase the salary of
the. superintendent, neither would it
increase the per diem or mileage Of
the school board members; it would
simply increase their responsibilities
and labors and also increase the
school facilities of the state. Con-
slider it well. j. II. Brinson.
RTTYTNC COTTON