Evening journal., 1919-09-29
PROMINENT men
FOR School Law
CONTINUED from FIrsL Page.

the new school law, his school tax Will
be SEQ Asked II he regarded this as an
unwarranted increase in school taxes,
DR.. Paynter said he did not, He said he
had thought for years he had not paid
enough school tax. but he paid all the
school authorities asked. What criti-
cism he had. therefore OF the school
taxes, was Of former taxes being far too
low rather than Of present taxes being
too high.
Or. Paynter said his first iump in
school taxes-that from $3.50 TO S2O. 10
was due to the change in assessing land
al It's real value rather than its rental
value. The school law had nothing 10
do with that jump, although In his
lopinion, great many people have i'm
lthoughtedly blamed all their Increase I'm
school taxes since 1916 20 the school
law. Dr.. Paynter regards the change
IN assessments as one OF the most equi-
table changes ever made in Delaware's
taxation system Prior TO 1916 he sard
u was common for tenants 10 phy more
taxes Than many large landowners.
Or. Paynter says there is compara-
lively little opposition 10 10 the new
school law in towns. This Is due IA
the TACT that towns have. had better
schools and have been paying much
heavier taxes than the rural districts.
where schools were small and back
ward. The rural communities are quite
as much In favor Of good schools and
giving their children the benefit of an
education as hre the town communl-
Ties, but The old assessment laws and
the old school mchOds operated To
make 10 difficult for country folk ia
realize their ambition. As soon as The
new school law gets in operation. gives
lhe country people a modern school
mouse with just as good equipment as
tlle town school, raises teachers sala-
RES so mat young men and women will
be attracted 10 the profession Of leach
ing instead OF driven out OF ID. and
otherwise puts the rural school house /
on the level where IL belongs.-as soon
as This is done Or. Paynter believes thc
opposition 10 the new school law in |
ruiol districts VIII not only vanish, but /
IN It's place Will be spirit OF pride
ana hearty support Of The sclsol law
and schools.
Another Sussex citizen whose exper-
lence and opinion are much the same
as Or. Paynter's. Is Noodburn Mar
Tin, attorney and farmer. Mr. Martin
owns a farm near Seaford. His school
taxes on that farm were $3.50 i'm 1916
$50 in 1913, and are SEQ this year.
DO you regard your school tax OF sGO
This year as too high2" your correspn-
dent asked Mr.. Martin
Not at all. II is high in proportion
TO what II has been, but IL Is moi high
IN comparison to what u should be"
answered Mr.. Martin. 81 haven't been
paying enough school tax In the past
ana Few people in Sussex county or J
Delaware have | regard the new school (
law as inevitable. IL had to come. our |
educational affairs in Delaware had I
reached That point where something had
TO change and there couldn't have been
a cnange Tor The worse. unless we were
really and willing 10 admit civilization
ana progress In this State were impossi-
bic.
our schools were costing nothing.
Things which cost nothing are worth
l0thing. That was oeAs fix. Our schools ,
we're worth nothing. That's one reason {
people didn't support them. There was I
lothing about the average rural school !
o attract any one. to cause any local /
ride, to make people want TO be edu-
ated We were putting nothing in our d
chOols and we were getting nothing I
M OF them. We were pretending Ia n
un a whole school district. nav a q
eacher' Duy books and supplies, buy I
uel, keep up repairs and meet incl \
,ehlai expenses on less money year
nan II takes TO buy a second hand a
urb. N
IL was almost criminal. too, because y
We We're penalizing the children OF Della h
ware who are to be our citizens OF the h
IeNt generation. don't believe the peo- d
ne OF Delaware know TO what a low c
ahk their schools had fallen. / didn't n
eaii]e II myself until served as legal
uNlsor 10 the Sussex county draft a
'oards. The number OF young men ii
rom 10 10 81 years old-who came be- n
ore tle local draft board, unable TO a
eeu lheir papers, unable even TO sign $
heir own names, was astounding. al Il
most incredible. The illiteracy in Sus- "
eN county Is the result OF our old a
cl9ol system. IL could not continue. 4,
lnless sussex county was willing TO- !,
ose population, TO drive its ambitious n n
oung men away, TO make il hard TO :,
ecure good farm tenants, to drive men n
'ho wish TO invest money to other I,
ommunlties. This would have killed the :,
ouniys prosperity and prospects OF !,
evelonment" IL
1T is an old, old law that YOU get Il
ut Of thing just what you put i'm H.
ONE men expect our free schools 10 .
roduce educated boys and girls and =
ct they raise a howl II they are askedr
Q pay school taxes equivalent 10 the
ost OF an automobile tire or blind
orse. Men expect good government.
ut you cannot have good government II,
Mess you have good schools. You y,
9nnot have good schools and not nay =.
,achers as much as you pay an aver =,
&c farm laborer. You cannot have II
God schools and ask children TO sit in :.
SI-ldlng that good farmer wouldn't -
Sc TO house his live stock. To have y
ood schools costs money. III
~ have no children. but I want
God schools for .he good Of my com %
lunity, for the progress OF my county. u
/ my tenants children are educated. a.
0 much the better for me. and my '
lvestmenl. My investment and every u
iher mans investment is safe in a
ommunity where the people are edu- d
aled They are not making Bolshiviki c'
ut Of educated people. It's the man II
tho isn't educated who is suspicious,
,hO Is easily misled and who can be
TIRED TO do things which menace
o0d government and investment Il
On.t regard any school tax raised for II