The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-04-28

tional taxes for school purposes. there
are some questions that naturally
arise:
l. Is it necessary that this should
be done?
The Board Of Education, to whose
care. has been entrusted the manage
ment of The schools, after a most
thorough investigation, has unanim-
cusly decided that it is necessary and
the number of mills has been calculat-
ed to a fractional part. The Board OF
Education does not believe that the
people are willing that the schools
should take any backward steps, and
in, order to keep the schools up to
their present standard, and to make
very needed improvements in certain
particulars, the number Of mills ask
ed for is necessary.
,. Who are the real beneflclarles
OF a school system?
Education at public expense can be
justified solely upon one ground and
that is the training of better citi-
zenship. The prospective citizen is
the child of today, and there is but
one way to favor a child and that is
to train him Alright. No public school
is run for the purpose of giving any
one a, position, or enabling any one
to make a living for himself. The
child is the one excuse for the exist
ence of a public school. No existence
would demmand a Saner excuse or a
better reason. In the present crisis IN
educational matters, it is not the
teachers interest that is at stake. If
so inclined, the teacher may find other
work to do, but the chid's welfare IS
very much at stake. We wish the
children of the next five years TO be
taught with as much skill as those Of
y4other period The truth of it is
that the next years will make great
er demands of schools than have ever
been made, in all of their history. 1t
is of Importance, therefore, that our
schools should not only be as good,
but better than they have ever been
before. No school can be any better
than it's teacher. In order TO get the
best teachers. we must pay adequate
salaries The welfare, therefore, of
our children, demands that we pro-
vide the means by which the best
teachers may be employed.
8. An increase is not only necessary
at this time, but very desirable.
For different reasons, more pro:
nounced this year than ever before,
the school systems that are unwilling
to make the necessary provision will
become disorganized to greater or
less degree. There are some excel
lent teachers in this State. whose SER
vices we shall be able TO procure to
fill any vacancies that may occur in
our own corps of teachers. 1t would
be very great step forward to I'LL
every vacancy with the best teachers
of the State Every child and every
grade is entitled 10. an equal chance.
and it is for this reason that the
Board Of Education will employ only
teachers Of successful experience, The
Board does not wish any weak spots
III its educational system / may be
pardoned, / think. for saying that
Sumter has some excellent teachers.
and we certainly should be IN a posi-
ton to retain their services. One
thing is perfectly clear and that is
that the city that has the best set Of
teachers will. unquestionably', have the
best school system.
Those who have given the question
any consideration at all know that
teachers have not been receiving an
adequate compensation. There is no
one who would maintain this position
successfully OF course no teacher
should get what he is worth, because
any man who. in any position, gets al
that he is worth, is not worth what he
gets It is imp ossible adequately TO
elevate human cndeavor, but We know
that when one is doing his best in a
position which he is supposed to be
able 10 fill successfully, he shoald Ger
tainly thereby be able to make Il liv-
ing. The teachers have not been do
ing this We know perfectly we'll that
they have not been adequately paid.
1t is not just that teachers should bc
called upon. continuously. to make
sacrifices in order that We. through
them. may be able to train our chill
dren Alright and to give our State the
kind of citizenship to which she is so
justly entitled. The extra levy. there
fore. is necessary, because it is entire
ly just.
5. Without being provincial in any
way. feel somehow that the loyal
Icitizens Of Sumter realize that we
have little city that is unusual in
many respects. 1t may be the class
Of citizens that we are SO fortunate in
having; it may be the natural advan-
tages; it may be the beauty of the
town. or it may be its intangible spir-
it. But there IS certainly something
that makes Sumter a most desirable
place in which To live and which calls