The log cabin Democrat., 1920-07-02
HEROIC MEASURES
 TO SAVE SCHOOLS
STATES LOW STANDING
Is Recognized a. Reproach by Edu- cators Who Seeking Means to
 Remedy Situation.
By Clio Harper.

Little Rock, July 2.-Her0lc meas. ; ures must be adopted if Arkansas ]. to be emancipated from its position ; at the bottom of the list educational
 ly, It is distressing to know that oul state occupies the aftieth place 1T the record made pubic by the Russell
 safe foundation. There are only two
 states below Us in rank, Mississippi
 and South Carolina. Every one of the
 southern states. including even Nir-
 ginIa, are class fled among those at-
 credited with the poorest educational
 systems. Even Porto Rico. the Canal
 Zone and Hawaii are placed ahead of
 Arkansas. Our state is accredited
 with only 30.3 per cent. whereas ! Montana, which leads the union, has l a percentage of 75.S.
 Aside from all questions as +o the reliability of these statistics anI the
 authenticity If the facts upon which l the deductions are based, the result .s none tae less appalling This does 1 not mean that no advance has been 1 made in Arkansas, for We all know there has been a very decided improve . ment in recent years, but it does mean
 that other states have advanced more
 rapidly and that Arkansas is con sequently at the foot of the ladder. Educational interests of the state have taken a forward step in recent 1 years. The State Normal has become one of our most important institutions, the University is being more gener-
 ously supported and patronized than ever before, the four agricultural schools are doing a splendid work and there is marked improvement in the high school, graded school and private
 school systems
 The creation of the county board of
 education and the employment of a
 superintendent for each county, which
 becames effective January l, 1921. is
 another of the forward steps that will count for progress.
 And yet We are only at the be- ginning. The people have shown that they are willing to pay and pay lib- erally for education. They have vol untarly increased the maximum tax from seven to F mills; they have ad- yocated and approved the heavy in ! creases made in teachers salaries throughout the state; they have al ways been willing to pay for the cree tion of the most modern school build lings and other equipment with the best apparatus available. There is no other tax the people pay so willingly and cheerfully. There is a movement for an amendment to the constitution, eliminating the maximum and per hitting each district to levy any amount it may deem necessary for it's 1 educational requirements. Such an amendment will have only an indif- ferent opposition While other taxes may be burdensome, it is real zed that school taxes are an investment.
 One of the most progressive blanks in the proposed constitution of 1918, which the people rejected at the polls, was that devoted to education. It is believed that had ths plank been sub mitted alone, it would have been over whelminely adopted. There is a movement on foot to submit this prop osition as an amendment to the pres ent constitution, by an initiative pc tition to be circulated soon. The ed ucatioral interests and all good cit izeas will join in seeing that the pc t.tion is speedily filled and that the proposed amendment will be ready for fling before the legislature has an i opportunity to submit other amend ments.
 One of the educational matters in which the people are intensely in terested is that of providing adequate ly for the State University, At pres ent the institution is supported by a tax of four-ninths of a mill as pro- vided by the millage bill With the increased cost of everything and the advance averaging thirty per cent in the salaries of the teachers. it has been demonstrated that this amount is entirely inadequate and if the univer- Sity is to be operated upon its present plane, and certainly if it is to be improved as all good citizens hope shall bc done, it must have more re- vcnge The legislature which meets mex, January will be asked to in- crease the millaee tax. Doubtless other institutions will make similar requests and this will present to the lawmakers most serious and diff ticult problem for solution; however t must he solved or the state will go backward educattonaUy.