The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-02-12

Mr.. Lees Chief Objection to the Bond
Issue Appears to be That Interest
Payments Will Go To the Well-tO-
do and Rich, as If 1t Were Crime
to be Financially Able to Purchase
a Few Bonds Issued by the County
to Educate the Children. He Would
Also Have Teachers Paid on Basis
of Ten-Hour Day and Suggests
That Public Men Work Longer
Hours and For Less Salary. Would
Mr.. Lee Be Satisfied With Such an
Arrangement if He Were a School
Teacher?
To the Editor of The Republican.
Quite a number of our taxpayers
assembled at the Court House in Oak
land, February 3rd, to hear the bond
question discussed There were some
very good things said, and there were
some things said that did not sound
good to the listener. We hope that
the overflow of gall is not incurable.
1t seems there is a shortage in mon
ey matters to take care of the teach
ers of our public schools Can we get
the desired teacher if we put up the
money! If you say yes, with a guar
antee attached, | do not believe that
you will have to beg for the proper
amount of money.
The writer more than forty years
ago went to some of the desired kind
OF teachers, and that class of teachers
have my respect and sympathy. Then
again / went to some of the kind that
puts me in mind of some of the ladies
dresses. They fell far short of cover
ing all the territory reasonably eX-
pected by good thinking people.
A proper training for our boys and
girls is much more valuable than gold
or silver and covers much more space
than many of our teachers get We
must admit there is not a full force
of competent teachers at hand; there
never was. Can you truthfully say
there ever will be such force at hand
There are many questions which
confront the taxpayers. | will at
tempt to mention some of them.
First, we admit the teachers of our
public schools are not a high-salaried
class, but are they not working on
the siX-hour day system-120 hours
to the 20-day month? Twelve 10-hour
days. Why such differences? Are the
road supervisors not required to work
the men under his charge 10 hours per
day for less than the siX-hour laborer
gets? Are our public officers work
ing on the ten-hour day system? Are
they on at seven and off at six, or are
they on at nine and off at four or
five? Why such differences? Are
they not all paid out of tax money?
No doubt these are some of the things
that are disturbing the minds of the
taxpayers.
If there is more money to be raised,
it must come through higher taxation
if present conditions continue to exist.
If the bond measure is carried for
two hundred thousand dollars, will
that greatly relieve the tax paying
people, or does twelve thousand dol
lars annually paid out for bond inter
est look a little leaky in case we
should carry the bonds spoken Of for
a term of ten years. Would one hun
bred and twenty thousand dollars paid
| out of tax money as interest look good
to you when it must go to the well-to-
do and the rich?
These are some of the questions to
| be considered. If taxes soar higher
there may be more friendliness for wo-
mans suffrage than there is today,
as we will need some of the fair sex
to mop the sweat from our brows
while we work to pay our taxes. Less
salaried officers and more efficient
work will help solve the problem.
A. ]. LEE