Evening journal., 1920-05-04

ihillE. III iflo sic NNENA Tpo1s1NN.lt,
which was PAS per cent OF her in
come. In 1919 she spent S5i0.606.7s.
or 2i per cent. OF her income. 70
is now proposed that for the year
i920-2i. she shall Increase her apprO-
pri0iiohs for public education 10 ST.
OPS 80. or "A per cent. OF her income
It has been said that such large
appropriation might bankrupt the
Slate.
Not only is Delaware able 10 make
the additional appropriation. but by
doing so. 10 would so reduce local
taxation that the average for The state
would be under the average for local
taxes ihroughout lhe United states.
which amounted 10 u per cent. in the
year 1916 Furthermore. 1t seems TO
be the opinion of statesmen that the
government after few years will
be able to reduce materially the fcd-
eral income tax. When this occurs,
/ am sure the wealthy men OF Della
ware will be willing 20 have the State
income tax Increased TO such an eX-
tent as TO place The burden Of school
support largely upon the wealth OF
the Slate. for 10 must not be for
gotten that The federal income and
profits tax from Delaware for 1919
amounted TO more than $4,000 900. \
very small part OF this would give
MS sufficient funds 10 make our schools
the best in the Union. and at the
same time keep local taxation within
reason
No one knows how many persons
I'm Delaware pay an income tax 10
the Stale. but someone has estimated
that ten persons pay more than one
half OF the income Tax which goes IA
the support OF elementary schools
and that ore hundred and fifteen per
/ sons in the State pay ihree-fOurih'
/ OF the entire income tax. IF This Is
anywhere near the truth. why shoul,
men. many OF them paying no in
/ come tax at all. object II lhe State
\ out OF its abundance should apprO
/ pri3ie an additional sum 10 hep edu
I cate their childfen and their neigh
/ bOrs' children sWhcn there would siil
I remain In the Stale treasury J6 PEI
cent. Of the states total income
'ln the New ENGLAND States. wherl
1 The school budgets are always rea,
at ihe public meetings OF the towns
Z seldom is any budget questioned. al
though the rates In many instance
carry a rate above a dollar
"A critic OF the new school code ha.
said that the schools are not as ell
cient today as they were twenty-five
or thirty years ago; that he can re-
member when his rural district turn
ed out a number OF excellent teachers
He forgeis that his district Is turnini
out more efficient workers today THAI
possibly could have been done TWEEN
ty-flve or thirty years ago.
AT the time mentioned, teaching
was just opening up 10 women and
great many ambitious girls availel
themselves OF the opportunity. II
those days the State OF Delaware wa
not i'm need OF more than four or ilN
hundred teachers outside Of the cit,
OF Wilmington and not more thai
seven or eight hundred In the entir
State. Today Delaware requires abOu
twelve hundred teachers which is M
great number. However, other ave
nues OF usefulness have opened up q
. young women and TO young men pay
ing salaries at least twice as much a
the average teacher earns.
in contrast TO our puny efforts Z
train teachers, / wish 20 call attention
10 the number OF young people VIII
are training in the commercial school
in the city Of Wilmington. As state
above, only 25 young persons are tax
ing teacher training In the State q
Delaware at the present lime. ON tn
I other hand one OF the commercial
! schools in Wilmington reports an en-
, rOllment Of about GOO people In its da
classes and an equal number In II
] evening classes. In a second insiitu
, ton training clerks, stenOgrapbers an
] hOOkkeepers, GOO have been enrOlle
! for the present year. Therefore.
would appear that at least 1900 youn
people. largely from the State OF De
aware. have been drawn from almO.
J every school district in the State an
are now spending from fve 10 te
months in completing their prepar;
: ton fOr the positions which are Ope
! in the business houses In the city {
! / Wilmington and other places at sali
= ries 10 begin with ranging from S9l
: to 1920 per annum
"Is n any wonder then the schOl
y districts are not turning out cand
r dates for the teaching profession.
r II not also true that our public schOo
: must be doing fairly good work or
a would not be possible for 1900 or 2Ol
4 students annually 30 crowd into u
e business schools OF the city Of WI
5 mingtOn for special training which
r. most instances can be completed
G less than a years time. ON the othl
7 hand a tedcnef 10 ne Wtli quaint
i should be a graduate OF q i-year hie
5 school and OF a standard norm
school whose course is at least tvs
y years.
: Those persons who oppose q
y new school code and who are anxiol
; 10 see Il repealed advocating that u
\ old school law should be reinstate
- should be warned that such procel
q ure would close half the teachlI
positions in the State OF Delaware q
first year. This is no idle threat. Al
. one who is willing TO study q
= teacher situation In our neighborlr
/. states must be convinced that eve
N we'll prepared teacher can be taxi
4 from us al an increased salary rangiI
n from 500 TO $500 or more per annui
n Men who have felt the burden
war taxes. men who believe that
,. part q the h-arass s.y - sAtfs-<