Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-22
Sonud Advice to the Legislature.

Sound Advice to the Legislature.
The Sussex Republican of Georgetown
pn Saturday, printed an earnest appea
to the Legislature in respect of two mat
decentralization of the Equal Suffrage
Amendment to the Federal Constitution
and consideration and amendment of the
School Code. 1t favored ratification and
earnestly urged intelligent and improving
action in respect of the code.
The burden of taxation on real estate
entered largelyintothec consideration of the
later subject, as it is a vital, pressing
matter at this time, one that will have
to he considered by the Legislature. with
a view to affording relief. 1t is question
4 that affects all citizens alike in all parts of
The State.
Ninety per cent of the objection TO
the new School Code is based on the in
+. creased taxation necessary to its NAM
tenance, says the Sussex Republican, and
there is no doubt OF the solid truth of this
statement, or of the important bearing
it has upon the subject. But the situation
in respect of our schools is one that calls
for larger expenditures-for better school
facilities and for better compensation Tor
teachers. 10 order TO secure the services OF
I capable teachers. We cannot have the
schools we ought to have without spend
ing monev on them.
''Just what we put into our schools, "
says this appeal by our Sussex contem-
porary. "we will get out of them. If We
starve our schools we will starve the
minds of our children. To get the best
We must pay the best price. To get the
best teachers we must pay the best
salary II is question of more money for
our schools. How and where are YOU
going to get it? Repeating the School
Code will not get it. Re-enacting the old
School law will not do il. The governor
has suggested that larger amount of the
States money be apportioned for school
purposes. This Is the first time that a
Legislature in this State has had an OPP
portunity to relieve real estate OF some
Of the burden Of taxation. The State
has several sources of income. The income
is large Can it be expended more wisely
than for the benefit of our schools? Their
every need can thus be supplied and real
estate be relieved Of the great burden of
taxation which now rests upon IT.
Hereis sound and practical advice. Here
z g. Ios h.a
questioned. The situation is one of the
greatest Importance. Either we must
abandon all that has been done IN the
direction Of making our State school
system more effective and more, valuable
than il ha been for years. or relieve the
situation by an appropriation of some of
the States liberal revenues from other
sources and thus avert what would be a
serious burden Of additional taxation upon
the land holdings of our people. Who can
denv the exigency of the situation or the
merit of the suggested plan OF relief? The
State treasury Is bulging with money,
much of it coming from outside sources.
In no better manner may large portion of
il be expended than for public school pur
poses. And just as surely as it is not en-
ployed In this practical and valuable man
ner. it will be spent for other purposes-
many dollars. IN all probability, frittered
away on projects that do not Immediately
concern the pressing needs Of the State.
And so we join, and so should all good
citizens join. in indorsing the concluding
paragraph of this newspaper appeal to
the best sentiment of the State for It's
hearty cooperation and support: 1--WE
sincerely hope the members Of the Legisla-
ture, and most particularly YOU of Sussex
county, which is almost purely an agri-
cultural coAnty, will seize this oppor-
tunity, thus presented, to raise the money
needed for our schools and relieve our
real estate of its present inequitablc bur-
den of taxation