The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-10-23
TO ALL FRIENDS OF PUBLIC
EDUCATION.
Your Support Is Asked for Amend
ments No. 2 and 3 for Schools.

We are in receipt of a communica"
ton from State Supt. T. H. Harris, in
which he urges the adoption OF
Amendments No. l and No. 2. which
must be voted on at the election No
vember End.
MIR. Harris makes strong plea for
votes in favor of these two school
measures.
He says. in part:
1.-TWO amendments on the subject OF
public education will be submitted to
the voters of the State for ratification
or rejection in the Congressional cleo
ton to be held November 2. 1920, and
it is proper. think, at this time to
explain what these amendments are
and the reason why their ratification
seems imperative.
THE amendments are as follows:
"Act No. IS of 1920, known as the
Hamley Amendment. This will be
Amendment No. l on the ticket to be
used IN the November election. This
amendment provides for a State
school tax of one mill on the State as.
sessment. II ratified. this amendment
will yield about $I.80O.OO0 to the
schools of the State. The tax will be
collected on the assessment Of 1920,
and the funds realized from it will be
deposited with the State Treasurer
and distributed to the various parishes
on the basis Of the number of educa-
BILE children In each parish.
Act No. 81 of 1920. known as the
Sylvest Amendment. This will be
amendment No. ON the ballot to be
used in the November election. This
amendment has two provisions.
"(a) 1t fixes the city school fund in
the City of New Orleans at seven mills
on the city assessment, one mill Of
which may be funded into bonds and
the proceeds used to erect and equip
school buildings.
"b) It raises the limit of special
maintenance taxes which school dis
trict or q parish may vote from five
mills to eight mills. This amendment
does not provide fOr> any additional
school funds in the country parishes.
1t simply makes it possible for the
country people to vote special mainte.
nance taxes up to maximum of eight
mill where they can now vote only
five mills. The amendment does pro-
vide for parish school tax of q mill
and half, but since it annuls the
Byrne Amendment, or Act 2l8 of 1918,
which provides tor parish school tax
of mill and half, there will in re-
ality be no increase whatever in the
Amendment be ratified.
Amendment No. l. if ratified, will
provide an addition State school tax
of one mill, and this will amount, on
the present assessment, to about
81 SOC, 900, and will be distributed to
all the parishes on the basis of the
school population.
Amendment No. 2, if ratified, will
fix the city school fund of the City of
New Orleans at seven mills on the city
assessment, and 1t will raise the limit
of special maintenance taxes in the
country parishes from five mills to
eight mills, wherever the people see
fit to vote such increase in any district
or parish.
1.-THE public schools face q complete
breakdown unless additional funds
can be found with which to pay teach
ers better salaries. This is true of the
country schools and of the city schools
of New Orleans. These two amend
ments, if adopted, will enable the
school officials throughout the State
to meet the situation fairly we'll. The
additional one-mill State tax will ena-
BILE possibly two-thirds of the country |
parishes to pay their teachers fairly |
adequate salaries and to attract into |
the school teachers of ability and |
training The other one-third of the |
parishes will find it necessary to call |
elections and raise the limit of special
taxes to eight mills rs
provided by the Sylvest Amendments.
When this has been done, the several |
parishes having low assessments will
have fairly adequate funds with which
to hold good teachers in their schools.
II trust that the friends of education
throughOut the State will improve
every opportunity to explain in de-
tails these amendments to the voters,
and to bring to their attention the
very necessity for their ratification.
1.-THE people of Louisiana are very
genuinely interested In the education
Of their children. and they will vote for
these two amendments if they under.
stand their provisions and are shown
that the money which will result from
Them 10 absolutely essential to the sue
cessful operation Of the schools"