Evening journal., 1921-03-28
EDUCATION COST
in DELAWARE IS
IS Per CAPITA

poses than education in single year
will be found TO be more than ex-
penditures for public education for
the one hundred years, and fully
equal TO the total cost OF public edu-
cation in all the history OF the State.
The total OF Federal, State, coun-
~. and city taxes for other purposes
than education was in 1920 approx
imately Is times as much as the cost
OF all the public schools, and 20
times as much as the total cost OF
all teachers salaries. II these had
been no taxes for the support OF
public schools in that year. only one
dollar IN sixteen OF all taxes would
have been saved. II the salaries OF
all school teachers had been dou-
bled. the total OF all taxes would
have been increased by only one
dollar in twenty-three. In either
case. the difference would hardly
have been noticed by any individual
taxpayer il all his taxes had been
paid at one time and receipted for
In one lump sum.
\ Compared with certain private
expenditures for things no more nee
essary to the Individual happiness OF
the people and to the public welfare
and prosperity OF the State, the cost
OF public education TO the people of
the state OF Delaware is equally in
considerable.
we are told by the Secretary Of
the Treasury that the people OF the
United states paid last year for lux
uries. s22.70O. 600. 900. OF this
amount $3.50. 900. 600 went for face
powders. cosmetics and perfumes.
$1,000. 600, 900 for cigars and cigar
cites. $500 900. 900 for tobacco and
snuff. s2,110,0OO.0O0 for tobacco in
all its forms. $3.50, OOO,O 900 for soft
drinks. $500. 00O.O 900 for toilet soaps,
$500. 100000 for jewelry. $4,000
100000 for food luxuries, $1,000
600. 900 for luxurious service, JOY
rides. summer resorts, and races.
States Poll for Iuxurics.
III the people OF Delaware spent
their money for these things in pro-
portion to their numbers. and there
is good reason TO believe they did,
they paid for these Items as follows:
Face powders. cosmetics and per-
fumes. $1,000 900; for cigars and
cigarettes, s2.6O0.000; for tobacco in
all its forms. $4,000. 900; for soft
drinks. sT35,O00. for toilet soaps.
100000; for jewelry. $1,000. 900;
for food Injuries. S1O.BOO,OO0; for
luxurious service. JOY rides. summer
resorts and races. st2,6Oe,Oo0. The
bill for face powders. cosmetics and
perfumes was almost the same as
the bill for education. The bill for
soft drinks and the bill for toilet
soaps were each nearly half as
, much But why should soap be
called a luxury?
'"rhe cost OF jewelry In 1920 was
i, $4,000 more than the cost OF pub
lie education in 1918. In the smoke
, OF cigars and cigarettes the minorit,
OF the people OF the State who en-
, ioyed this mild form OF dissipation
! threw away a million dollars more
! than all the people paid for public
4 education. But not all the cigar Of
! cigarette Is smoked up. A portion
! is thrown away in stubs Tn,
value OF these stubs was more thar
the total OF the salaries OF all tn
teachers OF the State. Those whit
used tobacco In other forms paid fo
az as much as all the people paid 10
education. For tobacco in all it
forms the people OF Delaware pail
4, in n single year four hundred ant
4 fifty thousand dollars more than the
y paid for public education in tn
- three years. 1918. 1919 and 1920.
+, Thirty Times Cost OF Schools
!, For food Injuries. the people pal
six times as much as they paid 10
IN education. For luxurious servic,
~ Joy rides, summer resorts and races
"a they paid nearly eight times a. niue
A. as they paid for education, and thin
X teen times as much as they paid 10
~ the necessary service OF all teacher
n OF the public schools. II one-tent
n OF the people OF Wilmington &,
In shaved at the BARRIERS daily the
BARRIERS bill for the year was MOI
than the total salaries OF all publ
school teachers OF the State. urba
<. and rural
"Delaware's total bill for luxuri,
for single year was thirty time
~ as much as the school bill for mi
. year and twice as much as was pa
:. for education in all its history
Vi state and colony. The bill for IN.
" uries and for taxes for other pu
"a poses than education for tho YET
~ 1920 amounted TO approximate
y 74.0OO. 600; forty-six times as mus
as the total expenditures for publ
schools including teachers salarie
new buildings. repairs. upkeep. fu'
books and all other incidentals, al
nearly seventy times as much as Il
., total Of all teachers salaries
~ in view OF these facts. shall d
~ cost OF public schools OF Delawa
be considered excessive OF burde
nu some? Might not the people by q
practice OF thrift and economy
W other directions find Il possible
CIR double the efficiency OF their schoC
W by doubling the appropriations
IN their support. and without ind
ul' self-denial"
n Century OF School Costs.
OF Doctor Claxton's figures. which
PIE clude the expenditures for school
the City OF Wilmington. as well as
on the counties, are as follows:
on Year. Expenditur
Ao-A ...s.ss s....s.ss'.. ~
1922. ...............
. 1873 ...............,.
1873. .............
lh-o - ssss