The log cabin Democrat., 1921-08-01
FINE COOPERATION
 |NSALES TAX PLAN
FEW OBJECT TO PAYING IT
School Board Estimates Revenue from New Plan May be More than
 Sl,0C0 Per month.

the payment and collection or safes and luxury taxes for the Conway pub lie school was reported today by Dr. J. W. Conger, who this morning be-
 gan checking up business houses or the collections for the first half month of the system, ending today. It will be about August 10, however, before a definite statement of the pro- eeeds of the sales tax can be com-
 puted, as collection of monthly ac- counts will not be completed by mer- chants before that date.
 At one of the largest stores 1t was estimated that not more than 10 per cent and probably not over five per cent of the customers made any com plaint about paying the sales tax. Several collectors out today with their July bills reported that in not a single instance had there been a re- fusal to pay the one per cent cent which was added to the amount of items purchased since July 15, when the sales tax went into effect. Most l of the stores add the tax at the bot tom of the bills and attach and can eel stamps for the amount paid.
 The school board today paid off S2,500 of the old building bonds which had matured and interest charges on the bonded indebtedness amounting to about S400 additional. Funds for this purpose were advanced by the three h., ,oh trict's warrant for the amount. The board today issued statement show ing that the actual maintenance ex- penses of the school for the forthcom- ing year will be less than the amount of revenue from taxes. and if the sales and luxury taxes reach the esti- mated total, it will mean a rapid ex tinguishment of heavy debt which has burdened the district for so many years and which has been increasing every year. The boards statement follows:
 "While it is too early to say de fnitely what amount will be realized for the Conway public schools from the sales tax, there is every indication that it will prove great success. Conservative estimates made by those most closely identified with the move ment fix the amount at not less than $1 ,000 per month.
 "The members of the school board wish to express their appreciation to the business men who are collecting the tax and to the large army of pat rops who are paying it, for their hearty and patriotic cooperation in this movement for saving the public | schools. Let it be remembered, how ever, that the success of the move ment will not be assured until all the business men who have subscribed tA the plan honestly enforce it accord ing to agreement, collecting it from all their customers regardless of the customers willingness to pay. It is only fair that in a movement so demo- cratic as this every citizen should lay aside his prejudices and cooperate to save the most important institution in Conway. We feel that the hundreds of people who signed the petition re- questing the merchants to collect the tax, and who are now so willingly paying it, have given evidence of a loyalty to our city and to its schools that is worthy of great praise. + is a pleasure to serve a community that is animated with such sentiments of loyalty and patriotism.
 ''The school board also wishes to make few statements relative to its policy in running the schools. It has interpreted the hearty support given the sales tax plan to mean that a great majority of the citizens of the district wish the board to give the community the highest degree of ef- ticiency in the schools that is possible for it to give with the means at it's disposal. These means are limited
 but we expect to make the schools live within them. Last year the board spent $40,650. Of this amount less than $27,000 was spent for mainte.
 nance, $2500 went to reducing the
 bonded indebtedness, S5,18671 was
 spent for interest on bonds and war,
 rants, and $6,25829 was spent fol
 the purchase of the annex, desks, anC repairs. Since no building will b,
 done this year, the total expenditure:
 should be not more than S32, 300, O l which about 300 will be needed ' to pay actual running expenses, an' about $7000 to pay interest and re } tire the debt. Inasmuch as the in [ come from state and local taxes i estimated at about $28,750 this year
 it can readily be seen that the run
 ming expenses of the schools can b
 kept within the receipts from taxes
 leaving a margin of this amount, plu Il the total receipts from the sales ta> o . to be applied toward debt reduction In this way, of course, the interes