The log cabin Democrat., 1921-07-15
SCHOOL TAX MADE EFFECTIVE TODAY CITIZENS PAY CHEERFULLY Funds for Public School Begin to Pile Up-Unanimity Rules
 at Luncheon.

Red cards today advise the public
 that Conway's business houses are
 practically unanimous in collecting the
 sales and luxury taxes for the public
 schools, and commendable amount
 of cheerfuness was evident on all
 sides this morning when the first of
 the taxes was paid in. Sure, do it
 for the school,' take a drink and 1 lhelp the school,' and other expressions
 were heard on all sides as the pennies Icommenced to dribble in.
 At one drug store today it was said that the tax is mounting fast and one of the men predicted that the rev enue from their fountain would pay the salaries of two teachers while the tax remains in effect. Red cards in store windows are the authority of the school board for the collection of the tax as well as the pledge of the merchant to make no sales without collecting whatever is due the school. This problem of the customer who declines to pay the tax was discussed
 in detail at the luncheon given at the Conway Commercial Club last night for explanation of the tax plan. w. M. Harrell, head of w. M. Harrel &
 Company, expressed the view which
 was applauded and accepted by the
 business men present. Where a cus-
 toner refuses to pay the tax," Mir.
 Harrell said, Eve are bound by our agreement not to waive the tax so as
 to make a sale. I think merchant
 who signed the greement and does
 that will sink low in the estimation
 even of the man who buys from him. We must stand pat, though of course 1t will not be easy to see a customer leave the store"
 carry out the tax scheme on one diff ticult point, Mr. Harrell said He mentioned a probable case where customer might send $1 for a pur- chase of sugar and fail to send the one cent required as tax. The money would be in the hands of the mer- chant, Mir. Harrel said, and it would hardly be possible to sell 99 cents. worth of sugar and take the extra cent as tax.
 The sales tax is effective on ac- counts incurred on or after July 15 and are payable to the merchant when settlement is made. Accounts made before July 15 are not subject to the tax. With reference to the student bodies of the city, G. L. Banner, who represented the committee in ans wering questions, stated that the stu dent population is expected to pay the tax just as residents. President B. w. Torreyson of the State Normal has assured the committee that Nor nal students will support the scheme and it is thought Hendrix and Central students, many of whom will later be connected with public schools, will gladly make this small contribution to education. As explained by Mir. Bah ner the sales tax applies only to pur- chases made by residents of the Con- way special school district while the luxury tax, on cold drinks, gasoline and the like, is collectable on all sales regardless of the residence of the purchaser.
 Backed by an almost unanimous public sentiment which is daily gath ering strength. the sales and luxury taxes promise to yield enough in rev enue to relieve the financial straits ip which the public school is placed The importance of the school system was emphasized by Dr. J. w. Conger in his short address at the luncheon last night. q am college man and have been for 40 years, "Dr. Conge1 said, "but l state without reservation that the public school is the biggest and most important institution in Conway. Think how it would be if we are forced to close it. Not a cit izen of this city but would admit it in shame when questioned by out siders. We must do this thing and the more the situation is studied, the more l thlnk the tax plan IS the only feasible solution of our problem. Every citizen of the city must and will support it, and We must develop the already strong sentiment behind
 it until it will be impossible for a pur-
 chase to be made in Conway without payment of the tax"
 1 Dr. Conger and others speaking at
 the luncheon did not advocate l boy
 colt of places where the tax may not
 be collected. However, it was made
 clear that signers of the tax agree
 ment specifically agreed to trade only
 at business houses cooperating in
 collection of the tax and that failure
 of a merchant to collect would force
 the prospective customer to trade
 elsewhere, or violate his agreement.