The log cabin Democrat., 1922-02-09

Puollc school crisls, and through over slght was not published earlier.)
 Editor Log Cabin Democrat:
 Much is being said of our public school situation and much more ought to be said if saying will provoke ac- ton or hasten a solution, but I be- leVe 1t wholly unfair to throw the whole blame at the feet of either pat rons, faculty or board. Those who nave nothing whatever to do in the administration ought not to bear all the blame for matter they are help less to prevent. The banks of Con- way l think were absolutely justified III their actions. They could not af ford to do other than they have done. They handle sacred funds and they can not be careless in the handling of them without censure, risk and d sense of dishonor.
 It is very unkind ana wholly un- founded too, to say that the people ot Conway do not want a school, and to intimate that they choose to have their children grow up in ignorance Is unfair and foreign from what I be- lleve there are very few in Conway way to be. In fact, 1 absolutely do not believe there is one person in Conway who has children in the pub lie school that would not be grieved to see the school close it's doors in their children's faces. Such a thing IS unthinkable and unreasonable of q people who have come here and are facing hardships and obstacles solely for the school advantages that may be afforded their children. And l be- IleYe there re very few in Conway who would refuse to pay the taxes II there are any at all. There are merchants probably who refuse to collect the taxes, but we must assume that most of them are honorable enough to collect them. But after all We are brought fact to face with one .of the most unbecomingly and nearly criminal affairs that has ever visited boasting and posted people We have long prlded ourselves in our good school system and universal school spirit, and where are we? Most other places who make less noise about their schools and their school systems have good schools. What is the secret of our breakdown? :? There is evidently a clogged wheel, a broken bearing or a corroded spark plug somewhere in the mechanism of our sputtering Ford.
 It is possible that the economic con ditions are such that check should be made in our administration or that change in government is necessary? |? It is true that the people are not spending as much as they did in for mer years from the very simple req son they are for the most part poor, hard run and without the means to spend. Hence, the decline in the penny fund is obvious to anyone I was not living in Conway at the time the present system of taxes was in stltuted between merchants and peO- i pie, and to be frank, and without crit lclsing anyone, l have never been very much in sympathy with the sys- | tenn as an adequate means to defray the very large and ever increasing in- debtedness. It seemed to me to be eXacting too little of the people. But, If it was the best policy at that | time available or workable, then 1 condone the autl or of the plan. The little revenue to be gleaned in that way however was insignificant at the most in meeting what it was design ed to meet
 Last year l was petitioned back to the charge l had held a year under promise of very lucrative salary. Within a few weeks however the eco- homie conditions took tumble which necessitated or at least resulted in a S1 400 reduction in my salary.
 I was familiar with conditions and at once shifted from high to low {. ] conform to the inevitable and went ou
 with my work. Almost every persor
 working on a salary has during the
 past year had to sit up and see slice
 after slice fall from his stipend duC
 not to a decline in efficiency or earn
 ing power, but as the result of af
 unavoidable crash in the financia
 world. Very few resigned their posi-
 tions to look for a better one, but
 held on hopeful of a revival in finan
 cial affairs, Carpenters, clerks, me
 chanics and day laborers have beer
 turned off and scores of men are with
 out employment even here in Conway
 or struggling to get by as a result
 of the depleted economic conditions
 Salaries are not always the infallibl'
 sign of earning power or efficiency