The log cabin Democrat., 1922-02-06
SEES NO OCCASION FOR SCHOOL CLOSE ACTION NOT WARRANTED Citizen Suggests Careful Study of School Management and
 Finances First.

| IANEC9NN' l public schools on next Friday, a Con | way citizen, whose record for pubic
 service comments his views to tho
 careful consideration of the entire city and county, today suggested that before any such step is taken
 the situation be carefully canvasseo and accurate stock be taken of liabili- ties and resources To do this, he
 proposed that the school board ap-
 point a committee which would call
 into consultation at least three well
 known educators for the purpose of determining if some economies can not be effected in maintenance. In the meantime, the sales and luxury tax plan would be given a thorough going over and it's revenue, coupled with the revenue from regular taxa tion, be used to operate the schools on whatever basis is possible.
 The schools must not close," should be adopted as the slogan of , the city, he said, just as the French at Verdun adopted, they shall not pass" Members of the board, it was declared in his statement, are re- sponsible for the success or failure of Conways system of common school education, and it is their duty in the present crisis to take the leadership.
 AS regards the sales and luxury taxes, this citizen does not see sui ficient ground for the claim that the system has utterly broken down, simply because the revenue declined to about $600 The next month it might, without any public agitation in it's favor, climb back to $500 or better. As a matter of fact, the max imum revenue estimated from volun- tary taxation was between $1 ,000 and $l POO. Causes other than public apathy very likely did enter into the slump encountered in December. Remedies for these causes should have been sought, rather the label ing of the entire plan as a failure and the suspension of the schools as direct consequence.
 1 Too much censure is being direct , ed at the merchants and too little en- couragement given them, in the view of this citizen, who points out that the business men undertook the real burden of the tax-its collection. As rule, he believes that merchants have sincerely undertaken to live up to their obligation and make the col lections uniform. Some difficulties have developed, naturally, but they 1 probably could be smoothed out if the city delegated to one man the job as supervisor. A resident of the district found opposing the tax, under this plan would be seen by the supervisor and an effort made to bring him around. Too, business houses failing or refusing to collect, would be ap preached and cooperation urged upon them as a civic duty.
 A round table discussion of ob- stacles to uniform collections is pro- posed in this statement. Some clerks possibly fail to collect on account of timidity; others becouse of the rush under which they work at times, and still others because of uncertainty as to the residence of the purchaser. Close cooperation with uhe super visor would do much to surmount these obstacles. In it's final analysis, the sales and luxury taxes are not self operative, he declared, and must l have supervision, which will stress and not censure
 As to economies in the operation of the schools, it is suggested that the board appoint an advisory body of three educators, who will go thor oughly into the affairs of the district. Economies which will bring mainte- nance equal to or nearer the districts revenue should be ordered even should the action reduce the efficiency of the schools. Seventy-fve per cent efficiency, he believes, is much to be preferred to a 100 per cent efficient school closed down for lack of finances.
 For the immediate relief of the district, this plan proposes: The i'm mediate appointment of the advisory board of educators; the appointment of the school tax supervisor; con ference of all the sales forces, and the decision of the board to keep open the schools even if their eff ciency must be lowered in order to bring maintenance within the rev
 enue. These things done, the city will still have system of common school education which will practical
 ly answer all purposes, and the vol untary tax scheme will produce as
 much or more than it did during its first few months, enabling the district
 to continue operation until legal re : lief can be had when the constitu tional limitation on school levies E | l mi