Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1922-05-12
MR.. BOTTOMS LETTER
Continued from first page)

another direction, and there Is no real
relief there.
The city, as / understand it. can
also increase its rate to mills, and
from this additional revenue could be
obtained, but on the whole there
would be no reduction in city taxa
ton if we are to maintain our city
government at its present state of
efficiency. l do not see how our po-
lice jury can operate on one-half Of
its present revenue. 1t is true our
police jury can increase its n,illage
from ) " to mills, but that would
give us upon proposed rate of as
sessment an amount equal to mills
On our present assessment, whereas
It low requires 3 " mills on the pres
ent 100 per cent rate Of assessment
10 maintain our parish. This then
leaves only the school board to be
taken into consideration. We get 5
mills district tax, and mills parish
wide maintenance tax on 100 yer
cent assessment, making 8 mills or
the 100 per cent valuation. 1t takes
all of this, together with what We get
from the state and other sources, To
operate our schools here in Alex-
andria. Now suppose our revenues
were cut half in two from this source,
we would get equivalent to mills
on the present assessment It 10 true
that the people of this district could
vote 8 mills additional, but that would
be equivalent to only l " mills OH the
present assessment, giving US in all
equivalent to 5h mills on the present
assessment, and it is impossible to
operate the schools of Alexandria for
nine months in the year at that reve-
nue..
Shall our great public school sys-
tenn which we have worked so hard to
build up for the past eighteen years
be completely broken down? No
school can operate in Rapides parish
for nine months on the revenue from
he proposed SO per cent assessment.
This means that we will have no high
schools and this means that our boys
and girls will get the meager common
school education of twenty-five OF
thirty years ago. 1t is unthinkable tina.
the people of the state of Louisiana
would; permit such calamity as this
to befall them. Is it not right and
pr per that the property of the state
OF Louisiana should be assessed fol-
such sum as necessary to construct
modern school buildings, and to pro.
vide for the proper maintenance OF
our public schools?
A lady of my acquaintance who was
born and reared in Russia in city OF
over $4,000 inhabitants, who came
mere before the world war, tells me
that there was not when she lived
there single public school in that
entire city. No wonder then at the
chaotic condition that exists in Rus
sio ILLS IiiIC' H VIC VIC arc HOL "
properly maintain our grammar
schools, and if we are not to put a
high school within the reach of every
child where the population is suf-
ficiently dense to maintain it, then
say We are in danger of going back
ward instead of forward. LIE. US re.
member that our high schools are
the preparatory schools to college
and if there are to be no high school
there will be no students prepaI ed
for college, so Of what use will be
our great university that is to be
constructed and of our higher insti
buttons of learning? A number Of the
parents of the state never expect to
do any better for their children than
to give them high school education
l hold that it is the duty and respon.
sibility Of the men Of wealth to see
to it that our state is left in q better
condition when they pass away to
their future reward than it was when
they were born. 1t is my firm con.
viction that God Almighty will hold
responsible that man, or that woman
who does not properly use the money
that they have been permitted by
Him to accumulate and without Hi
permission they could not have &C.
cumulated. What greater responsible.
ity is there upon any individual If.
ter he contributes the proper amount
to the support of the church than
seeing to it that an opportunity il
given to the rising generation to Oh
tain a proper education in the public
schools? The country that forgetl
God, and the country that fails in
the proper system Of public educa.
ton is in great danger
It is easy enough, gentlemen. Il
compare the amount of money thai
We pay now to the support Of the
various departments of the gover'-
ment with the money that we pail
twenty-five years ago, or even {
shorter time, but when we make thai
comparison let Is be fair and com
pare what We had TWENTY-FIVE
years ago with what we hav, today
! / hear some oae say. 81 did mo-
get a college education and l pros
pered in life" That may BE true, bu