The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-04-05
THE SCHOOLS MUST RUN.

Nobody enjoys paying taxes. Meth
er does anybody take kindly to the
thought of raising taxes just now
The fact is that it sounds something
like treason for a person to say that
taxes must be raised.
But we had just as we'll face all
questions fairly and look them
squarely in the face. Some little time
ago, foreseeihg that the taxable vals
ues of property would be greatly re-
duced by the new assessment the
Press and Banner undertook to pre-
pare the public for just what has
happened. =.
In u remarks on the subject we
called attention to the fact that peo-
pie in every other business and call
ing were accepting lower wages and
a lower scale of remuneration, and,
while the teachers of the state were
not overpaid, it would be necessary
= that the scale of their pay be some
what lowered. We believe that prop.
osition has generally been accepted
by the public and the teachers as
we'll. But there must be a limit be.
yond which salaries cannot 60 down
ward, because. while we may not be
able to pay the highest salaries paid
in the state, we must yet pay such
salaries as will command the services
of good teachers.
Undertaking to carry out this pro-
gram, at least to some extent, the
Board of Trustees has undertaken to
ascertain as nearly as practicable
just what the income of the school
district will be another year, and at
the same time has made up a SEIZED
$ule of the charges which are inevita-
BILE in the running of the schools.
That schedule will be found elsewhere
in this issue. It will be evident from
reading it that there r many items
in the expense side of the statement
which are too low. The amount sug-
gested for incidentals and repairs is
much less than has been paid annual
~ for q number Of years. Other
charges which cannot now be fore
seen will come up.
But considering the statement as
it stands it shows that w will need
something like $4,000 to $4,000
more than the promised income with
which to run the schools another year.
We are not advised whether the pres
emit Superintendent will accept the
salary offered him and stay with US
or not. We very much hope that he
will, but whether he does or not, it
is safe.to say that as good a man will
not be found to head the school work
here for any less than the amount
offered. And it will be the more nee
essary to have a good man at the
head of the schools, because with his
increasing usefulness and experience,
Prof. j. NJ. Daniel, who has been
the principal of the schools for sew
eral years, will not desire to stay
with US at the salary we are able to
offer him. His experience and accom-
plishments fit him to take the superin-
tendency of a school somewhere at
a much better salary than we are
able to offer him. We will start with a
new principal and with a good many
new teachers, no doubt, and we
would emphasize the statement that
we need a first class superintendent,
We have M and we hope that he
will remain with us.
But if we pay the reduced salary
offered him and pay the reduced sal.
airy appropriated for the principals
and the scale fixed for teachers we
will still he short tho amornt indicat.
ed above for meeting the expenses
of running the schools.
What then are we to do? Shall we
run schools of Indifferent effective.
ness and offer to the youth of this
city less than they are offered in
towns of like size in the state? We
do not think the people will be will
ing to do this. For many, a majority
perhaps, of those who are attending