The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1922-10-06
AMONG THE COUNTRY SCHOOLS
Bv R. E. Powers. Co. Supt.

BY r. E. Powers, Co. Supt.
While the Quarterly court was IN
session Monday two members OF the
court spoke of the delinquent poll tax
es. | made mention of this in these
columns some time ago to the effect
that every cent Of it goes to the
schools. This is still being doubted
by some people over the county.
Those who doubt this statement will
satisfy their minds if they will read
the law. There is no doubt in the
world that all this money is placed to
the credit of the rural schools. There
is now almost enough delinquent poll
taxes to give the rural schools anoth-
err month. Remember that when you
pay your poll taxese that you are
helping the schools that much, and if
you fail to pay you are helping to
keep the schools in the same old "rut"
they have been in so long.
would like to see poll tax paying
campaign in this county this year. In
some counties one week in the year is
set aside for the purpose and certain
men and women over the county are
appointed to take the lead. This would
help a great deal to solve the prob
lem of delinquent taxes.
In Tennessee 1875 per cent of its
bonded Indebtedness is for roads and
bridges and only 4.6 per cent is for
schools. The total of this debt for
roads and bridges is $27,494, 047.52
and for schools the total is only ST.
527,000.00. You will see here that the
schools of the state is responsible for
only 4.6 cents on every dollar of taxes
collected for interest and sinking fund
while the roads and bridges as you
see are responsible for 83.5 cents.
The following is an extract from
the Better Schools Bulletin Of the
Ohio State Department of Education.
1t is the Teachers Greed of that
state and it will do well for us to
think it over: II believe in the boys
and girls, the men and women of to-
morrow. That what the boys SOW,
the man must reap. / believe in the
curse of ignorance, the efficiency of
the schools, the dignity Of teaching
and the JOY of serving others. be-
lieve in the wisdom as revealed in
human lives as well as in the pages of
the printed book; in lessons taught,
not SO much by precept as by exam
pleses; inability to toll with the hand
az well as to think with the head and
in all that makes life large and lovely.
! believe in love and laughter and
truth, and all ideals and distant hopes
that lure US on. / believe in the pres
ent with all its opportunities, the fu-
ture and its promises and the divine
joy of living.
Let me call you attention to the fact
that the schools should open just as
soon as possible. The earlier they
are started the better it will be for
all. would be glad to see them OPEN
ed not later than the first Monday in
November in order that I'VE may have
just as much school as possible before
the bad weather begins. Also, in this
connection that all broken window
lights should be replaced as soon as
possible and other needed repairs as
well. H.
A few of the schools are making
preparations to place their winters
wood supply on the grounds soon. Is
your school in this group? Let's try
to have it said that we will not be
compelled to spend cent for wood at
any school this winter. If you will
save the county of this little item in
each school, it will amount to several
hundred dollars for the entire county
and will in turn give the schools that
much more money. If every citizen
of the county will help safeguard the
county's treasury not only in this res
pect but in all others we will soon be
out of debt and have clean sheet to
work upon.