Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-08-23
SPEAKING OF AID FUNDS" WHY NOT A
STATE AID FUND FOR CONSOLIDATED

| OlAl T. AID FUND FOK CONSOLIDATED
SCHOOLS.-Georga is filed with abig huaba-
100 about providing funds with which to match the
federal aid fund for road construction and raising
tax revenues with which to aid our higher edu-
Cational institutions and provide free school books
for common schools
1t is a significant fact that, for number of years
politicians have been giving the above and SIMILAR
excuses for tying increased tax burdens both spe-
cal and general, upon the people; and then after
weaving their bright webs of appeal around the
people and getting into office and imposing ircreas
es in tares, the addtina revenue somehow or 9th
er has been finding its way largely into the crea-
ton of new bureaus" and departments" and hr-
ing additional lobby clerks for those departments
We arise to suggest that nothing better could
be done for Georgia than to create STATE AID
FUND FOR CONSOLIDATED RURAL
SCHOOLS.
That would be one of the most constructive
movements in the history of Georgia.
If several rural districts will get together and
aise half of the necessary money for the construc
ton OF adequate consolidated schools, let the State
provide the other half
Do that, and our rural children will get more
out of the books which they buy; and they won't
have awfuy much trouble in providing their
own books
Do that and there will not be such an exodus of
farmers from the country. Farmers will feel like
:heir children may remain in the country and yet
have something like equal chance with children
in towns where public schools already have been
made commensurate with the requirements of
coming Americans.
Substitute consolidated well graded and proper
y equipped schools for the oneroom shacks in
every county il Georgia, thru State aid fund, and
more will have been done for the development of
gricuture and citizenship in the State than could
he accomplished by all the paved highways and
Tree school books in Christendom
Lloyd and Long Cane communities in Troup
county, have bazed the way in this section by the
admirable hight OF their own courageous spirits
md high vision, without State aid. They have gone
10 work the construction of 100000 con-
solidated school with six class rooms, large au-
Gitorum and suitable grounds If the State were
paying $4,000 of the cost of this building, she
would be doing more for the people of those COM
nunities than she will be doing when she invests
many tens of thousands of dollars in paved high
way
Pave the highways by all means And if by some
miracle as yet unforeseen, money should be found
with which to provide free school books, do it
But it seems that we are putting the cart before
he horse when we build paved roads upon which
country children may go to school furnish them
with free school books, and yet fail to provide a
comparatively small State fund by which to subst-
tute adequate school buildings to which our rural
children may go and in which they may get the
most out of those books
Down with all the one-room school houses in
ieorgia and up quickly with a system of conso-
dated schools in every county of the state!
What it costs the state for one year of highway
work would, under a State-aid- fund system SINH
lar to the Observation-Disclosures system, place
Georgia 1T the front among all the states of Amer
lea in rural schools N
The rich influence that would have upon agri-
cultural development is incalculable- John H.
ones, in latirange Reporter.
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GOOD APPOINTMENT Governor Walker
L