The Little River news., 1923-02-10
NO HELP TO SCHOOLS
 IS GIVEN THUS FAR
Senator DuLaney Introduces State Forestry Bill, Looking to Preser-
 yatiOn Of Forests.

Little Rock, Feb. Special l)-The session is half over and so far nothing definite has been accomplished in be- half of common schools. There has been numerous bills of various characters, chiefly local, affecting the school interests, most of them aimed at county supervision, but nothing has been done definitely to solve the prob lem Of keeping the school doors open and providing equal opportunities for every boy and girl in the state. There are several proposed amendments to the constitution pending in the two houses and the friends of education will insist that at least one of the three amendments to be submitted shall be in the interest of the public schools. There are two resolutions pending in the House, one to increase the district school tax to 20 mills and the other to increase the state school tax from three to ten mills. In the Senate there | is one resolution to increase the state school tax to five mills and to provide for am IS mills district tax. Two other amendments in the House indirectly concern the school revenues. One seeks to exempt from the payment of poll tax persons who attain the age of 50 years and the other to exempt homesteads to the amount of $2,000 from taxation. AS the poll taxes are paid into the school fund and the school fund receives it's pro rata of the ad valorem assessment on all public property, it follows that the adoption of either or both of these amendments would greatly reduce an already di- |minishing school revenue. It is not believed, however, that either of these amendments will be submitted The joint committee on amendments has a. greed to report the resolution to auth orize the legislature to increase the personnel and salary of the Supreme Court. This leaves two others that can be submitted. One of them will undoubtedly be a school revenue meas ure. The third plaGG will be fU,yi.ol.tt .eoll..tt for by the advocates of other propositions, but it is predicted by many that it will be resolved in the final analysi1 to some sort of resolution affecting the organization. of Improvement dis tricts. Out of the flood of local and general legislation it will be a most unfortunate circumstance if something is not done that will enable the schools of the state to continue at their max imum of efficiency and service.
 | Senator DuLaney of Ashdown is the author of bill providing for State Forestry organization. Arkansas, while forward looking and progressive, has not made much progress toward the conservation and protection of it's forest resources. The DuLaney bill provides for Forestry Board entirely free from politics and representing all the interested clements of the state, particularly the agricultural and lumb- CT interests. It provides for a technic- ally train-d and experienced forester 70 be appointed by the Forestry Board. Only a few assistants arc provided for but an expansion of the organization when the need arises, is made possible.
 The cost of financing the organiza- ton will not fall upon the taxpayer. It is provided that the legislature shall appropriate the funds for it's mainten- ance out of money received from the severance tax on timber. This will in sure sufficient revenue to perpetuate he work. Unless timber resources are protected, this source of wealth will in few years. be exhausted and cease tc be. Other states have attempted to ge, on without forest protection. They are now repening when it is too late and at the same, time experiencing a shortage of timber paying prohibited prices for what they have and taxing themselves millions of dollars in an at tempt to restore their forest lands for future generations.
 Forest legislation is inevitable. The lumber industries of the state are de- pendent upon the forest for their raw material. Arkansas is now cutting and burning her forests at ast-five times faster than they grow. With the present cut the forests of the state will be exhaused in 20 years. Properly pro-
 tected they can be made to last forever
 Depletion of the forests means loss of Industrial capital to the state. loss of
 large taxable values and a tremendous loss in wages
 First Presbyterian Church
 Sunday Services.
 Sunday School. 10:00 a. m.