Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-19
NEW PLAN OFFERED
BY DR.. M. M. PARKS
AT OFFICIALS MEET
Continued from Page u

Not only so, but there is discredit
to our state in the use of this loan
plan
For years, the borrowing in
state affairs has been carried on
by many people and in many ways.
1t is so unbusinesslike as to be ri
diculous. County boards, college
boards, institutional boards, and
various officials of state and coun-
ty and city, have been running up
debts and borrowing money. Look
at the cumbersome system of Dor
rowing for the public schools:
First, hundreds of school war
rants are issued monthly, and dis
tributed among 100 counties, and
among many towns and cities. Some
are discounted in banks scattered
throughout the state and nation.
Next, in some counties, the
school authorities borrow from To-
cal sources-from banks, people and
friends, with varying rates of in
terest. The state school auditor
found one place, where as high as
II per cent was paid soon after the
war.
For many years borrowing in
state affairs has been rampant from
top to bottom. 1t is so easy to Dor
row; so easy to go in debt; so easy
to plunge on state money, and to
run up a deficit There have been
deficits all over the state.
THE legislature ought to pass a
law that every official keep within
the allowed budget or appropriation.
The official who runs up an un-
reasonable deficit should be fired,
and a better manager substituted.
1t would stop deficits, and the
WastefulnesS.
There are too many people Dor
rowing money on the states credit
There are too many notes; too many
obligations; too many debts; too
many deficits. There are warrants
and notes, vouchers everywhere. 1t
is confusing. 1t is humiliating to
our state pride. 1t is not good bust
ness. It is costing too much in in
terest, and taking up too much time
of the officials, whose time is paid
OuI VI lIlO p0OA1S l1AOlASyJ anu T1AOSO
time ought to be employed more
throughout the state and nation.
Let the Governor Borrow
"Wby not simplify the whole
matter, and stop all of this indi-
viduaI, indiscriminate and indis-
Greet borrowing?
"If there must be borrowing let
all of the borrowing be done as
needed, month by month, by the
governor for the whole state, pub
licly, and at a low rate of interest.
1.-The plan will be far easier and
simpler, and more businesslike, and
more economical 1t will be fairer
to the public schools, and will save
an enormous amount of confusion
and injustice.
cit will put a stop to delayed
payments, which for so long a time
have brought encouragement and
often despair to the teachers and
public school officials. I shall sug-
gest this plan to the governor and
to the governor-elect
1.-THE plan for the legislature to
increase the borrowing power for
the governor seems to be the best
plan available. 1t is hoped, there
fore, that the county school super
intendents, the teachers, the school
officials, and all friends of educa-
ton, will call the attention of the
legislature to this plan, and help to
secure the success of a plan which
promises so great an Improvement
to the schools.
Four recommendations
,0e1 1NN ,n1-
concentrations regarding public
school finances:
81. The state should put stop
to the long-continued system of de-
layed payments of the public school
money. The funds should be paid
month by month just as other
funds are paid, so that the public
schools will no longer have to wait
until December to get a ten per
cent payment. To relieve the I'M
businesslike system which has eX-
listed for many years, I suggest that
the legislature pass constitutional
amendment allowing $3,500,000 to
be added to the present borrowing
power Of the governor annually.
with the provision that the amount
be decreased automatically a quar-
ter of a million a year, and with
the additional provision that this
sum each year be used solely for
the purpose of paying the public
school fund month by month
"2. Likewise, the state should
put a stop to the injustice of the
present borrowing and school war
rant system, which compels a loss
Of over one hundred thousand dol
lars a year from theN public school
fund, and thus practically reduces
teachers salaries to this extent.
This condition can be relieved by
an increase of the governors Dor
rowing power as indicated above
in the first recommendation.
"3F The state should expect a
most thorough business-like admin
school expenditures. and l feel sure
the county school superintendents
will join heartily in approving con-
tinued and increasing efficiency in
this particular. Every dollar must
be made to count in getting longer
terms good teachers, and a better
training for our children.
a The Legislature should be
urged t0 make liberal appropria'
tons for the common schools. AL
though q conservative regarding
taxation and appropriations, yet,
recommend that it is desirable that
the next legislature appropriate not
less than one-half the revenue of
the state for the public schools. and
that care be taken that no excessive
appropriations otherwise be made
to interfere with the public school
fund"