The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1945-07-06
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" GEORGE S. BENSON
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SearfE .ArkaKsas
Independence

Arkansas and Mississippi both can
have splendid public schools without
accepting financial aid from any
where. l am prepared to prove this
statement with figures / presented
early in May to the Education Com
mittee of the House of Representa-
tives in Washington. Moreover, If
these states can do well without
help, any of the other states can do
likewise. Federal aid is not needed
anywhere.
l have singled out Arkansas and
Mississippi for good reason. 1t has
bearing on the subject in hand.
Measured by money standard,
these two states are lowest on the
educational roster. Only one state
has less income per person than Ar
kansas, provides less school money
per student and pays it's teachers
less; that's Mississippi. These are
our two low states in the respects
named.
There is Reason
Poor as these two states are on a
basis of income per capita, each of
them has more net worth than the
federal government. Our national
debt probably will reach 300 billion
dollars before the war is over.
Mississippi had a cash surplus of
II million dollars last year and
Arkansas accumulated As million
during recent years. Arkansas
schools are inadequate, due to poll
tics, not poverty.
What the school system in my
home state needs is recognizing,
not substituting. For example: About
a year ago there were LOG school
districts with assessed valuations
below $4,000. Some districts could
not raise $500 year from local
taxes. School districts varied in size
from one square mile to 100 square
miles.
Why Squander Money?
There is one community in Arkan-
sas which, although it has only 35
students all-told, is made up of six
school districts and thus uses six
buses to take the IS students to
school and back each day. Trans
portation costs $500 a month when
one bus might easily do the whole
job at cost of $3.50 a month. The
saving of $3.50 would pay three
teachers at the prevailing Arkansas
scale.
The problem is local and political
More money for such an inefficient
operation probably would tend to ag-
gravate bad situation and make it
even harder to remedy. The feder-
al government spent $4,000 for a
WPA survey of Arkansas schools in
1897 and the analysis showed that
the state could have a good school
system for an outlay of II million
dollars a year. The outlay was
made promptly.
Taxpayers Respond
Arkansas income per person has
more than doubled since 1899, due to
new industries and new discoveries
of oil and bauxite. More than 20
million dollars were spent for edu-
cation in Arkansas last year, and a
recent legislature raised that figure
considerably for the next biennium.
Already about $50 more money is
being spent on Arkansas schools
than the government-supported sur
vey called adequate in 1887
This however is not enough. Ar
kansas should have better schools !;
better financed. Arkansas teachers
should be better paid, probably the
salary scale ought to be doubled. I'm
for it when the system is re-organ-
ICED and made efficient, but / op-
pose federal aid. Easy money would
sacrifice state sovereignty on the al
tar of politics when we are able,
really, to increase our school rGve-
nue. as soon and as fast as condi.
tions justify.