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'LISHED 1866. m 00 ■ OCAL SCHOOL TAXATION. wing is an address delivered by Mr. T. B. Hartig last Saturday betore tbe iiers Association {and upon motion was ordered Vo be published. B. I>. „, o. s. C.) one sense I rnter with considerable diffidence into this discus I, yet, viewing the subject as oue of such vast importance, und if L adopted and inaugurated possible of such great good, it pleases that we are here to present it as a vital public issue for the tar |consideration of the people of Wavue county, peaking educationally and I hope broadly so, the subject that is , introduced is the most important question, the most far-reach propositiou before the people, not only of Wayne county, but in before the people of the entire state of Georgia. Especially is true as affecting the education interests ot the people of all ru jjmmunities, w ho have not local school systems of their owu, who are unable to have more than a few months of public school ||y e ar T only to the extent of what the county’s o receive from the state will provide for. Reducing s inean If the phrase embrased in the title of our subject, “ Local school tiou” into a definition ot a single sentence, wo have for its ■jJJnunity ^ Hug this, that its adoption could give to the people of every of the one hundred and forty-six counties of Georgia, VTot u ot, at least eight months of absolutely free school each If that thought, that iuterpretaion of what local school taxa tneane, to the people of the state and especially to the people of cloved couuty of Wayne—if thatcan be successfully demonstra te! maintained, then certainly its stupendous importance can ijsily eeriinients be over estimated. only instituted “by the are uot among men consent 1 , governed,” but also for their good, for their encouragement, sir happiness. A free people, under a liberal constitution, are t-fi-ofl life und liberty and especially the legitimate pursuits of While the fundamental law of our land, our national refers to education only iuau implied manner, still the or •of every state places so much stress upon education <* j so.nn as if should be through this channel, a liberal pub. * hi and through which we should not only pursue, but : lau. «r greatest share of happiness. sair hers, in establishingthisgovernment, this oasis of earth, res l' jatest freedom, went a step far in advance of the build defr ■ktions,—they held that since the state guaranteed to R. J i, liberty and reasonable genuine pursuits of hnp Job true La s '*te should also to some extend and provide the means A 1 all may be true participants of these blessings in the tgi From this civic principle, which itself ' degree. was •v ,r product of the successive attempts for better governments as of humane history, them developed finally public ed- 4 mblio schools supported enjoy—educatian by the state. enacted This by is the edu Jtem we to-day govermental ii ¥ education sustained by govennental regulations ana ad mini. iti^n. The present constitution ot Georgia fully sustains this idea. The under which we now live was made in 1877, at a time when an oue provided for. In Article \ III, section 1, alien race had to be ot' that constitution, we find the question of public education treated with minut J10£ f directness auci a iroad liberality This i.- readily seen /wing concise and forceful language, h i s rail be a thorough system < common schools for the ed of children io tb -c! m ! -it; -y branches of an English ccluca ucatio uniform practicable, the shall be tior ' * onlv as nearly as The schools expense Ktdren j j 1 for by taxation, or otherwise. shall be free to ^^.lorod of the state, but separate ochools be provided for the races,” ILd pursuant to Georgia these very has always constitutional sought, requirements, session after session, the Gen ”'l F -omblvof „L>pr»U.. to iuukc ti3 fuut . i i I • M .. P0»lbl. to cart, „»t the,,. pr * „,i s . ions and to promote aud advance education in every reasonable and P to period of our state’s development and But we have now come a greatness that if we do not accelerate our pace, leave behind our old extreme gresl'af conservatism, and step out along with the educational pro other states, the commonweallh which we all h„e well, and of which and in which we all feel special pride, will surely Jag behind ^nr^h.ppiuc.of.11. in this one great question of education, which so closely e f While Georgia holds the preud ,micc.ce of being the great Empire State of the South, m wealth, in creat diversity oflnaturai resources, m progress along manufacturing enterprises, 'in great and varied agricultural productions and i -T- superb institutions of secondary and higher learn ;r '" her sister states have already outstripped her per and ample profusions for the the common •islfrom which into this world of strife go ninety h , boys and girls to assume the duties ot this world k no nor of having the oldest female college in the ml V: ‘ at institution to-day is enjoving the lnghes e n . tosy. It is an honor to the state and to the eouth. 4 *is. literary, musical, technical aud professional col i F( Ht iea compare in thoroughness or accomplishment IS y anywhere. So citizens need feel asbame cf them, aonument of their own excellence and efficiency, 19 state have done all this, we have iu part negleeted .n of what has caused us as a nation or neorde to be Sentinel “WE APPLAUD THE RIGHT AND CONDEMN THE WRONG.” JESUP, GA., APRIL 25th, 1907. as progressive as we are. We are neglecting the real prudential training. Our neighboring states and those more remote have al ready gone far beyond us in providing the means whereby they may give the child of the farmer and the wage earner the adequate num ber of months ot free schooling each year, which the progress of the world in all avenue of life calls for. We have clung to an old so called conservative system, that, under a constitutional restrction that the state tax may not exceed five mills, can only give the chil dren of the rural communities and small towns comparatively but a few months of free school each year, and the time has come for a departure to better conditions. Our present system may have been progress years ago, but it is antiquated now. It it not in keeping with the excellent systems of public schools that we fiud everywheie else in the great galary of state that compose thisgoold union. The thought is therefore repented, the time has come for a cluing, La better conditions along this line. And how may this be accomplished? By following the instiue tious and carrying out the requirements of our state’s fundimental law. Yes, but how can we give free schools the proper number of months each year to all children, when that very constitution does not permit a levy of over five mills? By supplying the money from the state with money raised through local taxation. The General Assembly in 1905 pasped a law that provided for this. This law was amended and perfected the year after by the same law making body. It provides simply and plainly that, when one fourth of the qualified voters of a county shall petition for a county school tax election, the ordinary shall in not less than twenty or more than sixty days call such election. If when such election is held two thirds of the votes cast shall favor such county school tax the same shall be do dared carried and become law in such couuty voting the same. There is no compulsion in this. It is for the people themselves to say whether they wish such tax, and not until they say so by their votes and by a two thirds majority can the same be levied und collected. The state of Georgia has made wonderful progress in all avenues of human activities since the devastations of the civil war. Espe cially hue this progress been marked during the past ten years. In no other section of the state has this growth in wealth and in the development of onr natural resources been so evident as in this what is commonly known as Wiregruss Georgia, or the southern part of the state In this, our beloved county of Wayne, the growth in pop ulation lias been most gratifying. According to the United States census of 1890 Wayne’s population numbered 7485. In 1900 this increased to 0449, showing a gam of nearly two thousand or over twenty-six per cent. Recent statistical reports estimate the growth of the Wiregrass counties since 1900 to have been over thirty percent, and this agrees with the opinion of those who where and are best pos ted that Wayne’s population is today over 2000. But it is not much in population as ui niateiml wealth that 11 have developed so Tax J>‘gestfor U _Bhowa1 atax .dilution most. The county ^ \ on real j and personal property ,Uld lncreased to the astonishing figure o ■ -> ’> ■ ’’ ’ lc ai '^, 81x y P el cent more than five yeyrs before. But greater still did . Wayne’s material wealth advance during the next twelve mouths. ’he county 1 ax Digest for 1900, real and personal property, shows the almost uncreditable on of $ 4 of $2,583,974, an increase 1 ., ,01 over nineteen per cent sum These figures give us material upon which iu a single year. to re ffect. Surely the people, generall v speaking, are not only prospering,j really prosperous. With tins prosperity hovering over and I but are be not, lul / increase in our population the.j around, should " and us constant addition t‘> ,,in vv " a > P *t ** tru0 * doss ~ this enhanced wea Whv ur?1 to 'vards the ing that , children ot our country am with - ‘a a om of this ac cumulation of Gods’s bou,>tie ,amlL it a sis there children to the better prepared for the many and onerrus duties that become andjomen they later as men And in this great w • to he am, we have all around „ mo.t powerful .«.»•>» we iirOj Gflcli oue r> us. proud Have of you thought that we^au.mate . 1 v.oinfys being jxs ^ Qf ^ ^ f^his hiu there, little 11 + 4 - 1 ^ oarlh- have 1 1 surroundioglus assist U9 lnauunafa “ ^ yetjiowerfu th” '"imy at our .... com- ---- maud to l9<)9) wa9 placed erty of \\ ayne count>, on ax digest, at t2,688,974-the this—would be assistei re.l v.lw "'‘"j* meaus « for »uoh bctter a. schools and longer term- ^ of j ' • 8 ; °«r rural schools . True upon ligate, . ,-p-Sb-—bj do »« •»> ^ 'uTT °‘ l>r ° P “‘ J ' General’s office at Atla RaiIroadj Wavnetr, / rt ' le P houo and , Express WOf, at c ^PJ tMstartling n1 ^ of $2 ,086,048^ froni^"whichrtt ^ the couuty in ^ ^ receives, through the ^ { J axe3 aB fr °“ properties,here. bhlS ^ ^ fymg and almost, f ; /^ We e “* P l 80ple ® f certaii jy h ^f T pt to take a few steps to grass aJd true t » ^c^.j ’ tbaDffeh a V especially ebeen;to make everybody bettor Mer a nd happ ier, so, when tha burden is not all own shoulders, but hav « he re at hand powerful agencies on our the will who, when we in a legal manner say word, take half the bur den upon their owu! But here comes the stumbliog block to every progressive move in (Continued on fourth page) $1.00 PER YEAR NO. 16. Teachers Association The County Teachers Associa tion was called to order Saturday by County Commissioner B. D. Purcell. The dev fion ,1 1 -mrcisorf were led by J. 1). Wi'ri-. pastor of the Baptist Church, who raid four verses of the third chapter of second Timothy, and made a short talk thereto, closing with a very ap 1 j roprinte prayer. Pro '. W. D. Green had a class with which he gave an object los s in as to bow to teach “The First Eight Weeks in Heading.” This exposition was intere-ting and in structive. 'I'll- various im-tliods to teach reading, the- alphabetic, phonic, the word and the sentence method’s, were explained. A paper in “Literature in the Public School” by Miss Lena Jones was able and comprehensive, and much enjoyed. Prof. E. [A. Lewis read a well prepared paper on the subject of Language Work and Grammar. Local school taxation was spo ken on at length by Mr. T. B. Hartig. A gAieral discussion followed, and upon motion the request wa» unanimously passed that Mr. Hartig’s paper be pub lished. Upon motion the association adjourned. Rev. W. R. Thompson Dead. The Rev. W. K. Thompson ot ScrevorA conuty died at the Sav an - nah H ospna. ye8Wjtday evening ghortly J after 7 0 > ciock aa a reS ult of an lne8B of 0Ver a vear . Ha is 8nrv ived by his wife and ei htnhildr Messrs, W. L. and j L . Thompson ot Savannah, R. H- aud U . C . Thompson of Serev en county, Mrs. A. G. Lee and Miss Annie Thompson of Savan nfthf and Misses Lula and Neliie Thompson of Screven county. The deceased was 5.. years of age * and wa9 well known in Savan u h . Ho was formerly pastor of tha s ecou d Baptist. Church of iy oycro3 , f but at the time of his death was living at Walt.hower.s ville. He was a member oi the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, an d Masous, and delegations from each of these orders vill attend hie fulll . nu . The iuneral will take place this afternoon at 4 o’clock from the residence of Ins son, Mr. YV. L. Thompson, No. 1500 Harborsham street. The in terment will be in Jauirel Grove Ceoisiery. The Rev. Mr. Scruggs of Waycross, a close friend of the deceased, will probably conduct the Services.—Savannah Morning News of Wednesday April 2 k Blackshearvs. jesup 'J’he Blackshear B t °se Ball Team team came over Monday and th9 i 00 *! Tb e score stood 4to 2 in favor of BIacksh(;ar . The features of the game was the runnmg catch of Willmni^n of the home team and the home run - a ^ The exhibitions of encouragement like the ^ receiwd Mondu ^> and Je8Uli wdl 80011 have a dno f am ' Tho attendance was about 2o0. Conidas Delicious Ice Cream al ways at the Jesup Drug Company.