PROPOSED NEW CONSTITUTION
Synopsis and Comments on Improvements Made Over the
Constitution of 1874.
EDUCATION.
Art. Xn provides for free tuition for all persons over six years 'of age,
and that the General Assembly may authorize kindergartens. Three adminis
trative and taxing units are provided. State, county and district.. There shall
be a State Board of Education of seven electors, to be appointed by the Gov
ernor, to serve without compensation, and a Commissioner of Education in
lieu ef the present Superintendent of Public Instruction. Each county shall
have a County Board of Education of five members to be elected and serve
without compensation, and a County Superintendent. Each district shall have
at least six months school annually; the district tax shall not exceed 12
mills; county high schools may be authorized; a tax not exceeding one
quarter mill may be levied for public libraries; all State lands shall be held
in trust for the permanent school fund.
There are no radical changes from the old Constitution. The
article is designed only to make more effective those principles
which have been developed by years of educational advancement
and constructive policy. Arkansas today ranks forty-third educa
tionally among the states of the Union, but with the improvements
proposed it should within a short time take its place among the
first. The article is probably the best on the subject in American
state Constitutions. It will give to the people the power to greatly
increase the efficiency of their schools. It will enable the rural
sections to develop high schools as well as to improve their elemen
tary schools. One of our most serious problems is the tendency
to move from the country to the town or city for educational ad
vantages. This process robs rural communities of some of their
best citizens. One of the most important of the new provisions is
that which makes it possible to provide high school advantages
for country boys and girls. County supervision is established in
every county, and a system of County Boards of Education, elected
by the people and responsible only to the people, will assimilate
and make effective the best thought and experience of successful
educators.
et* alt X JL
ON A CASH BASIS.
Art. XV I, Sec. 1, provides that “all indebtedness for ordinary expenses
*’hich may be created by the State or any county, city or town after the
adoption of this Constitution in any year in excess of its revenue for such
year, and credit balance available, shall be void unless such indebtedness be
authorized or ratified by affirmative vote of a majority of the electors” con
cerned. Art. XV, Sec. 11, provides that after July 1, 1920, taxes shall be paid
only in United States currency, and that warrants thereafter issued by State,
county, city or town shall be paid in the order of their issuance, and no war
rant shall be paid unless there are funds in the treasury to pay those en
titled to priority.
These are new provisions. Their application, with the pro
vision for bond issues and the payment of existing indebtedness,
will enable the State, counties and cities to keep on a cash basis.
+ + + 4
CORPORATION COMMISSION.
At. XVII creates the Arkansas Corporation Commission, of three mem
bers, to be appointed by the Governor, for terms of six years, one of whom
shall possess the qualifications of a Supreme Court Judge. They shall have
< omplete jurisdiction in the supervision and regulation of all public utilities.
The Arkansas Railroad Commission and the Arkansas Tax Commission are
abolished, and their duties absorbed by the Corporation Commission.
This is a progressive measure. It is the inevitable outgrowth
of regulative principles established by the Tax and Railroad Com
missions, wihch are merged into one, as their duties frequently
overlap. Many other states have created Corporation Commissions
similar to this, and tfie Arkansas Convention took from the Con
stitutions of other states the best features to be incorporated
into a model law. It centralizes power, locates responsibility and
fixes the jurisdiction in all matters pertaining to the regulation
of public utilities which minister to the requirements of all citizens
alike. Its provisions are drawn from the best experience of other
states, whert the system has been found to give satisfaction, and
to be fair, just and equitable.
* * TT tT
BOND ISSUES.
Art. XVI, Sec. 1, provides that “bonds may be Issued as may b« provided
by law to pay present existing indebtedness and for permanent public im
provements within and for the State, county, city or town which has a pop
ulation of more than 1,000 inhabitants," upon the affirmative vote of not less
than 60 per cent of the qualified electors voting at a special election; the
bonded debt shall not exceed 5 per cent of the total taxable property of the
taxing unit; no bonds shall be issued for longer than thirty years, and interest
thereon shall not exceed 6 per cent; when bonds are issued a special addi
tional tax shall be levied sufficient to meet annual payments of principal and
interest.
There is no principle more firmly established in modern busi
ness and finance than that of the issuance of bonds for general
public improvements and to refund on long and easy terms existing
indebtedness of cities, counties and other units, just as corpora
tions or individuals refund their liabilities under more favorable
conditions and terms. Progress and development demand more
resources than can be made available under existing conditions.
No burden is fastened upon any tax-payer by the adoption of this
provision. Any bond issue must be 'authorized by a"majority 0f
at least 60 per cent of the qualified electors voting at a special
election. The people are supreme, and whatever they decide t
final. It is their business. The Constitution only supplies the
means of carrying out their will. They are made truly respon.
sible stockholders in their county or municipal business affairs
The people, at last, shall say whether a community is to be pro’
gressive and up-to-date, or lag behind the procession.
♦ 4* *4* 4*
TAXATION.
Art. XV provides that “all property subject to taxation shall be taxed
according to its value, that value to be ascertained in such manner as the
General Assembly shall direct, making the same equal and uniform through
out the State. No one species of property from which a tax may be collected
shall be taxed higher than another species of property of equal value.” it jg
provided that license, franchise, privilege, excise, income, inheritance, legacv
succession, production and other specific taxes may be levied, and certahj
classes of property, such as schools, churches, public hospitals, etc., are ej.
empted. Segregation of property to be taxed for State purposes is permitted
No annual tax levy shall exceed one per cent of the assessed valuation.
County and municipal levies shall not exceed one-half of one per cent, but an
additional one-half of one per cent may be levied to pay existing indebted
ness. Counties may form special road districts, and vote a special tax not to
exceed five mills. By election a municipality may levy an additional fjye
mills for municipal purposes.
No other article of the Constitution represents the result of
so much thought, hard work and deliberation as this. It is the
composite wisdom of three weeks of discussion, in which the whole
subject of taxation in all its phases and from all possible angles
was thoroughly analyzed. The principle of equality and uniform
ity has been retained from the old Constitution. The people's
lights are thoroughly safeguarded, and yet the law is made suf
ficiently flexible to insure a sufficiency of revenue. The tax
dodger is uncovered, and much property that has escaped its part
of the tax burden will be forced to do its share. No additional tax
is levied upon the people, who remain the sole authority for the
levying of additional taxes. It is essentially a democratic
measure.
+ + ♦ +
It is provided that an Actuarial Bureau to fix insurance rates
may be created, to be under the control of the Insurance Com
missioner. .
Advertisement.
Mr. Rob’t Buchanan of Au
gusta, who is in the Marine
service and stationed at Paris
Island, S. C., and who is home
on furlough, was the guest of
McCrory friends the first of
the week.
Coupons, bonds o f the
Fourth Liberty Loan have
been received by us and are
NOW ready for delivery. All
who subscribed to this issue
are urged to call at ONCE and
receive their bonds.
BANK OF McCRORY.
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