The Watchman And Southron

IS NECESSARY
Representative Rittenberg of Charleston Will Renew Efforts to Prevent Waste of School Funds

Charleston, Dec. 17.--Nothing that may come before the approaching session of the General Assembly is of more importance than amendment of the 6-0-1 school law "to stop-gap" the leaks in it, in the opinion of Representative Sam Rittenberg, of Charleston, who expressed his views today at the request of the Associated Press.

Mr. Rittenberg indicated he favored retirement of supreme court justices and circuit judges, and declared he saw no prospect of a reduction in taxes "unless the state is prepared to retrograde to the standards of 15 or 20 years ago."

Saying that James H. Hope, State superintendent of education had been quoted as admitting there were serious defects in the 6-0-1 law, Mr. Rittenberg, who was a member of the ways and means committee in the last legislature, asserted:

"This is a question of wasting the people's money, not only that but it affects vitally the very morals of the state and the youth being trained in our public schools. I shall do all in my power to assist the friends of the law to strengthen the weak spots so that opportunities for wasteful extravagance and fraud may be eliminated."

"Questions of appropriation and taxation are, of course, identical," the Charleston legislator said. "At this time I cannot conceive how the combined wisdom of the General Assembly could reduce appropriations sufficiently to make even a dent in the way of tax reduction unless the state is prepared to retrograde to the standards of 15 or 20 years ago, which, for one example, would deny educational facilities to about two-thirds of the present student bodies in our institutions of higher education as well as in our public schools.

"It is obvious that on the present basis of appropriations indirect taxation is here to stay and unless a way can be found to equalize property assessment bases throughout the State, it is not unreasonable to look forward to a time when the direct State levy on property will be eliminated and the two millions or so that the levy now produces will be supplied by increasing the present rates of indirect taxes, or new indirect sources will be found."

Asked for his opinion on suggestions that economies might be attained and efficiency increased by abolishing or consolidating some of the existing agencies of the state government, Mr. Rittenberg replied:

"I am not strong for abolition. No doubt there are departments and divisions that could be consolidated without detriment to the efficiency of the administration. I find from observation and experience that the complaint that certain non-elective commissions fail to function rhythmically with the pulse of the people is really a complaint that because they are not called upon to seek election at the hands of the individual voters, they refuse to play favorites."

"Constitutional amendments should be submitted," he said, "whereby the Legislature would be empowered to retire justices of the Supreme Court and judges of the circuit courts on full pay or part pay on a basis of service and age limit, or on account of physical infirmity. Recent experiences point clearly to the desirability of such a change."

A similar view with regard to the retirement of justices and judges was expressed by Senator J. Howard Moore, of Abbeville, who announced his intention to introduce a bill providing for such retirement in a statement he made for the Associated Press.