Birmingham age-herald., 1894-08-24
WHERE TO CUT DOWN

EXP ENsES AND PRESERVE THE PUBLIC
 SCHOOLS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PEo-
 PILE.
 To the Age Herald:
 The public it appears very generally un- derstands by this time that it is impossible for the board of education to assess fees for admission into the public schools. This avenue being closed, it Is now in order to plan and devise ways and means to run the public schools of the city.
 1 will venture the following suggestions on the subject, as think the muddle can best be settled in no way better than gen. eral discussion of the subject by the public.
 In the first place, l will state that do not believe the public schools should be in any way sacrificed for the benefit of high schools and training classes. Taxes are not paid with the aim in view that the money should be spent in giving such ed- ucational privileges as high schools and training classes and poor children assessed fees for admission into public schools.
 High schools and training classes are all right and proper where the community so votes a specific tax for that purpose.
 When child is properly carried through all the grades of the tpublic school, it will have received quite sufficiently of the charity of the community to enable 1t to develop with the-> slightest exercise of in- : dustry and become good and useful clti- zen. This is all the argument that can be adduced legitimateIy in favor of public schools. However, when a community de- sires to invest in high schools and training classes it has the right to do so, and l heartily indorse such institutions.
 Therefore. by abolishing the high school and training class for the present, or at least cutting of the city appropriations for S739 30 per month, according to the pay roll of laat nril.
 Last year the superintendent received cipaIs of Paul hayne. Powell and Henley schools feoe,vsd eoon, nr,osa a0o to per Ss sure, and not in keeping with the times or the condition of city finances: .o
 By cutting the superintendent to $16OO per annum and the principals to $l00 per month aud oblige them to teach, . saving of S225O can be made to the treasury per year.
 The cutting off the high school and train ing class would in the year amount to S6644. 70.
 In the negro schools reductions can be made that will about to about s5oo per year.
 The reductions above named would leave the corps of teachers just the same as last year in all the public schools. The sala- ries among the teachers are now too high. We have just been little too extravagant in frills and foolishness.
 This s'cut out" amounts to $9394. 70 per- year. have no doubt but that other cut ting might be done and not iujure the ef- ficiency of tha public schools sufficiently to make the grand reduction S10, GOO per annum.
 So far as physical culture is concerned, if parents will plan little manual labor for the boys in the way of agriculture there will be no necessity for physical culture in the schools. If the good mothers will de- vote little time in the matter of supply ing domestic exercises for the girls about the home, they will notturn out SO many helpless young women upon the com- munity, whose only capacity in life is to 6utter about beyond the inco ne of their husbands and complain always of ennui.
 There is no place in the public schools for physical culture. A. c. LowREY.