Birmingham age-herald., 1895-07-27
PROTEST BY UNDERTAKERS Not Satisfied With the State
 Boards Personnel. INCOMPETENCY IS ALLEGED The Governor Is Asked to Remove Three of
 the Members. CIRCULAR OF SUPERINTENDENT TURNER He Insists Upon More Careful Taking ofthe Scholastic Census County Superin-
 tendents Must Not Overlook
 Lapses-General News.
 
CIRCULAR OF SUPERINTENDENT TURNER
Age-Herald Bureau.
MontgomerY, July 26.

Exchange Hotel, Montgomery. July 26. The embalmers and undertakers of Alabama are circulating the following pe- | tition, which is being pretty generally | signed by the craft
 | To the Hon. w. c. Oates, Governor, Etc, Montgomery. Ala:
 | We, the undersigned undertakers and | persons affected by an act of the general assembly approved December Is, 1S94, | entitled An act to establish state | board of embalming," etc, do most respectfully represent unto your excel | lency that three of the members of the | board provided for by said act, viz: Wade l of Huntsville, Cosby of Hartselle ana l Harris appointed by you, are not practl- l cal embalmers, having had no experience | in said business and care of and disposi- | ton of dead human bodies, as required | by section 1 of said act; that neither Of | these ever embalmed dead human body | in their lives, and they do not possess the l proper and necessary qualifications re- | ouired by law; and each of the said | named members of said board are ih- 1 competent to perform the duties re- 1 uuired of them by law, and should be re- ! moved from office by your eXceilency un- der the power conferred on you by the 1 second section of said act
 Your petitioners further represent that 1 Dixon of Mobile, another member ol said board is mere employe ot an un- | dertakers establishment and may at any | time lose his position. and has no interest | in any undertakers business; that sad | board have met and elected sald DlHoii 1 nresident of the same, and require all 1 applicants for license provided for by | said act to apply to said board al MO
 | bile. and not to a more central point III
 | the state; that said Dixon, in connection | with another party, has estapllsneu | school to teach the art Of empainlhB | for fee of $20, and is using his position | as a member of said board to advance | his own, private interests, and IS gulity l of such improper conduct as under said
 | act gives your excelleney the power 10
 l remove him. And we further state that | the appointment of MT. Cooper of Opelika
 l is a proper one, and that he possesses all the necessary legal requirements as
 l member of said board; that G. E. | Shanan of Mobile, s. Brislin of Selma, | Woodiey Campbell of Montgomery and | l. B. Laughlin of Huntsville possess all | requirements of law necessary to become members of said board, being residents of 1 the state, practical embalmers, haVing l experience in said business and the care | of and disposition of dead human bod | ies," and men of good moral character, l and that they would carry out the 1ull | intention of the law, fairly, justly and | legally.
 | Your petitioners further state that they | blame themselves for the appointment of | the said persons above complained of | in that they did not make recommends 1 tions to your excellency, nor take an | interest in such appointments before | the same were made, and we are in- formed and believe that your excellency was rlisled as to their qualifications by | a person who presented their names te l you for appointment.
 | Wherefore, your petitioners protest 1 against the said Wade, Cosby, Harris and Dixon remaining on said board ana | pray in our petition to your eXcellency to
 l remove them from office and said board. l and to appoint the persons above recofn-
 1 mended as members of said board, and your petitioners will ever pray, etc. | (Signed)
 | Superintendent Turner's Circular. The following is a part of the circular 1 sent to county superintendents yester-
 | day by State Superintendent John 0. 1 Turner;
 This being an odd year, the public
 l school law of the state requires that l an enumeration of all the children in | each township and district within the | ages of and 21 years be made.
 | September is the limit; and you will | greatly facilitate my work as state su- | perintendent of education by giving your | attention to the census early in August, | | able to make his report to me by Sep | tember l, was passed changing the time | of locating the schools from the last | Monday in october to the second Monday | in September of each year. It is highly | important that the trustees be in pos 1 session of the amount appropriated by | the state at the time of this annual meet | ing but the dividend sheet cannot be prepared by this department until county superintendents make their census re- ports. Therefore the necessity of prompt action on the part of all concerned will be readily seen.
 Let me urge upon you to stimulate your school patrons to give their per- sonal attention to this mater of enumera- tion.
 Some officers have heretofore entrusted the taking of the census to parties whose interest it was to make the number of children of one of the races large so as to increase the amount of the appropriation to the township. Many complaints are now being in certain sections of the state as to the unfairness of the census re- ports. I shall take the trouble to look closely into this matter and see that the census or enumeration is honestly and fairly made, that justice may be metel out to all parts of the state. Should fraud be detected in the enumeration of any township or district, such enumera- tion will be dicarded and the party or parties dealt with as prescribed by law for such offenSeS. The law demands an accurate enumeration of the number of children of both races and sexes. Any unusual increase or dimunition in the enumeration since the last census ought to be explained in the report. I have
 mailed blanks to county superintendents who will furnish them to you, on which to make your reports to them. As this department has incurred con siderable expense and labor in order to furnish trustees with proper infor~
 nation, trust you win use every effort to comply promptly with the full re quirements of the law in every respect.