The age-herald., 1897-12-29
.ALABAMA'S SCHOOL LAWS
Educational Association Seeks to
 Revise Them.
THE COMMITTEE MEETING
Recommendations Will Be Made for More Funds, State Board for Uniform Examination of
 Teachers-A Campaign Committee.

The revision of the statutes governing the public schools of Alabama, in a man. topic of discussion of committee of prom inent educators which met in Birmingham yesterday.
 The deficiencies and shortcomings of Ala bama's public school system has long been a subject for thought, and to the educators more than others question of deep seri ousness. At the last meeting of the Ala bama Educational society a committee of thirty-three was appointed, with President J. B. Cunningham as chairman, to meet and formulate some recommendations. The meeting held yesterday is the result of this.
 The matter was thoroughly discussed and considerable interest created. The meeting was held in the High school building, with quite a representative body of teachers present. The main committee was divided into four subcommittee, to make recom- mendations on the various subjects. 3 It seems to be the purpose of the main committee to educate the citizens of Ala bama on the vital school question: It is probable that campaign committee will be appointed for this purpose.
 Purpose of the Meeting.
 In calling the meeting to order, Chairman Cunningham said in rart:
 "The authority under which you were called together and under which you are to act was delegated by the Alabama Educa- tional association, in it's session at it's last meeting, and is set forth in the resolution herewith appended:
 Resolved, That a committee on educa- tional status, composed of thlrty-three members of the association, be appointed by the incoming president, whose duty it shall be to report to the next meeting of this association in the form of a bill needed school legislation for the state
 ''fhe duty expressly laid upon you is to present at the next meeting of the associa- ton a school bill, incorporating what you believe to be the best legislation education- ally for Alabama.
 ''The committee is not limited as to the character of the school bill it shall report, and it is for you to decide what shall be the recommendations made and the means to be used for their accomplishment.
 ''There are three possible courses before the committed: First, to patch up the old law; second, to prepare a new school bill under the provisions of the present state constitution; or, third, to formulate a new chapter for the state constitution, prepare the school bill according to the provisions of this chapter, and enter the fight Tor constitutional convention.
 t.;tnt. ,.-,a 5ai.n"".
 "The effort, earnestly tried, to patch the old law during the last general assembly, while succeeding in the senate, was a sig nal failure in the house. That bill, or some allied to it, possibly could be changed so as to meet the approval of the Alabama Ed ucational association, and this approval might secure its passage by the next gen. eral assembly. Does this crazyquilt of a school law, however, have sufficient lining and padding to justify the committee to put on another layer from the educational rag-bag? The old law has many excel lences-excellences that have served the state well, but are now unfitted to ade- quately express the will of the people to- ward public education.
 For the committee to write the chapter for the new constitution. Is heating the in cubator several days before the eggs are laid It may be well for the committee to revise the still unenacted chapter on edu- cation preferred by the committee on edu- cational status year ago. This docu- ment should yearly be revised and polished by the successive committees on educa- tional status, so that when, in the sure time coming, it reaches a constitutional convention, this chapter may be to other chapters what Grays Elegy is to other poems-not the subtlest, but the best.
 "To prepare a new bill under the old constitution, suited to the present status of Alabama and incorporating, so far as the conditions justify, the recommends tions of the highest educational authority in the United States, seems to your chair man the necessary sequence of this meet ing.
 There was much discussion and the meeting resulted in the appointment of the sub-co,nmittees. These suu-committees are each to formulate the items of the laws under the present state constitution and report the same
 The chalrmen of these four committees acting with the chairman of the general committee, will constitute a committee of five which will unify the suggestions of the various committees and write the pro- posed school law This committee of five will report its action to the general com mittee for review and reconsideration.
 The report as reconsidered will constitute the bill to be commended to the associa- tion at it's next annual meeting and the association will act upon it as a committee of the whole The bill thus adopted hav- ing the full authority of the Alabama Edu-