The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-09-29
THE BOARD or EDUCATION
The Members Stand Pat on Their
Declaration.
ENROLMENT is GROWING
Two Hundred and Fifty New Pupils Were Add
ed to the Rolls Yesterday-Expected to
Reach Last Years Figures.

About $50 more pupils entered he pub
lie schools yesterday. The attendance is
gradually climbing, and 1T is probabla
THAT before the end of the week the en-
roilment will reach last years figures.
The leaders OF the movement started
| by the White Shield still conteLd THAT
The schools muist be absolutely free, and
the members of the board of education
contend that it cannot be done under
preserl conditions. They claim that it
las resolved f.seH into series of un-
fortunate conditions and not a Theory
bhet can be changed at will.
| According to the acti5 CT the ctiz ms
mass NEE. ing the epec'al committee W Il
confer with the board OF education Fri
day. The outcome win be wa;ched witch
interest The committee is eager for
the fray. and the members of the beard
cf education hold firmly to their p,s-
ton. asserting shat they are pursuing
the orily course which lies open to tnem
under the circumstances
Sheriff f. P. O'Biisn. who argued the
case of the board in the mass mesang
held en- Monday night, tgays he has moth
ing to add to his views as reported in
The Age-Heiald.
'sIhe board will go ahead and edacste
the children of Birmingham to the beet
of Its ability" he said to an Age-Her-
alb reporter.
Cfeirlcr W xxyoc 1,,1f rfcS AT +ha
meeting, said yesterday: 'fMr OBren
gave a correct financial outline at the
nice ling. We have no money, and do not
know when we can Text get enough to
pay the teachers. have been appointed
a committee OF one to go before the
mayor and board cf aldermen 10 ask for
am appropriation of $4,000. l have not
had The nerve to do so, because / know
they have not the money to spare. 1T
is easy Ito talk and resolve, but 1t ,akes
money to pay teash-rs, janHtors, water,
coal, stationery and ether irrd.de ntal ex-
penses such as keeping The buildings
in repair and paying for fire insurance.
AS lar as / am concerned, 1 would
cheerful1fy Iel.ign my office 20 any one
who is willing to take it and will promise
to do better than L and my colleagues
hive done in the past ami are doing now.
We all do our share of work without any
financial reward, and without expec ia
tion OF it, lit belANg sollly Tabor OF love"
Mr. Gregg says that upon the people
should be impressed the fact that 1T Is
estimated that in the coming year the
negroes of Birmingham will pay 1900
of poll tax, which will go into the school
fund, and the board, in justice to them
endeavored to fix a rate of tuition to
raise funds sufficient to make the ne
groes sustain by their unaided efforts
the colored schools.
Samuel Ullman, president of the school
board, is busily engaged in the prepara-
ton of a. statement which he thinks
will refuta the assertions and argu-
ments of the opposition.
Dr. o. T. Dozier, the leader of the
anti-fee forces, still maintains his posi-
| ton, and said:
I'm the Age-Herald report of my re-
marks made at the mass nesting l am
quoted as having said that the public
schools should be opened to adj free
that it is possible to do this throughout
the ensuing scholastic term without a
cent additional to either city, county
or state Now what did say was this
that the rates now charged for tuition
in our public schools would, if paid,
maintain the schools without one cent
of expense either to the city, county or
state, and I still assert and prove the
fact by these figures: For. entire cost
of schools fcr ensuing term, as COM
putesf by f. p. O'Brien in his report
published in the Age-Herald, ds s35, 400,
and the number of pupils twas last year)
1854. If average payment is $40 each
pr month, then we would receive $751;
564.S0 for tuition during the eight school
months. which would cover the cost Of
the session and leave a balance of ST.
1e4.S0 for lights and gas