The age-herald., 1898-01-28
AIabama's School Revenues.

While the low standard of public educa ton in Alabama may be largely attributed to inefficient administration, 1t cannot be questioned that the root of the evil in our present system is to be found in the in adequacy of the school funds provided by the state. Here lies the fundamental weakness, and here first must the remedy be applied.
 The maintenance of system of schools for the equal benefit of all the youth of the state is fixed policy of the state gov ernment; it is the unequivocal declaration islator is bound under oath to do all in his power to make that declaration effec- tive.
 The school revenues of Alabama must be increased. Economy may sound well as a party slogan, but economy in any department at the expense of efficiency is an extravaganza that the people can ill afford. Our present school revenues are so ridiculously low that it. is no wonder the people complain of the poverty of in- struction in their schools, taught as they are by the poorest paid teachers in the country, and supervised by those who are devoid of any qualification for the ofice
 The school revenues of Alabama must be increased. Comparison of our. educational fund with that of other southern states should induce serious reflection. It would 4N 1oI,a rxyifh Massachusetts, Pennsylvania or California; the conditions are not parallel. But let Alabama be compared with Georgia, Mis- sissippi, Louisiana and Arkansas-states lar to those of Alabama Mississippi, with a burden of negro population greater than that of Alabama by nearly one hum dred thousand, invests annually in her public schools more than twice as much as Alabama Arkansas and Louisiana, each. with total population less by one-third
 than that of Alabama, spends yearly more than twice as much for common public schools $1, ,6S6,909 About one year ago this amount was increased by $1O0O, 900. making Georgia's present expenditure for public schools more than four times as great as that of Alabama. Again com pare the amounts expended for schools by these states based on the per capita of populations: Alabama spends S9 cents Mississippi S9 cents, Louisiana $1.02, Flor ida s1.25, Georgia s1.3S, Arkansas s1.S4.
 No amount of comment can render these statistics more convincing. Published in the educational reports of the country, they tell to the world their damaging story with a simplicity and directness that chal- lenges contradiction.
 The school revenues of Alabama must be increased. This is the only remedy.
 But how cain this be accomplished under the present constitution? The maximum rate of taxation for the state as fixed by the constitution is 75 cents on every one hundred dollars; the actual levy at pres ent is only fifty-fve cents, leaving margin of difference of twenty cents. The legislature could levy this tax of one fifth or one per cent. TOT the eAcluSlFe benefit of the common schools of the state. This is in fact the O'Brien law, tried in Birmingham but declared unconstitutional because it was a general tax applied to special locality. Let the oBrien law be enacted into general state law for the development of the common schools. Tho revenue derived from this tax will amount to s5OO,0OO. Add this to our pres ent school fund and the total will reach | s1 .163 .OOO which will still fall behind Ar kansas by s7O,0OO, behind Louisiana by s93,-
 GOO, behind Mississippi by $1O9,OOO, and be-
 hind Georgia by s1 100000
 l The amount received from poll taxes
 might be materially increased by extending | the age of liability to poll tax beyond | forty-fve, as Is the case in the majority | of the states. In addition to this a col lateral inheritance tax, which in recent
 years has met with great favor in many
 states, would help as a supplement to the | school tax.
 | The time has come and is now, when Alabama must deal with this school ques- | ton seriously. To longer neglect mat | ter so vital is to leopard the most sacred interests of the commonwealth. |