The age-herald., 1899-01-10
MOman's Club Endorses
 The Educational Petition

The first practical move by the Woman's s Club of Birmingham has been made in it's endorsement of the petition given below and which has previously been published in The Age-Herald.
 Miss Willie M. Allen, the director of the department of education. and Mrs J. H. Phillips, director of the department of Cur rent Events, of the Woman's Club, pre- scented the petition at the meeting of the club on Saturday. and it met with the co operation of every woman present The women of Birmingham are greatly inter .ested in question which the legislature of the state will soon undertake to answer. This question of how Alabama can longer permit that neglect of the common schools of the country districts is one which the women of Birmingham feel no hesitation in asking.
 There is no question that the beginning of the end is in sight. From every direction comes the assurance that something will be done in Montgomery to ameliorate the hard conditions of the county schools.
 The women who have signed these peti- tons are not those who lend their names idly. This movement means, the part of the Woman's Club, desire to lend it's strength to lifting a little higher a cause
 
 dawning light. The petition will be for warded to Montgomery upon the reassem- bling of the leg stature.
 To the General Assembly:
 Gentlemen-In view of the pressing need of better school facilities for the SO0000 children of Alabama and realizing the necessity of immediate legislation to place our school system on a par with those of our neighboring states, we, your petitioners, pray:
 l. That you shall provide such increase in the school revenues of the state as will enable the rural schools to continue in session for at least six months of each year.
 2. That you shall provide some ade- quate method of determining the com potency of teachers who are placed in charge of the common schools of the state.
 8. That you shall protect teachers and children of the state from the incom- potency of supervising officers. Whether the county superintendent be elected or appointed it is of vital importance that the office shall be restricted to those qualified to instruct and lead the teach CTS under their supervision.
 The three vital defects in our state school system as at present adm nistered to be found in CD maintenance, @ incompetent teaching, and (3) incompet- ent supervision. That laws shall be en- acted during the present session of the legislature to remedy these defects, is the burden of this prayer and petition. Mrs. R. H. Pearson, president; Mrs. Willis J. Mlner, vice e-president; Miss Mary Caha- Ian, second vice-president; Mrs. Zac Smith, recording secretary; Mrs. J. r. Graham, auditor; Miss Maude Massey, treasurer Mesdames Solon Jacobs, William Leedy, S. E. Laird, l.. Crozier French, Miss w. M. AL len, Miss Mary E. Bostick, Miss Adelne Bosuck, Mesdames s. M. Blake, F. G. Alex ander, David H. Brown Celia A. Smith, Van Mason, E. T. Taliaferro, Miss K. E. Hopkins, Mesdames F. B. Fowlkes, J. w. Bruce, c. c. Morris, T. U. Walter, J. b. Torrey, R. A. Briderel, w. w Clapp, T. M. Stapleton, S. Eugenia Self, H. D. Mer- Till s. D. Cole, G. M. Cruikshank, George c. Ball, T. H. Motion, A. c. Smith, S. B. Thompson, T. M Williams, R. D. Johnston, W. S. Brown, M. c. Reynolds, r. D. Squire, A. R. Wilson, Miss Clara Montgomery, Mesdames F. C. McEwen, A. 8. Cowan, J. A. Downy Ida Adams Elizabeth Saxon, L.. J. Haley, A. J. Bailey, r. w. Durham Bruce Harris, s. D. Tomlinson, Miss Fran cis May Hall, Mrs. C. A. Peace, Miss Mabel Byrd, Mrs. John D. Lyles, Miss B. A. Allen, Mesdames John London, James D. Moore, John Towers, Frank Hodges.