The age-herald., 1900-10-05
8 IMPORTANT WORK
 FOR LEGISLATURE Only One Fourth of School Ap- propriation Available. IS DUE TO A TECHNIGALITY Auditor White Certifies to the Amount Placed to the Public School Fund Acting on Opinion of the
 Attorney General
IS DUE TO A TECHNIGALITY

Age-Herald Bureau, Clanceys Hotel, Montgomery, October 4-(Special. )-Unless the next Legislature shall come to the res- cue the public schools of the State will be most seriously embarrassed financially dur ing the coming year.
 The trouble grows out of a technicality, the last Legislature having merely provid- ed in the general appropriation for an ap- propriation for two years for the public schools. The general appropriation amounts to $45O,0c0 and according to the opinion of the attorney general the auditor can only certify to one-fourth of this amount for the schools, with one-half of the interest account. It has been generally understood that the school fund for next year would amount, in round figures, to s1,00J00O, but the auditor refuses to certify to this amount under the opinion of Attorney Gen eral Brown.
 Consequently Superintendent Abercrom- bic will make his apportionment for the first quarter on the basis of the full amount, and the Legislature will be asked to correct the error. No trouble is appre- hended from the Legislature in the matter, which has caused the trouble.
 The certificate of the auditor is as fol- lows:
 Hon. John w Abercrombie, Superintendent
 of Education:
 Sir-ln accordance with Section 3601 of the Code, I. w. s. White auditor hereby certify that the following sums of money have accrued and been placed to the credit of the public schools for the scholastic year commencing October l, 1900: Unapporuoned balance ......$ 5,345. 10 Interest on sixteenth section fund. 57S19. .S5 Interest on valueless sixteenth
 section ........ .......... ........ .2,912.74 Interest on school indemnity land
 fund coo. ...... ........... ........ 1,231 .3S Interest on surplus revenue ...... 13, 3S1. 73 Net from special school tax for
 1899 ....... ........ ........ ..... 245, ,245. IS Special school tax for 1900 ........ 33. .64 Special school tax on lands re-
 deemed ........ to Insolvent special school tax for
 1900 ...... ........ ........ ........ 15.N Fees received for exami-
 nation of teachers .......S St, 600.70
 Less amounts as follows:
 Paid State Board of
 Examiners =. ....$2, .00
 Paid county super
 intendents .... .... 2,630. % 5,340.00 1,260. 70 Appropriation for year ending
 September 80, 1901 ...... .......... 115, 800. %
 IOtal ..... .S44Z, SlU. lJ am advised by the attorney general that as only one-fourth of the general appropri ation of S45O,0O0 provided by the act ap- proved February 23, 1899, and only one-half of the interest accrued to the public schools is subject to disbursement prior to January 1, 1901, that I am authorized to place only those amounts to the credit of your department. See copy of opinion at- tached. Respectfully,
 W. s. WHITE, Auditor. Attorney General Browns opinion is quoted in full below:
 Office of the Attorney General,
 Montgomery, Ala, Oct. l, 190O Hon. Walter S. White, Auditor:
 Dear Sir:-Replying to your question as to whether no you snouid under para graph 34 and sections and of an act '"To make appropriation for the ordinary expen- ses of the executive, legislative and judicial departments of the State, etc."-Acts of 1S9S-99 pp. 69-70-place to the credit of the educational fund the sum of $450,000 and certify the same to the Superintendent of Education; and If not what amount you can safely place to the credit of said fund and certify to said official. I beg leave to say:
 First-That in my opinion you should not place to the credit of said fund nor to cer- tify to said official, the sum of $50,00O
 Second-The highest amount you can properly and safely place to the credit of said fund and to said official Is one-fourth of $450.00O; and one-half of the sum appro- priated for the year ending September 30 1900, for interest on the sixteenth section land, etc., as provided in paragraph of said section of said act of 1S96-99, page 69. Respectfully, CHARLES G. BROWN.
 Attorney General. Superintendent Abercrombie states that teachers who have made contracts need not be apprehensive as to their pay, as he will certify to the first quarter as If the full amount was in hand, and then ask the