The age-herald., 1900-09-15
THONP PSON GETS
 THE CERTIFICATE Secretary of State Recognizes
 the Macon Man. II CAUSED GREAT SURPRISE Friends of Brewer Had Not FiI-
 ed Certificate. FURTHER COMPLlCATES MATTERS In Case State Committee Does Not De- eide the Question Brewers
 Friends Will Have to Secure
 Petition from 500 Voters
FURTHER C0MPLICATES MATTERS

Age-Herald Bureau, Clancey's Hotel, Montgomery, September H.-(special. )-The Secretary of State yesterday delivered to Hon. Charles w. Thompson the certificate as the Democratic nominee for Congress in the Fifth Congressional District, and at the same time delivered to Hon. A. J. Milstead the certificate as the Republican nominee.
 This action on the part of the Secretary caused considerable surprise in the ranks of the supporters of Hon. Willis Brewer, who Is contending to be the Democratic nominee. Under the statutes the officers of Congressional conventions must certify to the Secretary of State not less than thirty days prior to the date of the election the nominee for Congress. The officers of he Thompson convention at Goodwater filed with the Secretary of State the necessary notice, and the Secretary having no official knowledge of another convention, promptly issued to Colonel Thompson the certificate of ton.
 This action further complicates the mat ters in the Fifth District. In case the State Committee does not settle the matter of the rishtful nominee, MT. Brewer will be forced to secure petition of 800 voters in the district to have his name placed upon the official ballot. It is generally believed, however, that the State Committee will be prevailed upon to act in the case. Many prominent Democrats from over the dis trict have written Chairman Lowe request ing that the Committee be assembled and the case settled. It is understood that the campaign committee will also make a re- quest of the chairman n have ha f,oaf settled so that aid can be rendered the nominee in the Fifth.
 Public school Fund
 The public school fund for Alabama for the next scholastic year will amount to considerably more than one million dollars, and will probably reach $1,2O0OOO This is the largest fund within the history of the State, and 1t tends to show that education in this State is soon to crawl up from the bottom of the ladder.
 The superintendent of education has just completed the apportionment of the funds for the next scholastic year. The school census shows a total school population in the State of 634,225, and under the appor- tionment each child will receive $1.2S, be- sides the special poll tax, which Is esti- mated at about $150,000. This is the largest Der capita ever received by the public schools, and the increase is due to special tax levied by the last General Assembly. Last year the per capita was $1.05, and the year previous it was .73. The increase last year over the previous year was due to an additional appropriation Of $10O,0O0 voted by the General Assembly. Tho amount collected for next year from the special levy of taxes was s24S,00O.
 It is the purpose of the educational de- partment to give the children of the State the full benefit of this large increase in the school fund. Instead of increasing the
 uE A1,A Nf Ifn schools are to be increased. Heretofore in Alabama the public schools have been run only three months in each year in the rural districts but the superintendent Is in- structing the county superintendents to sign contracts with teachers for terms of five month wherever practicable.