The age-herald., 1900-12-07
Mrs. R. D. Johnston of Birming-
 ham Made an Address
PLEAD FOR POOR MISLEAD BOYS
Increased Appropriation for Public Schools Brought Out another Hot Debate, the Question Being as
 to the Amount Necessary.

Age-Herald Bureau, Hotel Clancy, Montgomery, December 6-(Special 1.-The 7 lower House of the General Assembly consumed the entire time of both sessions today in the consideration of two bills the bill to assist the State Industrial School for boys at Birmingham and the general appropriations bil1.
 Both measures passed the House, but the appropriation sought for the former was cut down by two-fifths MT. Pettus of Dallas was the champion of this measure and he asked for $25, 900 for two years for the school. This amount was cut to $15000 by the House. The consideration of this measure consumed the entire morning session. The afternoon session was de- voted to the consideration of the general appropriation bill, which was passed after three hours of debate. The question caus- ing discussion in this measure was the amount to be set apart for the public schools. The bill as introduced provided for s45O,OOO per year for the next three years for the support of the public schools. This is the amount appropriated by the last Legislature.
 Baker Wanted $55O,oo0.
 MT. Baker of Pike fathered an amend ment to make the appropriation $55O,00o MT Bulger of Tallapoosa sought to have the appropriation made $500000, but the support for the larger increase compelled MT. Bulger to withdraw his amendment and the present Legislature went on rec ord as favoring the raising of the stand ard of public education in this State.
 MT. Pettus of Dallas may properly claim the credit for this increase in the appro- priation for the public schools, for it was in large measure due to his work that it secured.
 It was quite an unusual event this morn ing proposed by Mr. Pettus of Dallas that Mrs. R. D. Johnston of Birmingham be invited to address the House on the work being done by the Boys Industrial School at East Lake. There was not a dissent ing vote to MT. Pettus' motion and Mrs. Johnstons brief talk had a wonderful ef- feet upon the members. Several of the members were moved to tears by the story related by the noble woman in recounting her varied experiences in striving to es- tablish the school.
 It was 10:15 a. m. when Mrs. Johnston was escorted into the House chamber by Speaker Pettus. Her entry was the oc- casion for hearty cheering and from the outset her brief address commanded the closest attention.
 Mrs. R. D. Johnston Spoke.
 Mrs Johnston was asked to go upon the rostrum to speak, but in her usual sweet manner she asked permission to speak from the floor, saying that she was willing to take low seat and hoped that the gen. tlemen of Alabama would give her a high seat in large appropriation for the cause she represented.
 to the kindness which had been accorded her by the men of Alabama in the great work of which she was the leader. She re- counted briefly the great work done by the women in establishing the school. Mrs. Johnston was eloqeunt in her appeals for assistance for the young criminals of the State, and the recounting of her experience with them brought tears to the eyes of many of the members.
 When Mrs Johnston concluded, the bill by MT. Pettus of Dallas to appropriate $25, GOO to the aid of the school was taken up. MT. Jones of Conecuh offered an amend ment to appropriate $15,0O0. This amend ment caused lively debate extending through the entire morning session. The Pettus bill was ably supported upon the floor by Messrs. Brooks, O'Brien, Seibels, Pettus of Limestone, Hammond, Hefin, Bankhead, Sentell, Baldwin, Screws and Arnold.
 Messrs Whitson, Tunstall, Kennedy and Foster spoke for the Jones amendment and it was finally adopted by a vote of 49 to 43. The bill as amended was then passed by an unanimous vote./The general appropria- tion bill consumed the time of the after noon sesison.
 When the bill was up for consideration MT Baker of Pike offered to amend sub division 34 of the bill so as to make the an- tion fOr tha nllhlic schools $55O, 900 instead of $45O,000. MT. Bulger moved as a substitute that $500,00O be appropriated for the public schools. MT Baker moved to table the Bulger amendment. For the purpose of opening the question to debate, MT Whitson of Talladega moved the tabling of the substitute and amendment. The Speaker held the motion in order and MT. Whitson spoke to his motion.
 Could Not Afford It.
 He held that the State could not afford to increase the appropriation from $450, 900, and further that there was no read need for such an appropriation. The speaker said he realized that he had the unpopular side of the question: but that he was forced to the position to prevent the State from be- ing bankrupted. MT. Whitson spoke with much earnestness
 Mir Johnson of Jaskson spoke for the Bulger amendment. The speaker said that he desired the Legislature to make this the grandest year In the history of the State by making an adequate appropriation for the barefooted boys and girls of tine State MT.