The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-07
Decided al Meeting of Board
 of Education
SUPERINTENDENT PHILLIPS
Says Applications Are Made for Tui- tion by Children Residing Out of City Llmits-Manual
 Labor Department.

On account of the crowded condition of the public schools the city board of edu- cation decided last night to place an or- der at once for one hundred additional desks to be used in the public schools. Forty of these desks will be single and will be utilized in the high schools The other sixty will be double desks and ap- portioned among the other schools.
 Those present at the meeting were President A. O. Lane, Mayor Drennen. Superintendent of Public Schools Phillips, Samuel Ullman and J. L. Parker.
 President Lane reported that according to instructions he had leased from MT. Enslen the building now used for high school purposes. The lease was made for one year with the privilege of making 1t two.
 In Bad Condition.
 MT. Ullman reported that the condition of the basement of the church on Third avenue and Twenty-sixth street occupied by the Thomas school, IS in bad condition. He said that in one of the rooms there were only eleven benches with seventy six pupils in attendance, that in another room there were only twenty-tnree desks, that there were no places for the pupils to hang their hats and that the black boards were not in good shape. The board decided to have more benches put in the school. MT. Ullman urged that the board of aldermen take some action look ing to the betterment of the prevailing conditions at this school.
 MT. Parker chairman of the finance committee, submitetd a number of bills, which were ordered to be paid.
 MT. Ullman reported that he had re- gently visited nearly all of the schools and he found them in better condition than ever before. He said he had never before seen the schools so clean and bright and stated that nearly all of them were in first class condition. He laid special stress in his remarks in reference to the cleanliness that prevailed.
 It was reported that more desks were needed and the body decided to purchase one hundred. Some of them will be used in the Lane school.
 Outside City Limits.
 The superintendent reported that he had received several applications from people just outside of the corporate lim- It's to enter children in the free schools He also said that in several instances children coming from distance to live with Birmingham relatives had applied and asked to be entered on the free list The board decided to adhere to the for mer rule established. to allow In the free seats only the children of Birmingham citizens.
 The superintendent made a report as | to the progress of the manuel training department He said that this work had been started in some measure, and he looked forward to making 1t great suc- cess. He asked that two attic rooms in the Powell school be ordered floored, as he wished to establish there bench wood working department fin the manuel labor system. The matter was referred to committee. MT. Phillips further stated that he had ascertained that 1t would cost between $500 and $500 to pur- chase complete equipment for the man uel labor department which would give to the city the same opportunity of of- fering to the pupils in it's public schools instructions in work, as in any other city.
 The mayor reported that a cement pavement had been placed in front of the JJllman school The board decided to have similar pavements put in front of the Martin and Phillips schools.