The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-18
Hipp Bill Passed After a Sharp Debate. Measure Carries an Appropriation of $5o.oO0 to Help Rural Schools. Bill Creating Fifteenth
 Judicial Circuit
 Also Passed.

Tuesdays session of the State Senate was without exciting feature. The day | was devoted largely to the consideration | of measures of only minor importance, and quite number of these were dispos- ed of. ~ D..
 The only bill over which there was ex- tended debate was the bill introduced by Senator Hipp of Cullman, providing for State aid in the building of school houses for the rural districts. This measure met the opposition of a number of Senators who contended that the Senate had already gone too far in the matter of ap- propriations and that 1t was time to call a halt. The measure. nevertheless, was passed almost unanimously. The Senate was called to order by President pro tem. Goldsby. with the smallest attendance thus far this session, twenty-three Senators answering the roll call
 Senators Jones, Arlington and Dunn were granted leaves of absence for the day.
 bill was introduced by Senator Bull | lock of Franklin fo rearrange the boun- daries of the city of Sheffield in Colbert County.
 To provide for the better establishment and maintenanca of the public schools of | the State Is the object of bill introduc- | ed by Senator Powell of Butler. Another bill presented by Senator Powell is to establish a dispensary in the | town of Evergreen.
 Fifteenth Judicial Circuit. Senator Lancaster of Fillmore introduced a bill providing for the creation of the | Fifteenth Judicial Circuit of Alabama, | to be composed of the counties of Au- tauga, Chiffon, Elmore and Montsom- | cry. Senator Harrison of Lee introduced bill to reduce and fix the rate of taxation In the State
 | Senator Acree of Dale introduced a bill to amend Section 2697 of the Code of 1896. House bills 72. F. 12s. lSS. Az and l3s,
 sng been SS t5s passed ey both m houses 3ss were immediately after roll call. The House reported back Senate bill | 109, the Greater Montgomery bill, intro- | duced by Senator Screws, with the High | land Park amendment. The Senate, on | motion or Senator Screws, concurred in | the amendment.
 Senator Hipp's bill to aid in the build- | ing and repairing of public schools was | long and at times spirited debate fol- | lowed. The measure provides that the sum of $50, 900 be set aside from the con- vict fund of the State to be used for | school houses. The bill aims to encour- age the building of better school houses in the country districts and stipulates that wherever the residents of any school district shall have secured title to land and funds with which to build, the State shall aid to the extent of grant of not to exceed 50 per cent of the amount raised by the district, the State in this event not to expend less than $50 nor more than $200.
 Halt asto Appropriations. The measure was ably championed by it's author and other members of the up- per house. but there was opposition also, and the appearance of the bill disclosed | the fact that Senator Houge of Perry | was not now alone In his announced fear l that the Senate had gone too far in the matter of appropriations. Senator Norman of Chambers declared the bill one ot the best that had come before the Senate.
 Senator Powell of Butler said the meas ure was step in the right direction, in that 1t tended to encourage the building of better school houses in the rural dis trcts.
 Senator Lancaster of Elmore feared the amount appropriated would not be suf- fclent to meet the demands that would be made, and suggested that the limit of State grants for individual schools bc re- duced.
 The bill In It's original form had pro- vided that State grants should not exceed $1OO in any case, but this had been raised by the committee by an amendment. The Senator from Elmore thought this limit should stand, which would permit of a wider distribution of the States aid In the building of schools. T am against the bill and the amend ment." said Senator Rodgers of Sumter
 
 propriations when the Governor calls for conference with a number of Senators and asks that appropriations for the pre- sent be held up until 1t is known where all this money now being expended in ad- vance is coming from"
 Deprecates Shiftless Element.
 The Senator from Sumter criticised not only the bill, but its purpose. He was opposed to the State holding out aid and encouragement to the shiftless element, Ch aturot aY,1 build log school houses for the education of It's children. and not wait idly for the State to do this work"
 Senator Thomas of Barbour in view Of the fact that the finances of the State are matter of some uncertainty, moved to postpone the further consideration of the bill until the revenue bill should have ben disposed of.
 Senator Hogue of Perry feared that with the passage of the bill the cities would be the first to profit by Its provis- Ions and that the country districts would not be benehted as had been contem- plated.
 Senator Frazer of Bullock held with Senators Rodgers and Thomas that the revenue bill should first be attended to. Until that was done. he said, further ap- appropriations could not be intelligentiy made.
 The Senate appears to be slow in reaching condition of apprehension as to appropriations. said Senator Spragins of Madison, i've have appropriated money for almost everything in sight; we have increased salaries, and helped those who needed no help; now an opportunity comes for rendering a little assistance to the needy. and In a manner that means ulti- mate profit to the State. and We are told that we must draw a line"
 Senator Powell of Butler regretted that since the Senate had made liberal appro- priations along many lines it should now stop In the face of an appeal for aid in the adva acement of the cause of educa- ton for the common people
 Too Much IntellectuaIitv.
 Senator Rodgers at this point took occa- sion to criticise the methods of education now generally in vogue. He contended that there was too much of the severely intellectual, and not enough of the mA- chancal and manual element in the train ing of the young. He preferred that a son of his should have a complete knowledge of the Ten Commandments and know how to drive a nail straight, than all manner of higher culture that would unfit him for the battle of life
 Senator Thomas believed in education for the people and held that when the parents fail in their duty the State should take the matter in hand but he ques-