The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-29
CONGRESSMAN BOWIE SAYS AN
 EXTRA SESSION IS NECESSARY
(Contlnued on Fifth Page.)

(Contlnued on Fifth Page.)
 bonds due six months later, bearing 5 per cent interest, can be refunded at rate certainly of B. 43 per cent and possi- bly, lower. The interest so saved on these bonds will exceed $116,000 per annum. The total savings from these sources will amount to over S165, 600 a year. Added to this will be about $4O0OO per annum in- crease through the new tax assessment. lnasmuch as we are now collecting near ly S200,000 more than our expenses, we will, even though tax values do not in- crease at all have about $375000 more annually which can be expended for the public schools if the legislature sees fit to do so.
 This sum must increase instead of diminish.
 That the state is growing rapidly every year is fact which no man can deny; that the revenues are constantly increas- ing Is also incapable of denial. In my Judgment as soon as the bonds are re- funded. the surplus in the treasury, if present appropriations only are consid- cred. will exceed $375000 per annum.
 This sum, at least the bulk of 1t, should be appropriated to the public schools. No other demand Is so urgent-no other use could be so profitable.
 My idea is that instead of appropriat- ing the whole surplus for public schools, a method adopted in Tennessee, a better plan would be to turn the profits from the convicts into the school fund This will add to the present appropriation about $300,000 per annum If the present profits are maintained. It will increase if the profits increase and decrease if the profits decrease. Thus, If there Is a de- crease in this fund the charge on the treasury decreases; on the other hand, if the profits increase the state can afford the increase. But in no manner can the present appropriations for the public schools be reduced one iota, even If the convicts should produce no profit at all
 By adopting this course we will use the convicts of today in order to reduce the convicts of tomorrow No better use of the convict fund could be made than to spend 1t for education. wise states man has said: For every pound you save In education, you will spend five In prosecutions, in prisons, in penal settle ments.' The plan Is not novel It Is In force in Georgia today
 Duty of the Legislature. "Section 26O of the new constitution, in addition to the fund therein created, spe- cially provides that:
 " Tt shall be the duty of the legisla- ture to increase the public school fund lIOu lliHe to liile as the necessity there for and the condition of the treasury and the resources of the state may justify That the necessity therfore exists mo- body can deny. That the condition of the treasury and the resources of the state justify an increase of the public school fund is the most gratifying and inspiring fact in our recent history and in Itself is the highest encomum that can be paid to the splendid business adminis- tration of our affairs.
 Let us examine for moment the questions Can we afford to increase our public school fund? The, question. I as- sume, would be better stated if we asked: Can we afford not to do itT That our larger towns have made fair ly adequate provisions for public schools is true, but they compose only 10 per cent of our total population That many of them could be improved to the dis tinct advantage of their communities, is likewise true That many of the rural schools have wholly failed in meeting the just demands upon them is so apparent as not to be open to question. It is said that comparisons are odious. It is said that figures which establish our actual conditions as to lliteracy are unpatriotic: that they make us uncomfortable and should be hidden from our gaze. But to me it seems that if man is sick the SOpiicI Ilt lhhfS lolitt ol lIle IacI and gets a physician, the better it will be for him. If an evil exists In a state the sooner 1t is laid bare and corrected. the better it is for the state.
 "A fact cannot be changed by ignoring it.
 "The fact Is that our rural schools are notoriously inadequate, and under our new constitution. unless the legislature can and will make a liberal appropra- tfn,, fl,a d.. fAr tbof AL. must remain inadequate.
 Local Taxation. "We have recently been engaged in great effort to extend the principle of local taxation. Personally, I am sure that along this line only can our schools att tain the condition of approximate effi- ciency that the northern and western schools have attained; but local taxation in the north Is one thing and in Ala bama 1t is another. In the north and west the communities levy such a rate as will provide a suitable school and school building. The people have no fear of themselves, nor of the taxing power h many instances, the rate is ten and eleven mills. In some instances it is twenty-five mills. They regard 1t as a blessing and not curse. The public school is their greatest possession;a 1t is their chief pride. To 1t they attribute their material prosperity.
 Should such rate be proposed here, many people would be alarmed: but into the very arms and jaws of it in the north and west hundreds of thousands, even millions, of immigrants, are annual ly rushing.
 Local taxation under our new constitu- ton is here limited to mill and 1t. takes three-fifths vote at an election specially called for the purpose. If the taxes were levied in every county In the state 1t would produce only about 5000 per an