The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-29
Store Closed Saturday Until p. m.

nm, o, less than an average of 50 cents ner capita for each child. But it cannot be levied in every county Local cohoi- tions existing In some of our larger coun- ties not necessary to mention, practcaiiy forbid it. We have been engaged m campaign for this tax for over year ana the result has been very gratifying put the next yield to the schools Is less tnah $150.000 per annum.
 'sThe surest indication of the inadequacy of local taxation under the present con stitution is found in Jefferson county. With consummate wisdom her people Tor years have levied and collected # mill for schools as part or thelr general fund, and it has high place on the hohof roll of counties as one of the frst 10 levy a tax of 1 mill for that purpose. 80 iaree are the tax values Of our greatest county that 11b mills yield the splendid total or s75O0O per annum: yet this, supp nehted hv the state fund, only suffices for seyen-months school in the rural dls- tricts.
 If the schools of Jefferson county, sunplemented by local tax yielding Sfo,- mo ner annum. can only run seven months in inc year, how can the tax be suniclent In Clehurne county, for instance, when IL would only yield $15,000 per annumE Ana there are several counties in the state smaller in population and wealth thah Cleburne.
 Results from Local Taxation.
 'JJnderstand me, I favor the local tax and it's influence Is by no means limited to the amount of money raised by It, us best results are due to the Tact thae if is generally accompanied by an educa- tional revival that it guarantees greater local interest and generally a more ef- ficient local control. but as a source or the supply of money necessary to prins these schools up to proper conoitioh it Is hopelessly insufficient.
 ITO what other source can we then tu,h' under existing conditions, except to the legislature? There is none whatever we must leave them inadequateiy proVlueu for, or the legislature must obey the mandate of the constitution and increase the public school fund from time to time as inc necessity therefor and the condi- ton of the treasury and the resources Of the state may justify
 ''It is said that we have made great educational progress In this state In re cent years. This is true. In 1900 the per capita was only 70 cents; 1t is now VI 40. 1t was then, and It still Is, the smallest per capita of any state In the union. This fact Is further borne In upon us by bulletin just issued by the census bu- reau, showing that in 1900 we had only 6i teachers for each 10000 persons be- tween and A years of age smaller
  Compare 1t with TT in Mississippi, 80 In Georgia, S2 in Tennessee and 99 in Florida, with a national average Of 14o
 About Immigration.
 "Ail abroad in the state Is the cry for immigration, but concurrent herewith is the wise and Just demand that we shall seek only the better class. We have na- tive ignorance enough; we do not want l,uf ha inn cd article.
 ''We want only the better class of immi- grants. This better class, as a rule, comes from northern Europe, where they have the best free school system in the world. Can we expect immigrants in large mum bers to come from countries furnishing the best system of free education in the world so long as our craftsmanship con- tents itself with the poorest?
 But deeper and more fundamental than the question of foreign immigration Is the question: What shall we do with our own people?'
 ''That there has been and is going on today gradual wedding out of the land lords in the country is a lamentable fact which cannot be disputed. Not all. but many of the better class of farm-own- CTS, have left the farm. Why? Ask them will say: Because we want to educate our children
 .'That many of our own better class of people have been forced to leave their homes. at great sacrifice, to come into the cities. and in many instances to leave the state for the purpose of educating their children. is an unwholesome condi- tion that cannot too soon be corrected.
 We want and will welcome the better class of foreign immigrants, but to get them in large quantities we must offer better advantages for the education of their children.
 '.In any case, regardless of immigra-. tion. we must lift up the educational standard of our own people to the end