The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-26
THE SCHOOL CENSUS
SOME FIGURES REPEATED FROM
 THREE DISTRICTS.
Department of Education is striving to Correct Inequitabie Conditions That Have Prevailed In
 the State.

A remarkable coincidence in the cen sus taking of school children came to the notice of the Alabama Department of Education yesterday when reports from the Calera, St. Stephens and Braggs census districts showed the same figures that were recorded two years ago. Tn other words, in these districts which were exempted from the general State census law passed oy the last Legislature. there has been no increase in the number or children or school age in a period of two years.
 This condition emphasizes the great need of Alabama fer an appropriation for census taking in the school dis tricts, according to officers Of the Eau ucational Department.
 Most people do not know that last year. under the reorganization of the school census plan. State Superintend- ent of Education l. W. Hill cut down the population of school children fully 32. 900 for the entire State. It was the operation of the new census law and showed the looseness of the previous methods which were hardly more than guess work
 Although there Is no appropriation for special census work the census talk ing the last year by the district trus- tees under the direction of Superintend- ent Hill saved the State nearly $50,000
 
 a good deal more than this because it is reasonable to expect the school pop ulstion of Alabama to grow consider ably with every year Yet by careful work of inspection the practices of padding" in the various counties was suppressed so that the census showed a smaller population than that of the preceding year by 32,000. Several counties showed ;urprising reductions in the number of school children.
 By further strict handling of the census question 1t is firmly believed, by those closely in touch with the Educa- tional Department, that the per capita money for school purposes derived from the taxes and other sources will exceed that of last year. Last wear it was $1 45. This year 1t is predicted the per capita will be at least $1.5o. and this increase despite the fact that under correct census enumerations the mass of children of educable age ought to sho wan increase. The fact is. as hint rd, that Su oerintendent Hill has inau- gurated reform in the census methods and every year, even without an ap- propriaEon. he is cullirg off the rolls of a majority of counties. This re- duces the whole population of school children to nelrer a legitimate basis and consequently the per capita money will be e1uitably fixed or almost so.
 
 the charge of padding" throughout the State have only to look al the record. Tn one city of the State with a popu- lation of not more than 10000 1t was found. by reform census taking. that last year the number of classified chill dren was over 800 smaller than that of the previous year. It Is in one of the most prosperous sections of the State and the general population all around has increased measurably.
 There Is talk of pressing the issue of a special census appropriation for schools If an extra session of the Leg islature is called by Governor Jelks. These disclosures of long standing augur the importance of such an ap- propriation. There is no law a all for spending money on a school census at present. The work is made one of the duties of the trustees in the county school districts The item of school per capita is vital to the whole State and 1t depends c great deal on absolutely accurate ehtinfe ration of school chil- dren. District greed, before the pres ent law, was banefuf a 1t led straight to "padding''tthe school rolls and 1t was always left to questfoh assto how many children of school age was in a single district. The States money was dis bursed on the census report and there was little equity.
 Superintendent Hill yesterday re- ceived official information from Talla- poosa County that the election held there Saturday on the issue of local taxation carried by an overwhelming vote There were no exact figures glv- en but the affirmative vote was so em- phatic as to decide the widespread pop