The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-13
WALKERS GOOD RECORD
UPSTATE COUNTY LEADS LIN EDU-
 CATIONAL PRIDE.
Mere Money Provided for School Chii- Aren Than Any of the Other sixty-sfx Counties of
 Alabama.

By hrures and facts yesterday op- tained from the State Department or Education and supplemented oy au thentic information outside. 1t has de- veloped that Walker leads It's sixty-sx sister counties in the funds applied to education in proportion to the popuia- tion.
 walker County has attained this lead somewhat in the way that the "eariy bird" catches the worm and has always caught him. The school champions of the county have helped 1t to this dis- tinction by intense agitation and much political pride.
 Being early, 1t should be remembered that Walker County was the first to vote the levy of one-mill tax made possible by the new Constitution. So early were the patriots In the upstate county, in fact, that money realized from this levy is being applied to the schools. This Is not so of any other county despite the fact that score of them have voted the tax. The elec- ton of the latter came too late to en- ter the assessments upon the books to realize what Walker is now realizing.
 The figures snow, 1t Is claimed, that Walker County leads the State in the per capita amount of poll tax paid last year. This is an element in itself. as under the educational law the poll tax goes back to the school districts whence 1t was collected and nowhere else. This. therefore, indicates a local political pride. The last three years in the county for poll taxes present an excel lent showing. Tacre was en average of 35 cents per capita of school chill aren (whttc) for each year. The sig nincant fact Is also brought out that under the new Franchise law only $s has been rai6 in poll taxes by negroes
 gv,e ho Ia af years. This means that out of popu- iation of some 1.500 negroes only two have voted In three years. Consequent ly while the white children. under the law, have received in this period $l.O5 per capita for schooling. each negro child has received cnly one mill.
 But this Is not to the point. The last element in the bulge of Walker County in tho educational march Is the dispen- saries. There are, Ave of them and all doing well. Forty per cent. of the net profits so to the county school fund The last fiscal year with the dispense ries there was added to the school fund an amount equal to SIPS per capita of school children. The large increase In business for the first six months Of the current year over the first half Of the previous year warrants the esti- mate that the schools will get a per capita contribution of $1.75 from this source.
 Taking account. therefore, of all tho sources of revenue which make Walker at present the banner county of the State. 1t Is found that each child Of school age. that is, between ' and Fl years. now receives Q public benefit amounting to over a4. divided as fol- lows: Per capita of the State fund. $1 45; per capita from the djspensary. Si.75. per capita from the one-mill levy, 7b cents, and the per capita ff5m poll tax, S5 cents.
 These are figures carefully compiled and the Department of Education is inclined to accept them as proof of Walkers claim to first place in educa- ton. The Department makes 1t known that the contest is not yet closed, how ever, and 1t Is willing to listen to argu- ments of other counties if they are sub mitted in figures.
 So enthusiastic are educational au- thorities of Walker that under their influence experts have been induced to make a map of the county showing prominently the school district lines. which map is said to be very valuable.