The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1906-09-27

Second only in general interest and
first, perhaps, In importance or all the
legislation with which the next Leg
islature will have to do Is the legis-
lation which will affect the education
al system of Alabama program
which will include recommendations
adopted by the sehoni men of the
State, both the college men and the
common school men of the State, will
be laid before the law makers when
they meet in quadrennial session IN
January.
Harmony, to a rare degree, exists
among the Alabama educators. TO
this harmony more IMAM to any otner
one thing is due the splendid educa-
tional advance made in Alabama in re-
cent years. 1t is possible that there
will be no dissension in the requests
for assistance to the schools and col
leges that will be made on the law
makers.
The general legislative program
which the law makers will be asked
to consider was adopted at a largely
attended educational conference held
at the University Summer School in
Tuscaloosa during July. Teachers
from all over Alabama and from ev-
cry class of the States schools met at
the University and an earnest discus
| sion OF tho States school needs was
had.
cerned the schools If Alabama have
| stood still for four years. In the alb
sence of timely legislative aid they
have. however, shown splendid ad-
vance. But the schools and colleges
would today be on much better foot
| ing IL the Legislature had met two
years ago and made adequate provis-
| ion for their needs and their growth.
| AS 1t was, they had TO get along as
best they could under laws and constf-
tutional provisions already estab-
iished.
There is today more than $4,000, 900
| lying IDLE in the State Treasury. With
in two weeks the newspapers have re-
corded the fact that scholars were
turned away from the Polytechnic In
stitute at Auburn ana the Alabama
Girls Industrial Schooi at Montevallo,
while the University at Tuscaloosa has
| been cramped for room rs IL has never
been in September TINS means that
although the State has pile of. idle
money some ambitious youths and
girls of the State have been deprived
of the education that the State has
promised and to which they have look
ed forward.
The lawmakers, early in their ses-
sion. will be called upon to make the
| provisions at the State colleges which
are so sorely needed.
In the meanwhile. the leaders in COM
mon school education of the State have
prepared statement of their needs for
the Legislature. This statement will
include the supplying of the deficiencies
that have existed for the past four years
| in the common school system, and
| which could have been remedied two
years ago had the constitution permit
ted a biennial $ession of the Legisla-
| ture.
The most important feature of the
Tuscaloosa Conference program is the
request of the Legislature for law
| that will change the unit of local taxa
ton from the county to the school dis
trict. The people of Alabama, as a
/ whole have heartily endorsed the prop
osition of local taxation when applied
to counties. More than half the coun-
ties have voted the two mills taxation
as soon as they were given an oppor-
tunity to do 1t.
The Tuscaloosa program. and this
| is the main feature of the general re-
quest. ask that the school districts be
permitted to tax themselves when they
want to do it. The common school
leaders believe that, even as local tax
alton ha sgreatly benefited the school
when applied to counties. 1t VIII no
less benefit them when applied TO
school districts. IL Is augued that
the man who pays a direct tax to his
local schools will certainly patronize
them more freely than though he had