The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-13


 the nations. It is an axiom of political economy that the highest daily wages is paid in those communities where the best schools are maintained. Inventive ness self-reliance desire to do the utmost in life and drive the engine at full speed. thrift, tdiness, mental alert ness-savings banks cozy homes, lyceums, libraries picture galleries-in a word. the power both to produce wealth and to enjoy it-these are the virtues and the graces of the land of the school house amply proving that knowledge, indeed, is power.
 "The invaluable report of the royal English commissioner on education in America says: MT William Mather, the special agent. assigns even greater inhu- ence on American manufactures to the general education of the American peo- pie derived from their common schools than to their technical schools. MT Boyle. the consul at Liverpool, and Mir Mar win, consul general at Berlin, assert that in future industrial and trade eomped- ton with Germany and with England the scale will be turned in favor of the Uni- ted States, and in every case the cause assigned is the magic power of the Amer ican common school. which transmutes raw brains into nimble productive thought and cheap and clumsy muscle into dex- terous high-priced skill. and rude crass raw materials Into assets on the tax list
 Conditions In Alabama.
 "These truths thus roughly sketched are not of mere academic interest, nor are these principles circumscribed geo. graphically in their great power for good. i, No community can afford to neglect the policies whereby wealth and prosperity have been achieved by other communi- ties. If common schools, well equipped and thoroughly taught, are good for Mas sachusetts and Iowa, they certainly are good for Alabama. Our state cannot hope to accumulate wealth either by raising cotton or by manufacturing pig iron Diversified agriculture and diversified small industries. large centers of popula- tion to consume the products of the farm, are some of the needs today in Alabama, and for the accomplishment of the ends there Is no other agency but the com mon school, and the general dissemination of knowledge.
 To-day every southern state has a well established system of public schools, state supported and state controlled, whose privileges and funds are usually appor- toned equally between the children of both races. Within the two decades from 1S74-94, while the population of the south increased 54 per cent, It's school population Increased 1s0 per cent, and the expenditure for schools increased from 66 cents to s1.2O per capita.
 Most notably and praiseworthy has been the attitude of the south toward the education of the negro. According to the report of the commissioner of education of the United States for 1S9S-99, the fif- teen southern states that a generation before forbade the slaves to learn to read, have since 1870, i. e., in twenty-eight years appropriated $101 ,O00, GOO for the edu- cation of the freedman; and 92 per cent of this large revenue was drawn from the taxes on the property of the white people. We'll does Dr. Curry say that nothing in modern history surpasses this sublime self-denial Private philanthropy cannot hope to approximate such results.
 "All this is marvelously rapid change: revolution, indeed. rather than evolution. and is ample assurance that the south as whole, in it's organized capacity, has definitely and finally committed itself to the great American idea of free schools for all the people,
 But great as our willingness great as is this spirit of self-sacrince much re- mains to be done; our educational equip ment and resources. compared with other sections, are pitifully meager.
 'The educational outlook in Alabama ie the prophetic breaking of the morn over the eastern hills, rather than the full light in the day. Our high state officials, I re- joice to say, are in hearty accord and touch with the work of popular education The press is enthusiastic in its support Tn fact the last four years have been an era of distinct progress. both in resources and in efficiency. To quote the superin- tendent of educations report: The amount of funds available for common school purposes has been increased more